The basic components of a belief system are; one, our perceptions, two, our cognitions, three, our emotions and four, our social interactions. This starts at birth or shortly thereafter in the family environment then continues through out our entire lives - constant fluctuations, constant changes. The idea is to develop a belief system(s) that are constructive both to ourselves and to the society in which we live.
The greatest question I have tried to find an answer for, especially regarding the different beliefs regarding Isshinryu Karate, is why do people hold on to some beliefs even if there is evidence to the contrary?
Perceptions: Our perceptions are those abilities we build that allow us to see, hear, touch, taste, smell or become aware of - that have some affect on how we behave in life. Our perceptive filters change as our perceptions build, grow and change. The intuitive understanding and insight so unique to the human brain are like this, do they come from perceptions or do perceptions come from intuitive understanding - the chicken or the egg model.
We regard, understand and interpret the things we see, hear and touch and that creates a mental impression. The impression in accordance with our perceptions changes the perceptive filter changing the new perceptions and governing our impressions of our world. It is a process in which we gain knowledge and it is subjective to perceptions as well as the other basic components.
Cognition: We all have a unique mental process that best asissts us in acquiring knowledge and achieving understanding related to that knowledge by our thoughts, experiences, and by the senses. Those senses are the gates to which knowledge enters our minds and then associates with perceptive filtering to provide new knowledge. It is a process by which we come to "know" the process which is what this exercise demonstrates. The value and degree of encoding of knowledge is influenced by the mode of presentation regarding an individual's sense mode most conducive to that encoding. Sight sense mode, hearing sense mode and touch (tactile/kinesthetic) sense mode.
This is the part that relates the information with our logic and then emotions as we will discuss in the next section. This allows us to also judge as to the validity and importance of the incoming knowledge resulting it either a change or no change to our perceptions and perceptive filters. This promotes remembering or encoding, reasoning out things such as an appropriate action to some stimuli, i.e. block a strike coming to your face, understanding how the knowledge and its results affect us in part and on the whole and using the judgement that builds from emotions, perceptions and our interactions with other humans. Results of cognition are; a perception, a sensation, a notion, or an intuition.
Emotions: The state of mind as set by a circumstance and the effect it has on mood or a relationship with another person. It is a particular feeling, i.e. anger vs. joy, etc., that characterizes a state of mind, such as joy, anger, love, hate, horror, and so on. It allows an instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning and knowledge. All are affected by a person sense mode.
Social Interactions: A relationship between two, three or more individuals. That relationship is governed by all the above components and as the chicken or egg metaphor governs social interactions. The process of our actions, interactions and the way we and people act and react to one another be it one-to-one or one-to-many changes our makeup and our perceptive filtering mechanisms, i.e. that which is comprised of the basic components discussed in this post.
When we consider all the possibilities by the basic components discussed here we can begin to see the complexities and obstacles we deal with in changing a belief even in the light of demonstrating evidence that refutes the original belief. It may be proven in current studies that this is hardwired in our brains as a part of the survival instincts.
Interesting don't you think?
Hey, Attention on Deck!
Hey, NOTHING here is PERSONAL, get over it - Teach Me and I will Learn!
When you begin to feel like you are a tough guy, a warrior, a master of the martial arts or that you have lived a tough life, just take a moment and get some perspective with the following:
I've stopped knives that were coming to disembowel me
I've clawed for my gun while bullets ripped past me
I've dodged as someone tried to put an ax in my skull
I've fought screaming steel and left rubber on the road to avoid death
I've clawed broken glass out of my body after their opening attack failed
I've spit blood and body parts and broke strangle holds before gouging eyes
I've charged into fires, fought through blizzards and run from tornados
I've survived being hunted by gangs, killers and contract killers
The streets were my home, I hunted in the night and was hunted in turn
Please don't brag to me that you're a survivor because someone hit you. And don't tell me how 'tough' you are because of your training. As much as I've been through I know people who have survived much, much worse. - Marc MacYoung
WARNING, CAVEAT AND NOTE
The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books. Please make note that this article/post is my personal analysis of the subject and the information used was chosen or picked by me. It is not an analysis piece because it lacks complete and comprehensive research, it was not adequately and completely investigated and it is not balanced, i.e., it is my personal view without the views of others including subject experts, etc. Look at this as “Infotainment rather then expert research.” This is an opinion/editorial article/post meant to persuade the reader to think, decide and accept or reject my premise. It is an attempt to cause change or reinforce attitudes, beliefs and values as they apply to martial arts and/or self-defense. It is merely a commentary on the subject in the particular article presented.
Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.
“What you are reading right now is a blog. It’s written and posted by me, because I want to. I get no financial remuneration for writing it. I don’t have to meet anyone’s criteria in order to post it. Not only I don’t have an employer or publisher, but I’m not even constrained by having to please an audience. If people won’t like it, they won’t read it, but I won’t lose anything by it. Provided I don’t break any laws (libel, incitement to violence, etc.), I can post whatever I want. This means that I can write openly and honestly, however controversial my opinions may be. It also means that I could write total bullshit; there is no quality control. I could be biased. I could be insane. I could be trolling. … not all sources are equivalent, and all sources have their pros and cons. These needs to be taken into account when evaluating information, and all information should be evaluated.” - God’s Bastard, Sourcing Sources (this applies to this and other blogs by me as well; if you follow the idea's, advice or information you are on your own, don't come crying to me, it is all on you do do the work to make sure it works for you!)
“You should prepare yourself to dedicate at least five or six years to your training and practice to understand the philosophy and physiokinetics of martial arts and karate so that you can understand the true spirit of everything and dedicate your mind, body and spirit to the discipline of the art.” - cejames (note: you are on your own, make sure you get expert hands-on guidance in all things martial and self-defense)
“All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed.” - Montaigne
I am not a leading authority on any one discipline that I write about and teach, it is my hope and wish that with all the subjects I have studied it provides me an advantage point that I offer in as clear and cohesive writings as possible in introducing the matters in my materials. I hope to serve as one who inspires direction in the practitioner so they can go on to discover greater teachers and professionals that will build on this fundamental foundation. Find the authorities and synthesize a wholehearted and holistic concept, perception and belief that will not drive your practices but rather inspire them to evolve, grow and prosper. My efforts are born of those who are more experienced and knowledgable than I. I hope you find that path! See the bibliography I provide for an initial list of experts, professionals and masters of the subjects.
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