Superb post, Paul. I left Christianity (my birthview) over a year ago and I’m currently writing about my deconstruction on my Substack. I think you’re accurate in saying that a lot of people acquiesce because they never question their birthview. I never did for a long time, until I got fed up not really feeling like I truly chose Christianity. So, I set out to figure out what it meant for something to be true and to see if Christianity held up to that standard of truth.
After doing it, I thought “Why don’t more people do this?” That’s something I’m still wrestling with. Perhaps it’s too intellectually difficult or people have ideas that put them in what I call “ideational gridlock”—blocking them from ascending from their current worldview (until they rescind the ideas causing the gridlock).
I’m planning on writing about ideational gridlock.
Very interesting Maddox. Looking forward to your writing on “ideational gridlock”. By the way, are you familiar with Jim Palmer’s work on deconstruction?
One reason people don't take on the challenge that you did is that it can be extremely difficult. You can lose friends and leaving your birthview can be mentally taxing and painful. I'm looking forward to seeing what you write!
This is something I hope to write about more deeply in the future. Many people are worried about the dark side of personal and intellectual growth because it will likely alienate you from certain friends and family. At the same time, though, it will also open up new relationships with people who understand in ways that others never could. I think there is a kind of “dip” or period in which you are in tension with your old self and haven’t yet formed new connections. If you aren’t able to push through these moments, it is very likely that you will slide back into your old self (which also means the old ways of interacting and relating to others).
@Paul Musso, PhD - This is masterful! Your articulation of birthview gives a language to, and a way of thinking about, the scaffolding of our identity - our assumptions, allegiances, even our discomforts which are largely inherited before we are conscious enough to consent. And yet we cling to it, ongoingly - even consciously - often fiercely, mistaking comfort and familiarity for freedom.
I very much appreciate how you hold the paradox: that questioning our worldview can feel like a betrayal of our sense of self, when in fact it may be the beginning of becoming one. What you’re offering is not merely a philosophical prompt, but an existential dare to figure out how to meet ourselves before the script was laid down in our unconscious. I feel you are speaking my language.
Your distinction between passive absorption and active renegotiation calls to mind Winnicott’s idea (Psychoanalytic theorist) that it is only the true self who can feel real. Reclaiming authorship of our inner life may not always offer comfort but it does offer truth and perhaps, in time, a deeper belonging to the world and to ourselves.
I always love your posts Paul and I look forward to many more to come. In my way of thinking, you're not just exploring micro-philosophy you’re inviting macro-awakening.
Powerful words Bronce. This line hit me: “questioning our worldview can feel like a betrayal of our sense of self, when in fact it may be the beginning of becoming one”. This seems really important for personal growth. Overcoming that fear of betraying ourselves and reframing it.
I appreciate the support and kinds words. It means a lot coming from you.
Excited to see where you go with this, Paul. I’ve felt stuck for a while over the past few years and only recently started to understand why, which I believe has a lot to do with what you’re beginning to unravel here.
Recently, as my worldview is changing, what I’m struggling most with is the loss: as I feel that I am becoming more who I’d like to be, the distance between myself and a lot of my friends and family is increasing, and it’s not like I have a lot of either to spare.
Not sure if you have plans to write about how to deal with that duality of your old worldview pulling you back vs. the new worldview you want to adopt, but I’d love to read about it. :)
Thanks for sharing. What you are expressing here is something I have dealt with a lot in my life and, I think, anyone who pursues their own intellectual growth and development has to face at some point. One thing I can say right now is that you are also gaining access to relationships with new people who understand you in ways that your pre-existing relationships are unable to.
I do plan to write about this at some point with you in mind.
While reading your essay, I was reminded of this line by Blair Warren, “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”
For me that sums up how easily people will give away their freedom to think for themselves.
Too many will take this handful of blue pills over the single red pill. ‘More is better’ is not always the best choice.
Yes, Paul. Thank you again for another wonderful post. Lots of nuance and complexity re the 'how' of deconstructing birthviews, then effectively constructing a new worldview (perhaps why I'm so drawn to the philosophical health approach), but this is in so many ways one of the most important processes we can live.
I'm very big on the idea that we basically become what we consistently practice. If we can make more of this explicit and conscious / deliberative (which necessarily means 'doing the work' to overcome unconscious habits and beliefs), we stand the chance of thinking and acting in ways that truly serve us and 'the whole'.
Love this Nate, really insightful. I like how you combine it with practice.
Your comment made me think about a question I often wrestle with:
How much time and energy should we dedicate towards these sort of reflective exercises and how much to simply living on the basis of who and where we currently are?
Tis a beautiful question. In my experience, it's some kind of healthy dynamic relation between our modes of being, doing and becoming. At certain times, we may be slightly more oriented to one over an other (for more or less valid reasons). Like all we're doing here, I don't believe this can be formulaic. I touched on some of this on the What is a good life? podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMup0oB0GKU
Paul, you hit on a lot in this piece that I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about, especially this year. To answer your questions, I think through my lived experiences my birthview has been solidified inside me. While I try to adhere to my view of the world through my actions, I guess I question and challenge it by just thinking about the views of others. If I did not engage in this, it would actually contradict my birthview. I was fortunate to be born into a family of mixed backgrounds, so I was able to see what other people experienced. While that is not the same as actually living those experiences, it has shaped my life in a lot of ways.
For me, taking back control has been a significant challenge that I’m still very much working through. I’m currently dumbing down my smartphone to just the apps I truly need, and deleting the ones where I mindlessly scroll for nearly an hour at a time (except for YouTube which has been getting worse each time I open it up). I think taking back control requires you to sit with yourself. I’ve been meditating and even going on walks or runs without listening to music or a podcast. I find it incredibly important to work on finding yourself in the present, reflecting on your past, and pondering the future by yourself.
Earlier this year, I was really stressed and wanted to work on something fun and positive, but also thoughtful of myself. I started writing what I called “Principles of Governance” which turned into a thought exercise for how I would start a government from scratch. It was a great exercise because while I was able to think deeply about what I care about and how I could accomplish my goals and thoughts in reality, I had a great time doing it. I think that task helped me redefine and reconstruct who I am.
Lastly, I wanted to mention you hit a chord with me when you wrote “very few people today have an excuse” to think freely and “be fully responsible for what we believe and who we become.” The idea behind this has been on my mind almost every day this year. I was toying with the idea of writing a blog a couple months ago and the first piece I wrote touched on this idea, but I was working around it. I think that while in today’s world it might seem like building our foundation to think freely and working on what we believe and what we become is more accessible than ever, it is not. There are powerful systemic issues that create a barrier to this around us, and sometimes it is those same systems that make it more accessible than ever. (I should say part of my birthview and my recent education asks of me to question the systems responsible for where we are in society and the world). With the internet we have more access to information than ever before (although access to the internet is not equal for all people even in developed nations). With the internet we are also subject to algorithms driven to keep us engaged on certain platforms. So, while we have the tools to harvest more information than any generation before us, the harvest has been plagued by a systemic greed that thrives on us seeking answers. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the answers have been replaced by “content”, which I would define as information devoid of critical thought designed to harvest your attention. Another problem with the harvest is its nourishment has been replaced lies and misdirection primed to strike us right in the oldest parts of our brain. We certainly have more access to information today than ever before, but that information that encourages our critical thought is under attack, and so are we. We are exposed to too much content and manipulated information that we are not given time to think about what we see and we are driven to get emotional from what we see. So, while I agree we don’t have an excuse for shaping our own worldview, I think it is more difficult than ever before because that information pool which enables us to have access to more, has been tainted.
I think the best thing we can do to start changing out internal circumstances is to get in touch with our internal selves. It is difficult to authentically engage with the external world if you don’t, and I think that makes you more susceptible to “content” and bad information which is designed to keep you from thinking critically about the world which is required to challenge your birthview, your current worldview, and engage with the views others.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this mini-essay. Powerful stuff.
I really loved the exercise you did to attempt to design an ideal government from scratch. It is no surprise you would learn a lot about yourself from doing this sort of thing. Our views of government and political theory say a lot about who we are on a deeper level.
I am so glad we were able to reconnect on Substack.
Very well written Paul. Interestingly I grew up in a Hindu (or philosophically Vedantic) worldview and after 21 years of that, I came to the US and got introduced the the secular humanistic worldview. In the last 10 years, I have realized that I desperately sought my "birthview" after enjoying all the great things that a secular humanism (or largely the Western worldview - as per how we used to look from India) provides.
At this point, for my own personality, the Vedantic worldview is what enriches me deeply. Whereas for the societal and office related ethics, I derive a lot of my thumb-rules from the secular humanistic worldview.
It is indeed a great experience to understand these differences and know where does one stands in the spectrum.
Superb post, Paul. I left Christianity (my birthview) over a year ago and I’m currently writing about my deconstruction on my Substack. I think you’re accurate in saying that a lot of people acquiesce because they never question their birthview. I never did for a long time, until I got fed up not really feeling like I truly chose Christianity. So, I set out to figure out what it meant for something to be true and to see if Christianity held up to that standard of truth.
After doing it, I thought “Why don’t more people do this?” That’s something I’m still wrestling with. Perhaps it’s too intellectually difficult or people have ideas that put them in what I call “ideational gridlock”—blocking them from ascending from their current worldview (until they rescind the ideas causing the gridlock).
I’m planning on writing about ideational gridlock.
Very interesting Maddox. Looking forward to your writing on “ideational gridlock”. By the way, are you familiar with Jim Palmer’s work on deconstruction?
I am semi-familiar. I am subscribed to his Substack “Decontructionology” or something like that but I have yet to dive into his posts.
One reason people don't take on the challenge that you did is that it can be extremely difficult. You can lose friends and leaving your birthview can be mentally taxing and painful. I'm looking forward to seeing what you write!
This is something I hope to write about more deeply in the future. Many people are worried about the dark side of personal and intellectual growth because it will likely alienate you from certain friends and family. At the same time, though, it will also open up new relationships with people who understand in ways that others never could. I think there is a kind of “dip” or period in which you are in tension with your old self and haven’t yet formed new connections. If you aren’t able to push through these moments, it is very likely that you will slide back into your old self (which also means the old ways of interacting and relating to others).
@Paul Musso, PhD - This is masterful! Your articulation of birthview gives a language to, and a way of thinking about, the scaffolding of our identity - our assumptions, allegiances, even our discomforts which are largely inherited before we are conscious enough to consent. And yet we cling to it, ongoingly - even consciously - often fiercely, mistaking comfort and familiarity for freedom.
I very much appreciate how you hold the paradox: that questioning our worldview can feel like a betrayal of our sense of self, when in fact it may be the beginning of becoming one. What you’re offering is not merely a philosophical prompt, but an existential dare to figure out how to meet ourselves before the script was laid down in our unconscious. I feel you are speaking my language.
Your distinction between passive absorption and active renegotiation calls to mind Winnicott’s idea (Psychoanalytic theorist) that it is only the true self who can feel real. Reclaiming authorship of our inner life may not always offer comfort but it does offer truth and perhaps, in time, a deeper belonging to the world and to ourselves.
I always love your posts Paul and I look forward to many more to come. In my way of thinking, you're not just exploring micro-philosophy you’re inviting macro-awakening.
Powerful words Bronce. This line hit me: “questioning our worldview can feel like a betrayal of our sense of self, when in fact it may be the beginning of becoming one”. This seems really important for personal growth. Overcoming that fear of betraying ourselves and reframing it.
I appreciate the support and kinds words. It means a lot coming from you.
Excited to see where you go with this, Paul. I’ve felt stuck for a while over the past few years and only recently started to understand why, which I believe has a lot to do with what you’re beginning to unravel here.
Recently, as my worldview is changing, what I’m struggling most with is the loss: as I feel that I am becoming more who I’d like to be, the distance between myself and a lot of my friends and family is increasing, and it’s not like I have a lot of either to spare.
Not sure if you have plans to write about how to deal with that duality of your old worldview pulling you back vs. the new worldview you want to adopt, but I’d love to read about it. :)
David,
Thanks for sharing. What you are expressing here is something I have dealt with a lot in my life and, I think, anyone who pursues their own intellectual growth and development has to face at some point. One thing I can say right now is that you are also gaining access to relationships with new people who understand you in ways that your pre-existing relationships are unable to.
I do plan to write about this at some point with you in mind.
While reading your essay, I was reminded of this line by Blair Warren, “People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”
For me that sums up how easily people will give away their freedom to think for themselves.
Too many will take this handful of blue pills over the single red pill. ‘More is better’ is not always the best choice.
Great article! Looking forward to more!
Thanks Cathie. I can’t wait to share more with you soon.
Yes, Paul. Thank you again for another wonderful post. Lots of nuance and complexity re the 'how' of deconstructing birthviews, then effectively constructing a new worldview (perhaps why I'm so drawn to the philosophical health approach), but this is in so many ways one of the most important processes we can live.
I'm very big on the idea that we basically become what we consistently practice. If we can make more of this explicit and conscious / deliberative (which necessarily means 'doing the work' to overcome unconscious habits and beliefs), we stand the chance of thinking and acting in ways that truly serve us and 'the whole'.
Love this Nate, really insightful. I like how you combine it with practice.
Your comment made me think about a question I often wrestle with:
How much time and energy should we dedicate towards these sort of reflective exercises and how much to simply living on the basis of who and where we currently are?
Tis a beautiful question. In my experience, it's some kind of healthy dynamic relation between our modes of being, doing and becoming. At certain times, we may be slightly more oriented to one over an other (for more or less valid reasons). Like all we're doing here, I don't believe this can be formulaic. I touched on some of this on the What is a good life? podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMup0oB0GKU
Paul, you hit on a lot in this piece that I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about, especially this year. To answer your questions, I think through my lived experiences my birthview has been solidified inside me. While I try to adhere to my view of the world through my actions, I guess I question and challenge it by just thinking about the views of others. If I did not engage in this, it would actually contradict my birthview. I was fortunate to be born into a family of mixed backgrounds, so I was able to see what other people experienced. While that is not the same as actually living those experiences, it has shaped my life in a lot of ways.
For me, taking back control has been a significant challenge that I’m still very much working through. I’m currently dumbing down my smartphone to just the apps I truly need, and deleting the ones where I mindlessly scroll for nearly an hour at a time (except for YouTube which has been getting worse each time I open it up). I think taking back control requires you to sit with yourself. I’ve been meditating and even going on walks or runs without listening to music or a podcast. I find it incredibly important to work on finding yourself in the present, reflecting on your past, and pondering the future by yourself.
Earlier this year, I was really stressed and wanted to work on something fun and positive, but also thoughtful of myself. I started writing what I called “Principles of Governance” which turned into a thought exercise for how I would start a government from scratch. It was a great exercise because while I was able to think deeply about what I care about and how I could accomplish my goals and thoughts in reality, I had a great time doing it. I think that task helped me redefine and reconstruct who I am.
Lastly, I wanted to mention you hit a chord with me when you wrote “very few people today have an excuse” to think freely and “be fully responsible for what we believe and who we become.” The idea behind this has been on my mind almost every day this year. I was toying with the idea of writing a blog a couple months ago and the first piece I wrote touched on this idea, but I was working around it. I think that while in today’s world it might seem like building our foundation to think freely and working on what we believe and what we become is more accessible than ever, it is not. There are powerful systemic issues that create a barrier to this around us, and sometimes it is those same systems that make it more accessible than ever. (I should say part of my birthview and my recent education asks of me to question the systems responsible for where we are in society and the world). With the internet we have more access to information than ever before (although access to the internet is not equal for all people even in developed nations). With the internet we are also subject to algorithms driven to keep us engaged on certain platforms. So, while we have the tools to harvest more information than any generation before us, the harvest has been plagued by a systemic greed that thrives on us seeking answers. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the answers have been replaced by “content”, which I would define as information devoid of critical thought designed to harvest your attention. Another problem with the harvest is its nourishment has been replaced lies and misdirection primed to strike us right in the oldest parts of our brain. We certainly have more access to information today than ever before, but that information that encourages our critical thought is under attack, and so are we. We are exposed to too much content and manipulated information that we are not given time to think about what we see and we are driven to get emotional from what we see. So, while I agree we don’t have an excuse for shaping our own worldview, I think it is more difficult than ever before because that information pool which enables us to have access to more, has been tainted.
I think the best thing we can do to start changing out internal circumstances is to get in touch with our internal selves. It is difficult to authentically engage with the external world if you don’t, and I think that makes you more susceptible to “content” and bad information which is designed to keep you from thinking critically about the world which is required to challenge your birthview, your current worldview, and engage with the views others.
Daniel,
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this mini-essay. Powerful stuff.
I really loved the exercise you did to attempt to design an ideal government from scratch. It is no surprise you would learn a lot about yourself from doing this sort of thing. Our views of government and political theory say a lot about who we are on a deeper level.
I am so glad we were able to reconnect on Substack.
Very well written Paul. Interestingly I grew up in a Hindu (or philosophically Vedantic) worldview and after 21 years of that, I came to the US and got introduced the the secular humanistic worldview. In the last 10 years, I have realized that I desperately sought my "birthview" after enjoying all the great things that a secular humanism (or largely the Western worldview - as per how we used to look from India) provides.
At this point, for my own personality, the Vedantic worldview is what enriches me deeply. Whereas for the societal and office related ethics, I derive a lot of my thumb-rules from the secular humanistic worldview.
It is indeed a great experience to understand these differences and know where does one stands in the spectrum.