We all act on feelings which are the result of beliefs. The action reinforces the feeling which then reinforces the belief. To do otherwise is angst and we are keenly aware of the unpleasantness of the turmoil angst creates. Thus, we rarely challenge a belief. Very sad. Life should be a continual challenging of beliefs, especially since we rarely know where beliefs come from. Here's a simplistic example.

For whatever reason, John is terrified of snakes. He has never had any experience with them, but he believes them to be vile, sinister, evil creatures who are laying in wait for him. The feelings he has toward them are not good at all and thus he completely avoids any interaction with them. If he encounters a picture of a snake, he slams the book shut (action) which makes him feel better but leaves a "Yecchy" feeling which reinforces the belief that snakes are blah, blah, blah. If John were to "eat the angst" so to speak, and study snakes and their characteristics, things would change because his feeling would become less negative and that would force an alteration of his belief which would make the feelings better yet and the next action would be less negative. Its a triangle....Beliefs-Feelings-Actions. What too often happens is that John hears a story of someone being attacked by hordes of Moccasins while fishing in Canada. Well there ain't no Moccasins in Canada and they are generally solitary to begin with. But why investigate...it gives him angst and its a lot easier to add this to his feelings of what this attack would be were it him and hence reinforce the belief that snakes are blah, blah, blah.

This is an old theory of behavior and I keep challenging it, but also find it seems to work in almost any situation (reinforcing my good feelings toward it and then my making my belief in the theory stronger).

Spaw