Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know, or why we believe what we believe. If your parents are Muslim, it is likely you are Muslim. Likewise if your parents were Catholic, you are likely a Catholic. Likewise with Jews and Muslims, and in fact Republican and Democrats, or whatever other label you think of, it is statistically likely that you believe what your parents believe, beca...use that is what you were taught at an early age.
Some people change that, of course, sometimes after careful consideration and sometimes to get back at Mom and Dad. Some people do believe the same things as their parents even after careful consideration.
Of course not all parents can be correct. I should note that Muslims and Jews and Catholics can't all be correct, because they believe vastly different things. Same with Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, capitalists and communists. Someone in the end is right and someone is wrong, and epistemology is the study of how we really can know and believe what we know and believe.
For my part, if you are one of the people that roots for your parents team because that is what you were told by Mommy and Daddy, and you have never really paused to give it much thought because you are "just not interested in those things", then please understand that your opinion has zero value in my world. You don't really hold opinions, you have faith in what your mother and father told you. That's fine but as I said holds no value for me.
If you find yourself rooting and voted and spouting your opinion and you realize you have never taken the time to figure out WHY you believe what you believe, then I might suggest you should be quiet. I love talking to those who hold different opinions than I do who have carefully considered why believe what they believe. Those folks tend to open my eyes about things and they are the only ones who ever end up changing my mind, because they have considered the reasons for what they are saying.
The rest, the "team players", often give confusing and irrational explanations that don't often even make sense to them.
It is humbling to look at why you believe what you believe, and it removes a lot of arrogance and mistrust of others, but if we don't all start looking at what we believe we are going to be fighting each other until there is nothing left to fight over. Even if it is as simple as saying a small phrase that frightens so many of us, please consider occasionally saying "I don't know", especially when that is the truth.
Some people change that, of course, sometimes after careful consideration and sometimes to get back at Mom and Dad. Some people do believe the same things as their parents even after careful consideration.
Of course not all parents can be correct. I should note that Muslims and Jews and Catholics can't all be correct, because they believe vastly different things. Same with Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, capitalists and communists. Someone in the end is right and someone is wrong, and epistemology is the study of how we really can know and believe what we know and believe.
For my part, if you are one of the people that roots for your parents team because that is what you were told by Mommy and Daddy, and you have never really paused to give it much thought because you are "just not interested in those things", then please understand that your opinion has zero value in my world. You don't really hold opinions, you have faith in what your mother and father told you. That's fine but as I said holds no value for me.
If you find yourself rooting and voted and spouting your opinion and you realize you have never taken the time to figure out WHY you believe what you believe, then I might suggest you should be quiet. I love talking to those who hold different opinions than I do who have carefully considered why believe what they believe. Those folks tend to open my eyes about things and they are the only ones who ever end up changing my mind, because they have considered the reasons for what they are saying.
The rest, the "team players", often give confusing and irrational explanations that don't often even make sense to them.
It is humbling to look at why you believe what you believe, and it removes a lot of arrogance and mistrust of others, but if we don't all start looking at what we believe we are going to be fighting each other until there is nothing left to fight over. Even if it is as simple as saying a small phrase that frightens so many of us, please consider occasionally saying "I don't know", especially when that is the truth.
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