Has admitting to yourself that you are an atheist changed the way you live in any way?
My moral convictions are unchanged, in fact, they are improved because I do good by choice rather than at least partially out of obligation and fear. I have better and healthier interpersonal boundaries. I make life decisions based on reason and evidence rather than based on dogma and doctrine. I have far more realistic expectations and I don't waste nearly so much time trying to reconcile experienced outcomes with "the promises of god" or other disordered notions of what is "supposed" to happen.
As far as any change people would notice, they are all superficial -- not attending or belonging to a church, not praying before meals, etc. These things would matter only to my former fellow theists.
 mordant
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    mordant
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        Not believing in any type of reward after dying has made me live more fully in the here and now and with much more care and attention to where I devote my time and energy. I feel much more relaxed and free and able to get a lot more things done and enjoy quiet moments of doing absolutely nothing as well.
I have been this way since my early teens and feel that I could die any day and still feel like I made a difference even if it was just in how I lived my own life. Helping others is a bonus but not anything that will count toward a false reward...
As I get older, I feel less of a need to tell anyone about being atheist...just live through actions and truth.
 thinktwice
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    thinktwice
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        Only to the extent that I don't feel as if I am unmoored, and casting about.
 stinkeye_a
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    stinkeye_a
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        Not in the least. I have been agnostic most of my life(though much of the time did not know it).
 seattlepanda
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    seattlepanda
                                                
                                                Level 7
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        Yes it stopped me from talking like a subnormal shit for brains asshole, let let me mature in to a normal shit for brains asshole
 LenHazell53
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    LenHazell53
                                                
                                                Level 9
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        It's given me a sense of calm on the one hand and an excitement on the other. Feeling calm because I could let go of all of the nonsense, and excitement for all that is around me and for the future.
 jimdaughters
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    jimdaughters
                                                
                                                Level 5
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        I was never a believer, I was fortunate in that i wasn't brought up in a religious household.
So I've never had any "change" in my life from it.
I can however understand, and have seen in others that I know go through a few changes in their life after leaving their faith and belief.
 TristanNuvo
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    TristanNuvo
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        I don’t believe so. I’m becoming more comfortable with revealing it publicly as I get older.
 Green_eyes
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    Green_eyes
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019                                            
                                        For me getting rid of the guilt of not eating meat on Friday or missing church has changed the way I review things. I now take the approach does it hurt me or my family or society. If it doesn't I ignore it where in the past I might try to correct or fix the problem even if I wasn't invited to do so.
 Marine
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019
                                            
                                                
                                                    Marine
                                                
                                                Level 8
                                                Jan 12, 2019