I propose an experiment. Let's try to live a day without beliefs.
Before we can do that, we need to figure out what that means. I think it would be fascinating to try to live a day without beliefs.
But I have something specific in my own head, that's hard to translate in words. So I'm asking everyone to come together to decide what that means.
What would it mean to live a day without beliefs? Could you? How would you?
Simple answers, brainiacs!
I believe in the bods who made my Qashqai which I believe will get me to work. I believe my new office will be just as I left it. I believe my lovely colleague, Mike will make me a herb tea and I believe our student attending for special measures will be late. I believe all of this things based on accurate repeatable predictions but I am open to being wrong.
Here is a nice talk on street epistemology by the thinking atheist: [thethinkingatheist.com]
There is nothing inherently wrong with beliefs, so long as they are justified. In fact, one could not function in the world well, if at all, without forming reasonable beliefs based on the preponderance of evidence.
A better exercise is to examine one's beliefs, and hold them loosely enough that you can let go of them when they fail the examination. In this way we can eject beliefs that are based on wishful or avoidant thinking or aversion to personal responsibility.