Open Bank Vault DoorFaith, often instantly associated with religion, has a much bigger meaning. I have faith that daylight comes each morning. Bertrand Russell famously explains faith in “Problems of Philosophy” as an expected outcome based upon data from prior experience – inductive reasoning.

The farmer who has fed the chicken every day throughout the chicken’s life has led the chicken to have faith that the farmer will always be there to feed him. However, at last the farmer wrings the chicken’s neck instead.A more refined view might have been useful to the chicken, but I doubt the chicken could have done much about it anyway.

Faith, in both positive and negative anticipated outcomes, has a basis in the future predicated upon the past. However, faith is never based upon proof.

Faith is based on trust.

We could not live our lives daily without faith. Faith in all sorts of outcomes.

And sometimes when our faith is misplaced, we make mistakes, have accidents, become suspicious, and become skeptical.

Faith and belief can almost be used interchangeably. The difference is belief is something that has occurred in the past and is regarded as true without proof. Faith is an anticipated outcome based upon past belief. Faith is the future; belief is the past. Neither faith nor belief have proof.

Our beliefs are the foundation of our faiths (plural). Or rather our assumptions about the past lead to our anticipation of outcomes in the future.

Finally, all of this combines to create trust. Trust in ourselves, others, and the universe.

Change your beliefs and you change your world.

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