PRINCIPLE ONE:   THE MIND KNOWS; THE SPIRIT BELIEVES

     This is the first and the fundamental principle. Knowing and believing are completely separate functions in the human process in their search for reality. These two functions drive this searching process like two pistons in a two cylinder engine, together they drive the search forward yet operate independently of each other. Principle two will explain in more detail just how they relate to each other. For the purposes of this discussion we will treat these two functions as separate from each other and one at a time.
     The MIND is all about knowledge. The mind collects data through the senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching) which act as the mind’s gateways to the real world around us. The mind collects, collates, weights, filters and stores all of this data, and with this data the mind reasons and searches for connections between the various bits of data. This is ALL the mind can do! This is the knowing function—it is not the believing function. Remember, these functions are separate in operation and this separation must be maintained in order to understand them. The knowing/reasoning function is limited because the mind that is collecting these facts or data can never get all of the facts. In truth, we can never know just how much of the data actually available to us we have indeed actually collected! We don’t know what we don’t know! This is humbling—as well it should be. Suffice it to say for now, “Humility is the healthy state of mind.” The humble keep searching; the humble keep learning.
     The human SPIRIT is all about BELIEF. The spirit is on a continuous quest to grasp for a hold on reality. To some readers the word “SPIRIT” may illicit some objection. The word “SUB-CONSCIOUS” can be used instead. Psychology has adopted this term and, indeed, it is an apt term to describe what I refer to as the human spirit. On this the Psychologist and this writer agree: that the human spirit or sub-conscious dwells below (sub) the mind (conscious) and acts as a separate function from the mind. Our spirit is the deepest part of our being. For the purposes of our understanding we will use the term “SPIRIT” to describe this human function of believing. Why? Because the human spirit is about the act of believing and belief is by its very nature a spiritual one.
     What does it mean to believe? Belief is how we view the world around us. Belief is perception. Belief is not the reality that actually surrounds us; it is the perception of that reality that surrounds us. Perception in NOT actual reality, perception is our own personal reality. For our purposes, a suitable workable definition of belief is: “BELIEF is our PERSONAL REALITY.” Belief and personal reality is the same thing. When we make use of the word “belief” we are referring to our own personal reality—our own personal view of the world around us and not the actual real world—the world of truth. Belief systems are referred to as “Worldviews” by anthropologists and Sociologists alike, usually referring to religion and culture. Belief is not limited to religion. Belief is our personal reality/worldview regarding all aspects of life. This includes: what we believe about all of our relationships, what we believe about all the situations in life that confronts us, what we believe is valuable and desirable, and what we hate and love. Belief is the world in which we live. Belief is our personal world. BELIEF is EVERYTHING!
      Most of us are familiar with the card game called poker. This game is unique in that it plays with the mind and the spirit. This game helps us to see just how the mind and spirit operate in our lives.
         Let us involve just three people in this poker game: the dealer (Larry) and the two players (Moe and Curly). They will play the simplest game of poker. The dealer, Larry, begins by distributing one card to Moe and Curly facing up for all to see. Let us say that Moe gets a deuce and Curly gets an ace. Everyone sitting at the table gathers this information with their minds and immediately their spirits come to a belief/conclusion/opinion/judgment/theory (these are all the same). Moe with his deuce will most likely come to the belief that he is indeed doomed. “All is lost” Moe’s spirit might be saying as he looks upon his humble deuce. Curly is most likely believing the opposite with his ace proudly on display. The game continues, however, and the players must act on the knowledge and the belief that they each possess.
     The game of poker demands that all must ante up, that is, put their money in the center of the table, or fold (quit). The game called life demands this as well. Do you see the connection? Whatever cards we are dealt in life we must interpret and believe something about them and then act either one way or the other.
     Anyway, back to the game at hand. Some players fold at this point, while others press forward and watch what might yet unfold. Moe deuce) makes the decision to ante up with $1.00 and allows the game to unfold. Curly (ace) decides to match Moe’s dollar and stays in the game as well.
     The dealer once again deals one card to each facing upward; Moe get another deuce; Curly receives an eight. Moe now has a pair of deuces while Curly is the humble owner of one ace and an eight—nothing! Once again the game demands the decision to either ante up or fold. Curly’s reality (ace, eight) has drastically changed—he has nothing! Moe’s reality (deuce, deuce), on the other hand, looks a little brighter. Moe antes up and tosses $5.00 into the pot. Curly ponders—he doesn’t know what to believe. Curly decides to stay in the game because he has HOPE! Although he has nothing now, he has hope that the game will unfold in his favor. Curly matches Moe’s bet tossing $5.00 into the pot.
     The dealer prepares to deal another set of cards. Now the game gets interesting. This time, however, the dealer distributes each card facing downward so that no one else can see; only the player to whom it is dealt. Each player now will only have some of the total truth available. Moe takes a peek at his card and he sees an ace (deuce, deuce, ace), while Curly is dealt a deuce (ace, eight, deuce). Curly still has nothing; however, Moe does not know this! Moe ponders: “What if Curly got another ace or even another eight. Heck, even two eights will beat two deuces!” Oh my, what will Moe do? Moe and Curly don’t have all of the facts, but they must believe something and act.
     This game can make many different turns at this point. Curly (ace, eight, deuce) might decide to toss $10.00 into the pot in order to suggest to Moe (deuce, deuce, ace) a belief (personal reality) that he (Curly) has just received the card that Moe fears (ace or eight). From Moe’s perspective this may in fact be true or it might be a bluff on Curly’s part. Moe’s decision is before him: “Do I match Curly or raise his bet to suggest that I have a better hand or do I fold and quit.”
     You and I have an interesting perspective on this whole matter: we know the real truth. We are watching from above with God’s perspective: we see all of the cards. The real truth is that Moe has a pair of deuces and Curly has nothing. In Moe’s and Curly’s personal worlds (belief) the real truth is not attainable to them—they will never have all the facts nor will they ever know what they don’t know. This is humbling. In this game the best hand can lose and the worst hand can win. If Moe believes that Curly has a pair of aces or eights, he could very well decide to fold. Here Moe’s actual winning hand (a simple pair of deuces) would lose, while the actual losing hand wins! Remarkable! This is the humble human predicament.
     Is this not the game of life itself? You and I will never have all of the facts, but we must believe something! Why? Because life demands that we act! We must either ante up or fold up. We will in the end do something, because we will believe something.