Several years back

[Westfall]

See, I believe that belief is necessary for achievement, more so than any idea. It is belief, in himself or in his dream, that allows a man to drive himself from the poorhouse to being a confident, capable businessman.

It is belief, more than mere ideas, that drive us to be better than who we are now, or were yesterday.

I don't hold beliefs in that sense, but I am confident in my ablities to analyze a situation and though rational though improve my life, or seek out others who can help me improve my life. I really think all you need is rational though...what is the point of holding a belief it is not derived from rational thought, and if you are capable of rational thought, why hold beliefs?

[zine]

I really think it's impossible to avoid beliefs. What's rational to one person may be totally irrational to someone else. Why? Because of their different beliefs. If you eliminate the beliefs you eliminate the rational. Change your beliefs and what's a rational action to you changes. I think that both are necessary and are dependent upon each other.

Also being fully rational implies that emotions would no longer be useful. Emotions however have been extremely useful in human survival. They have been a part of us much longer than our logic, and have had much more time to evolve. Emotions warn us of danger. They reward us for expanding the human race, and they aid us in finding a suitable mate to further strengthen the human race.

Plus good rational arguement skills won't get you laid nearly as fast as making a girl just plain feel good and sexual around you.

Sedona Method is good at helping let go of beliefs that have limited you in the past, but I do think it's somewhat flawed in that I think it is truly impossible to let something go without having something better to believe in and replace it with.

[Westfall]

I disagree...in the absence of emotion, why would anyone want to do anything?

Everything I do is to achieve some emotion...and I supsect this is the way most people are....they eat because they want to feel satisfied, they love because they want to feel loved. I do not see emotion and rational thought as opposites, but rather try to use rational thought to get the emotions I desire....though sometimes Im not too good at doing that. I am talking about beliefs in the way defined in that article...

for instance, there is nothing anyone can do about things that have already occured, so it doesnt make a lot of sense to hold beliefs like that... I think the real danger is holding a belief without knowing why you hold the belief--or dwelling on something that can only make you feel guilt...not a particularlly pleasent emotion...

Westfall