Our world of beliefs

‘We’ve always done it this way.’ – This sentence floats through many offices and meeting rooms like an invisible mantra. It sounds so harmless, almost like a familiar friend who offers us security. But isn’t there sometimes a lazy comfort behind this statement?

Or how about: ‘We can’t afford to make mistakes here.’ A statement that may sound like a recipe for perfection, but in reality it paralyses creativity and nips innovation in the bud.

And then there’s the popular ‘We need more data before we can make a decision.’ A belief that leads to eternal analyses while the competition has long since taken action.

We encounter sentences like this every day in companies – like sound barriers that prevent us from breaking new ground. But what are beliefs actually? Why are they so strongly anchored and how do they influence our actions – both positively and negatively? Time to lift the veil and take a closer look at these invisible drivers.

What are beliefs?

Imagine you are wearing glasses – glasses that you cannot take off. Your glasses are not made of glass, but of beliefs that are deeply rooted in you. These invisible lenses shape your view of the world and influence every decision you make without you always realising it. These invisible filters are exactly what we call beliefs.

Beliefs are deeply rooted convictions about how the world works. They control our thinking, our perception and ultimately our actions – usually on an unconscious level. The psychologist Albert Ellis, one of the founders of cognitive behavioural therapy, described beliefs as ‘silent assumptions that govern our lives and our reactions to the world around us’ [1] These assumptions are so deeply embedded that we rarely question them, even though they influence our actions on a daily basis.

The origin of many beliefs lies in our childhood and the influence of our social environment. Parents, friends, teachers, coaches and even neighbours constantly influence us with their actions, words and values. Phrases such as ‘No pain, no gain!’ or ‘Mistakes are punished!’ often accompany us from a young age and influence our self-image. These beliefs shape our expectations and determine how we face challenges. Over time, they are repeatedly confirmed or reinforced through experience – and so they become an integral part of our world view.

However, beliefs do not only exist on a personal level. Collective beliefs can also be found in companies or entire industries, which shape behaviour like unwritten rules. ‘You can’t reach important contacts during your lunch break’ or “Innovation is always a risk” are typical examples of such beliefs. They provide orientation and security, but can hinder progress if they unconsciously and unchecked determine behaviour.

Beliefs are not just childhood relics

It would be too easy to assume that beliefs are only formed in our childhood and remain unchanged forever. In fact, beliefs are constantly being reshaped in adulthood too – particularly through external influences such as advertising, the media and social norms. Various mechanisms play a role here:

One central concept that influences the formation of new beliefs is so-called framing. This is the way in which information is presented in order to promote certain interpretations and suppress others. Our perception is influenced by the choice of words and the context in which statements are made – and therefore also our beliefs.

A classic example from today is the statement that ‘investing in green technologies is expensive’. It’s regularly presented to us in the media and political discussions, often in a frame that emphasises the financial risks. This framing places the focus on the costs, while the long-term benefits or savings are pushed into the background. Repeated representations of this kind gradually form a belief system that becomes ingrained and influences decisions without reflecting the full reality.

But framing alone is often not enough to anchor beliefs. Another important factor is repetition. The more often we hear a certain message, the more likely we are to internalise it. In content marketing, for example, it has been claimed for years that the length of time users spend on a website is a decisive criterion for success. The constant repetition has led to a belief system that is now being adopted in other areas far beyond the marketing industry. However, on closer inspection, this belief often barely stands up to reality. Dwell time alone is not a meaningful indicator of success [2] – yet this belief has become ingrained in many people’s minds.

Another aspect that strongly influences beliefs is the influence of respectable people. If the boss of a company or another authority figure regularly expresses certain beliefs, the likelihood of these beliefs becoming ingrained in the minds of employees is significantly higher. Simple slogans such as ‘Just do it’ or ‘Nothing is impossible’, which in themselves are aimed at consumers, can also become beliefs within a company through repetition by managers and their role model function. These beliefs not only shape the corporate culture, but also create an environment in which certain convictions – such as the belief that anything is possible as long as you make an effort – are taken for granted.

It is therefore not only the message itself that shapes beliefs, but also who delivers them and how often we hear them. Beliefs are thus not only formed in childhood, but also continuously in adulthood. The combination of framing, repetition and authority can lead to these beliefs becoming deeply ingrained in our thinking – often without us consciously realising it.

Faith moves mountains

Have you ever observed how someone firmly believes in something and does not waver from their convictions despite all resistance or arguments to the contrary? Perhaps you also feel the power of faith yourself – whether in your own determination or in the people around you. ‘Faith moves mountains’ is an apt saying. And indeed, a firm belief is often powerful and deeply rooted, and characterises large parts of the lives and actions of believers. Corresponding beliefs are confirmed time and again through personal experiences, communal rituals and values. If you try to convince someone of a different (religious) perspective, you will quickly realise how strong the beliefs are [3].

But it is not only religious beliefs that have this power. In psychology, we speak of selective perception – the phenomenon that people tend to perceive only what confirms their existing beliefs while ignoring contrary information. If someone is firmly convinced that certain dietary supplements improve health enormously, they are more likely to pay attention to positive experience reports and studies, while critical voices and warnings tend to be ignored. This shows how beliefs can filter and influence the perception of reality.

Interestingly, this selective perception can be observed not only in individuals, but also in organisations. Organisations that believe in certain patterns of success tend to reject alternative approaches. For example, if a company is firmly convinced that ‘success is only possible through strict cost-cutting’, proposals that focus on innovation and growth are dismissed as risky or unrealistic – even if there is clear evidence that other approaches are necessary.

Faith can therefore not only move mountains, but also build mental walls. Sometimes this is probably a good thing, in other cases probably not.

Positive and negative functions of beliefs

Are beliefs good or bad?

In my opinion, beliefs are neither good nor bad per se – they fulfil different functions that can have both positive and negative effects.

Take, for example, the belief ‘safety first’. For some people, this means making decisions very carefully and with caution. In this way, they minimise risks, which gives them a sense of control. At the same time, however, this belief can also have a restrictive effect. Those who focus too much on security may avoid new and unknown situations and miss out on opportunities in both their private and professional lives. A change of employer combined with a move to a new city, a job without much experience or a job advert that does not appeal to everyone [4] – these are all situations in which opportunities are easily overlooked or not utilised because the focus is too much on security.

Another example is the frequently expressed belief that ‘customers don’t know what they want’ [5]. On the positive side, this statement could motivate companies to invest more time in clarifying orders and analysing requirements in order to gain a deeper understanding of their customers’ needs. Methods such as wireframing, prototyping, an iterative approach and regular feedback cycles are helpful options for making the best of such a situation and developing customised solutions.

Alternatively, this belief could also lead to companies assuming that they understand their customers better than they do themselves. As a result, they produce solutions that they believe will benefit the company without actually addressing their customers’ specific needs. Unsurprisingly, practice shows that this is relatively rare.

In short, the effect of beliefs is individual. Moreover, it can change over the course of time: What was beneficial for many years can become a hindrance at some point. This alone shows that beliefs are neither positive nor negative. However, this raises the question: How should we as individuals and organisations deal with beliefs?

Dealing with beliefs

Is it possible to change beliefs? The answer is yes, it is possible. But human beings are complex creatures, and change – especially of deeply rooted beliefs – rarely follows a straightforward, mechanical logic. Simplistic approaches are often propagated in organisations: ‘Do A, and B will happen’ or ‘Learn C, and D is safe’. But life, and people in particular, are not so linear. What works for one person may not work for another. Fortunately, it is precisely this complexity that makes human life so fascinating and unpredictable.

So I don’t want to give you any instructions here on how to change or overcome your beliefs. That would be unrealistic and unhelpful. Instead, I would like to encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open – both for your own beliefs and for those of others. After all, beliefs often unfold their power in secret without us realising it.

My advice is: question your beliefs – but not just to disprove them. Remember: ‘Faith moves mountains’. Rather, questioning serves to develop a deeper understanding of how these beliefs influence our behaviour and decisions. When interacting with others, take the time to listen carefully. What begins as a simple statement may reveal a deeper belief. By asking questions and listening attentively, you give not only yourself but also the other party the chance to become aware of their own beliefs.

It is not about breaking or changing beliefs, but about understanding them – and consciously recognising them in the context of the respective situation. This understanding opens doors for dialogues that are not aimed at convincing the other person, but at reaching a deeper insight. This is precisely the true value of dealing with beliefs: giving yourself and others the opportunity to reflect and possibly gain new perspectives.

Notes:

[1] Albert Ellis: Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy
[2] Myth session duration
[3] In the context of companies and products, various phenomena can be observed, such as brand followers or product loyalty, which in some cases are based more on belief than on facts. Which do you like better: Playstation or Xbox, Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, Apple or Microsoft?
[4] Good recruiting must be a deterrent
[5] Customers don’t know what they want

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Michael Schenkel has published more articles in the t2informatik Blog, including

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