Trust and Skepticism, Faith and Reason Part 1: How to Trust Yourself

This is part 1 of a 3 part piece that focuses on the dangers of the fallacy known as "Appeal to Authority".

It is essential that if we are to be able to trust both ourselves and each other,

Then we must never cease to be skeptical of both ourselves and each other,

Lest we forget how both dishonest and ignorant man can be.

Before one can trust another, one must be able to trust themselves.

Thus, our first act of skepticism should always be of ourselves.

In order to be able to trust ourselves,

Both our thoughts and beliefs must be honest to ourselves.

To figure out if our thoughts and beliefs are in fact honest to ourselves,

Questions about them must be asked.

What are my beliefs founded in?

Do I tell myself the truth, or what I want the truth to be?

Why do I believe what I do?

Are my reasons for believing what I do honest with myself and the world?

Is my understanding of the world flawed?

Do I believe I could be wrong?

Why do I believe I could or could not be wrong?

Are my reasons for believing why I could or could not be wrong honest with myself and the world?

There are many more questions that can be asked of yourself,

But ultimately, we must always remind ourselves to ask these questions

If we are to be responsible in what we think and believe,

Lest we be selfish and dishonest to both ourselves and each other.

But, when asking ourselves of the honesty of our thoughts and beliefs,

We must also understand how one comes to conclude what is honest.

Which bring us to the next question we are to ask:

Do I base my assumptions on faith or reason?

I refer to the philosophical definitions of faith and reason,

The ones relevant to science, religion, and philosophy.

It is important to understand that faith and reason are mutually incompatible,

As faith requires the belief in something,

Despite proof obtained through logic or evidence,

While reason is the tool through which one obtains knowledge,

And is the mechanism of logic itself.

These two things can not be considered compatible,

As one requires the exclusion of the other.

Before we can ask that question though,

We must also ask ourselves two more questions,

Those being:

Is faith dishonest?

Is reason dishonest?

Reason as a mechanism serves the purpose of seeking evidence for something,

Whether that evidence is found through logic or the natural world,

It must be self-apparent.

In this sense, reason's sole purpose is to not only be accountable itself,

But that all else be accountable as well.

With this, reason is ideal for honesty and integrity.

Faith is a system which works only when one has accepted a certain set of assumptions,

These assumptions having priority over any appeal to reason, logical proof, or verifiable evidence.

If one is asked to ignore all reason, logic, and evidence for a certain set of assumptions,

There are no tools in which one can use to verify the validity of those assumptions,

Other than the assumptions themselves.

In this sense, faith's sole purpose is to avoid scrutiny,

And instead reinforce its own assumptions with rules pre-established by itself.

Of these two ways of thinking, which one do you think is more honest?

Anything that is honest and true would not require the shutting out of criticism,

And would in fact seek out those very things that do such.

In order to be able to trust, we must be able to be honest.

In order to be able to be honest, we must be skeptical.

If we are to be skeptical of others, we must first be skeptical of ourselves.

If we are to be skeptical of ourselves, we must be skeptical of our thoughts and beliefs.

If we are to be skeptical of our thoughts and beliefs, we must be skeptical of the reasons behind them.

If the reasons behind our thoughts and beliefs are dishonest,

We must change the reasons behind our thoughts and beliefs to be honest,

So that we may trust the reasons behind our thoughts and beliefs,

So that we may change our thoughts and beliefs to be honest,

So that we may trust our thoughts and beliefs,

So that we may change ourselves to being honest to ourselves,

So that we may trust ourselves,

So that we may change ourselves to being honest to others,

So that others may trust us.

How can I trust you if you can't even trust yourself?