Beliefs are like keys to a prison cell: they lock or unlock our access to the outside world. We live in our own veritable prison of experience, and escape only by careful consideration and examination of what we have come to believe. They do indeed , as Gita Bellin says, stand between us and our relationship to others and to ourselves.

     If we dislike ourselves, it is only because we believe it to be so since we remain worthwhile human beings regardless of our self-perception or the world’s opinion. When our beliefs cause us to remain discouraged, what words could provide greater inspiration to change than the poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849-1903):

1) Out of the night that covers me,                2) In the fell clutch of circumstance
     Black as the pit from pole to pole,                I have not winced nor cried aloud.
     I thank whatever gods may be                      Under the bludgeonings of chance
     For my unconquerable soul.                         My head is bloody, but unbowed.

3) Beyond this place of wrath and tears        4) It matters not how strait the gate,
    Looms but the horror of the shade,               How charged with punishments the scroll,
    And yet the menace of the years                    I am the master of my fate:
    Finds and shall find me unafraid.                    I am the captain of my soul.

     If you want to change for the better, begin by looking at your beliefs.
.

     It is tricky business to determine who or what an authority might be. Some of the group felt that God is the ultimate authority while others expressed doubt that this could be the case since, in their opinion, no such entity as God exists. The former have scripture on which to rely as authoritative, but even some believers acknowledged that, having been written by men, not all scripture could be relied on as infallible. 

     While we avoided debating the question of whether God does or does not exist, those not relying on scriptures were left the difficulty of establishing valid criteria for a reliable authority. Perhaps we can look to those who have education, knowledge and experience in a particular area as an authority in that field, but this too is an imperfect yardstick. Our understanding of science changes over time, so even qualified scientists may be questionable as authorities. In fact, if scientists were not questioned, no progress would be made. It is only by doubting and questioning that new discoveries come about. 
     
     One might be well advised to look with caution on those who proclaim themselves to be an expert or an authority. From ancient history to the present time, there are those who seek to be considered as an authority for prestige, monetary gain, the ability to manipulate those less knowledgeable or to try to establish a questionable thesis. The true authority or expert is recognized as such not by him/herself but by their peers and established accrediting bodies. 

     So what is left for us to base our decisions on if we cannot totally rely on authorities? Perhaps the best that can be done is to take the time, trouble and energy to think for ourselves. Weighing and balancing conflicting claims, avoiding becoming victims of our own preconceived notions and respectfully questioning the credentials of those we choose to consider as authoritative, will, more often than not, enable us to make the best decision possible.