Summary Of This Page:

Everybody interprets the world their own way. They believe they have a good grip on how things happen and have come to be. The truth is there are some things we are wrong about and others are prone to be changed by new information. Even as we get older, we find new ways of looking at things that make the old ways look primitive. To grow, you have to be able to honestly admit that what you intrepret as reality may be incorrect and there may be another way of looking at it. This can be very hard, especially with beliefs that are a foundation of what you think is reality. The key is to be open minded to new ways of looking at things, even if they shake the very foundations of your own reality. If you can't do that, you will confine yourself to stagnation.

Everybody has what I call a belief structure. In simple terms this is a person's basic understanding of reality and how they interact with it. It is a framework of what they perceive as their view of the world and how it works. For example, most people believe the Earth is a globe. What if you suddenly found out that wasn't true and it was a disk? What would you think? Let's say that you discovered this in a way so that you were absolutely convinced it was obviously true. You would become very uncomfortable. One reason you wouldn't feel very good is that you would begin to doubt the information you had been told all these years. You would wonder if the way you learned it was flawed. You might think that other information may be untrue from the same sources. It could have a domino effect and cause you feelings of insecurity and make you doubt what you think is real and not real. If information continued to be presented to you that reinforced a flaw in the way you understood the world it would have a profound effect on how you interpret what is going on in your reality. You may even think that you have gone crazy.

When your belief structure is shaken, you can take it two ways. You can panic and wonder if the sky is going to fall or you can sit back and take it as a call to re-evaluate your environment and how you perceive it. You must take this sobering event as a kick in the butt to reorganize the way you look at the world. Somehow, you missed important information a while ago but fortunately you got a reset. You should grab reality with both hands and figure out why you ended up here and what you can do to figure out a solid answer to where you should go next. This is a great opportunity for you to learn. You should sit down and consider how you got you to this point. Being shaken up is a good indication you may be perceiving the world in a way that works incorrectly. Don't freak out and miss this opportunity. If you weren't shaken, you'd never do a re-evaluation and continue down a path of naive bliss. This is the perfect time to grow as a person and try to become self-actualized. You are lucky this has happened to you.

Challenging a belief structure is like shaking the foundation of how we interpret reality. As a salesperson you may inadvertently discover a flaw in someone else's belief structure. Be careful as to how you move forward. Presenting them with the 'truth' may cause them a lot of anxiety. If they can handle it, you may choose to expose them to the truth. If you think they may not handle it well, you might back off. If you really care about the person, then you should help them understand it. You should be with them through the ordeal of relearning all they thought was the way of the world.

Some people exploit destroying people's belief structures. These people are insecure and are smart enough to have sophisticated perceptions about other people and sense when they are vulnerable. More than likely, these people have a personality disorder because they are insecure and it makes them feel superior to hurt people. People that do this are cruel and have no idea what they do to others. If the opportunity presents itself, you may want to intervene if someone is trying to destroy someone's belief structure. It all depends on the situation.

Understanding what the belief structure and how it relates to how we perceive reality is key for the salesperson to see a path to growth. Belief structures are not solid rock, though many people interpret them that way and run from any challenge to them. It's much safer to feel comfortable rather than uncomfortable and insecure. If you want to grow, you will carefully evaluate any challenges to your belief structure as a way to understand the world better and become a better person. It takes courage to face your fears and groping with the reality that the way you've been looking at things is wrong can be very sobering. Just be strong and know this experience is part of growing.

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