UNDERSTANDING

A man must understand where he stands

Where a man stands depends upon what he believes. All men have beliefs; it is part of what makes us human. Without beliefs, we would be like dogs, driven solely by instinct, training and the desire for immediate gratification. But having the capacity to reason, man can ask why things are the way they are rather than just accept them. The answer to his question—the because — forms what he believes.

For most men, this is an unconscious process. Unlike philosophers, we do not start off with a blank page, write the word “why?” on it and systematically work through to the because .

Instead, most of us receive the because without having asked the why—from our parents, our teachers, our coaches, the culture, and any other person or thing that has influence over us. This means that we form beliefs throughout our lives without evaluating their source.

As a result, most men do not understand the beliefs that define where they stand. I was certainly that way as a younger man. I had beliefs and I knew what they were, vaguely. But I had never thought about why I had them or where they came from. I did not understand them.

For example, I held the belief that all men were created equal. I knew that this was part of the Constitution or (maybe) the Declaration of Independence. But I did not know how that radical notion had found its way into our founding documents. Because I had never asked why all men were created equal, I did not know the because. And because I did not know the because I could not defend the why if someone challenged me on my belief.

And not being able to defend that belief meant that I was standing on shifting sand rather than rock.

A man like that, who does not understand where he stands, will not be standing there for long. When challenged, he will retreat and keep retreating until he no longer remembers where stood.

That is why a man must understand where he stands.