Belief Gaps: How Values Affect Your Behavior
The short answer
Gaps in your beliefs and values can lead to behavior that doesn’t match what you believe. Other people or new experiences can fill those gaps, and strong emotions can override beliefs that are not fully formed or deeply held, which creates cognitive dissonance. Regularly reviewing what you believe and value helps keep your actions in line with it.
Key takeaways
- Gaps in what you believe can be filled by other people or new experiences, and that can change how you act.
- Strong emotions can override beliefs and values that are not fully formed or deeply held.
- When your actions clash with what you believe, the result is cognitive dissonance.
- Reviewing your beliefs and values regularly helps keep your behavior in line with who you want to be.
On today’s episode of Relationship Radio, we’re talking about the relationship between belief systems, values, and emotions, and how they can influence each other and lead to changes in behavior. It is common for people to have gaps in their belief systems, and these gaps can sometimes be filled in by external influences such as other people or new experiences. It is also common for strong emotions to compete with or override belief systems and values, particularly when those beliefs and values are not fully formed or are not deeply held. This can lead to conflicts between what a person believes and how they behave, which can be referred to as cognitive dissonance. We’ll explain why it’s important for people to regularly review and reflect on their beliefs and values to ensure that they are in alignment with their desired behavior and to make any necessary adjustments.
Relationship Radio is hosted by CEO of Marriage Helper, Kimberly Beam Holmes, and founder of Marriage Helper, Dr. Joe Beam.
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Common questions
Why do I act against my own values?
Strong emotions can compete with or override your beliefs and values, especially when those beliefs are not fully formed or deeply held. The result is a conflict between what you believe and how you behave.
Why is my spouse acting against what they say they believe?
Gaps in a person’s beliefs can be filled in by other people or new experiences, and that can lead to changes in behavior. When behavior conflicts with what someone believes, it is called cognitive dissonance.
How can I make sure my actions match my beliefs?
Review and reflect on your beliefs and values regularly to see whether they line up with how you want to behave, then make any adjustments you need.