Today’s Question by the reader : John

by Paulo Coelho on January 28, 2009

Hello, Do you see a difference between knowing something and believing something?

Dear John,
there is a difference.
Knowning means that you perceive something only with the eye of the mind, that you can understand “how” something works. It’s basically rational.
Believing in the other hand is to perceive something with the heart, with your intuition and not being preocupied with demonstrating it’s true or not. Belief is then a leap of faith, the taking of a risk, the acceptance of the mystery.
Of course, many turn their beliefs into marble and this can cause a lot of misery.
But I think that if one beliefs with humility and temperance, then belief is the road leads to the core of life.

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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

Dances With Crayons July 5, 2009 at 10:49 am

Finding this question and answer helped me tonight, thank you. I am thankful for this Blog, for the opportunity to learn and grow and give back to the universe, as best I can. Thank You : )

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Marie-Christine April 27, 2009 at 6:47 am

… continue de croire.
‘suis la route qui te mene ou ton coeur te guide-tu sais que tu as quelque chose, tu le ressens tres fortement tu ne peux pas l’ignorer.

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Patrick January 29, 2009 at 5:42 pm

And without asking others (my apologies for being so un-inviting) someone answered, and more importantly, understood my angle on the this question, which I think is probably one of the best I’ve read on an incredibly informative blog. Thank you Rebecca for going there with me (more specifically, Jung).

It would appear to me that most people are too often quite offended when they listen to this angle on knowledge and belief — deeply felt spirituality. Instead of seeing (knowing) the deeper spiritual importance of Jung’s response, too many people often become offended immediately and this leads to much of the “fighting for” belief systems that is often incredibly heartfelt, but absolutely not healthy. I fear that many global socio-political issues (the words Jihad and Crusade come to mind) will never be resolved because of this. When you try to rise above belief systems that have created so much havoc and misery for so many centuries — when you try to do that with a Jungian/Gnostic approach, you are autimatically accused of questioning these belief systems, and quite often you are cast aside as a heretic. And that just would not be the case if more people actually read Jung and understood the relevance of his writings and discoveries.

Blind faith is a step in the oposite direction
Know where your soul is taking you
Feel its path with your every cell
And you will go unto the next rhealm with your eyes wide open
Your heart complete and filled with Love and Joy
You will forget everything you have come to know
You will be one

Peace and Love,
Patrick

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Rebecca January 29, 2009 at 10:26 am

How interesting I would have said for me that it is exactly the other way around, so I guess I’m with Jung. For me to truly know something is to feel it in every atom of my being, I am congruent with it, in balance with it. I do not need to fight for it, stand up for it, or insist upon it – it simply is and it has nothing to do with the intellectual activies of the brain.

To me a belief is something that people often fight for. It is an idea or, perhaps a knowing, that they do not yet feel secure in. Beliefs are things we tend to try and quantify, give shape to and often make rigid. We want to have others believe them too in an attempt to gain the security about it that we do not feel inside us.

This kind of knowing does not form easily into words which is why we often have problems accepting it and trusting it. It is unseen, intangable, unquantifiable and yet it is.

Love and blessings

Rebecca

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Patrick January 29, 2009 at 12:19 am

When C.G. Jung was asked by a suspicious cold war era reporter, “Do you believe in God?” His response harked back to the Gnostic scriptures, he replied, “I don’t need to believe in god, I KNOW God.” To know (γνώσις) is to reach a level of spiritual enlightenment — a union with God — that needs no further explanation, or “witness”. It is from within. It is everything and nothing at the same time. I would love to hear what Mr. Coehla thinks about these teachings.

Peace and Love, Patrick

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Luis January 28, 2009 at 9:13 pm

Puxa,

Eu não entendo nada de inglês, mas seria ótimo se o blog estiver em português.

abs,

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oli January 28, 2009 at 8:40 pm

HI!
as always i read my thoughts in the written of mr.Coelho.how amazing he manages to explain all the world and make me think over .
to not forget:do not ever stop looking to know and do not ever stop believing.
love

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THELMA January 28, 2009 at 7:49 pm

Dear Hildegarde, I think that what is connected with intuition in ..Wisdom ΣΟΦΙΑ. It is the Knowledge that comes from Above or from our Divine Self. It is the knowledge that is ‘inside’ us and we …gradually ..remember as we walk on our Path or in a moment of Revelation.
LOVE,
Thelma

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THELMA January 28, 2009 at 4:01 pm

Knowledge means in Greek Γνώσις. ‘Γνώθι σαυτόν’ = Know thyself.
Knowledge is something we acquire by studying something, as so wisely our Paulo Coelho has expressed above.

Believe, in Greek Πιστεύω.
We start our Symbol of Belief with: ‘I believe in ONE God e.t.c.
Πιστεύω εις Εναν Θεό, Πατέρα Παντοκράτορα..
Thank you John for asking and Paulo Coelho for your answer. You made me think.
LOVE,
Thelma

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Marie-Christine January 28, 2009 at 12:37 pm

Believing is something that comes from inside of you, you don’t know how to explain it, however it drives you to keep going.
It is the mystery.

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sido66 January 28, 2009 at 12:03 pm

Yesterday I believed to know, today I know why I believe

hier je croyais savoir , aujourd’hui je sais pourquoi je crois

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