It’s not unusual to become very firm in your beliefs, often for your whole life. In fact, many people become even more convinced of their beliefs as they get older. But, whether your beliefs are religious, moral, philosophic, or something else, it’s healthy to question them too. Questioning your beliefs doesn’t necessarily mean that you will change your mind but it will reassure you that you have considered other possibilities. Deciding to actively question your beliefs can be a little scary. What if your entire worldview changes? But by questioning, you can make sure that you’re not just blindly following whatever you were taught as a child. Here’s how you can start questioning beliefs of all kinds.

Listen without Judgement

To be able to question things, you have to be willing to listen to others. If you’re always ready to refute someone else’s beliefs, opinions, or insights with your own view, you’re much less likely to learn anything. Most importantly, you have to be able to listen to others without judgement. You might spend some time contemplating and questioning what they say, but you should try to avoid dismissing them entirely or pre-emptively deciding what’s right and what’s wrong. Go into discussions with an open mind.

Look for Conflicting Views

Actively looking for conflicting views is necessary if you want to be able to question your beliefs. If you shield yourself from things that differ from your beliefs, it’s hard to know what you should be questioning. Instead of only associating with people who agree with you and getting news or information from the same sources, you should branch out and seek other opinions. Find people who disagree with your current view and find out why they disagree. See what they have to say on the subject and how they defend their position.

Learn About Different Beliefs

Expanding what you know about different beliefs will help you to solidify your own. Do you really know a lot about other belief systems? Perhaps you think you do, but you have lots of misconceptions or you don’t have a full understanding. By learning about how to become a Christian or what an atheist really believes, you can improve your understanding of different belief systems and even which one might be a good fit for you. There are plenty of resources you can use to learn more, from reading online to talking to people in person.

Keep Questioning

If you want to question your beliefs, one of the most important things to do is to keep questioning. You might have received an answer to a question, but is that really the end of it? To really question everything, you should keep asking about the answers you receive. Who is telling you this? Do they have an agenda? What are their sources? Is there any evidence? Could the situation change? All of these questions and more are important to ask if you want to keep questioning.

Questioning your beliefs can be a lot of work, but it’s worth it if it helps you to find out more about who you are and what you believe.