Our beliefs strongly influence our behaviour. They motivate us and shape what we do. For instance, it is difficult to learn anything without the belief that it will be pleasant and to our advantage. Beliefs are our guiding principles, the inner maps we use to make sense of the world.
Shared beliefs give a deeper sense of rapport and community.
Beliefs come from many sources - upbringing, imitation of significant others, conclusions as a result of past traumas, and repetitive experiences. We build beliefs by generalising from our experiences of the world and those of other people. Some beliefs come to us ready made from the culture and environment we are born into. When we are young, we believe what we are told about ourselves and the world, because we have no way of testing, and these beliefs may persist unmodified by our later achievements, because they had parental authority and became embedded as unconscious commands in the developing super-ego. Beliefs are not just maps of what has happened, but blueprints for future actions.