"You Must Believe."
It's the title of one of our whitewolfsonicprincess' songs. And it's pretty much our motto for life. You must believe, in something. I mean, you don't have to believe in a damn thing, but if you don't, I think it just makes for a bleaker, tougher trip.
Nihilism is a Death Trip.
Believing makes the trip livable. It helps to have a "belief system" that drives you, captivates you, motivates you. Maybe "system" is too confining. Best to keep your beliefs amorphous. Better living with Believing.
It's best to steer clear of the "Isms:" Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Nazism, Totalitarianism.
If you absolutely have to have an "Ism," closer to the mark: Existentialism (you are responsible for everything in the Universe, you are guilty and responsible), & Buddhism (life is suffering, sit under a tree, contemplate your navel, and reflect on your karma!).
You must be careful what you choose to believe in. You may have to stick to it, or be required to defend it. You can try to finesse it all by believing in believing. It's sort a weasel way out. But it is useful. Or believe in something very nebulous or abstract.
Believe in Love. Believe in Art. Believe in A Better Day. Can that type of belief survive under torture? Beats me!
Believe with all your heart and spirit and soul, but be willing to change at a moment's notice. So, a sort of "pragmatic believing." What works? And if it doesn't do the trick? Try something else on for size. Gods? Devils? The Cosmic Giggle? Random Luck & Fortune? Little People? UFO's? Truth? Beauty? Evolution? Revolution? The Scientific Method? String Theory? Reincarnation? Meditation? Yoga? The Golden Rule?
I don't believe in dying for a belief. Martyrdom is a Loser's Hand. It's just a little too Messianic. I believe in Living. Living with Belief. Better Living. Living better for/with belief.
The a.m. soundtrack - PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love." (1995). PJ conjures up the dark spirits. Hoodoo. Voodoo. Love. Darkness. Desire. Monsters. Subterranean phenomena. Killer album. Tough. Powerful. Mystical. Fabulous. A classic. Big fishes eating little fishes. PJ is a conjurer, a Sorceress, a serious Woman calling upon the dark and light forces for purposes unnamed; nefarious, and otherwise. Remember, if you conjure up Gods, the Devils are right around the corner waiting to pounce! It's a package-deal-thing.