Diff: SenselessSins

  

 __Dogmatism__ 

  

 Through some twist of fate, western society has come to regard dogmatic faith as a virtue. To hold an idea as true despite all evidence to the contrary is an abdication of reason. Convictions are the end of knowledge, not the beginning; they are the enemy of truth more than lies. 

  

  

 __Hypocrisy__ 

  

 Our beliefs are expressed through our behaviour, most explicitly through speech acts (e.g. "It's going to rain tomorrow."), but they also underlay every action we commit. When our actions reflect inconsistent beliefs we are guilty of hypocrisy. Although unavoidable to some extent (there is simply not enough time to consciously check each action and its consequences against every belief before executing it), every effort should be made to avoid major inconsistencies because they undermine our values, goals and plans. Often hypocrisy goes unnoticed because the connections between beliefs and actions are subtle. How many of us would denounce animal testing yet at the same time not think twice about taking medicine? That is why we must constantly examine and re-evaluate our behaviour and the beliefs it reflects.