My Beliefs

I have many beliefs, and writing is a way for me to express them.  Among other things, I believe in love, happiness, the importance of family and friends, the ability of humanity to create a better future by doing the right thing despite fear and difficulty, the goodness of helping others, and the power of hugs to make a person’s day better.  It is important, I think, to carefully consider one’s beliefs.  I love to learn about what others believe so that I may realize if I am wrong and change my mind.  The journey to gain new knowledge and to refine our beliefs, so that they will be more accurate, is an important part of being human.

The Importance of Truth

“It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies [ . . . ]” (Albus Dumbledore; J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch 37, p. 722)

We look around us at the word, out into the universe, and inside ourselves, searching for information and understanding — for truth.  The search for truth and the gathering of knowledge is something which humanity has been working on throughout our history, each person building upon the foundation laid by people in the past, correcting their mistakes and moving to a better understanding.  When looking at human history, we see how we have each learned from those who came before us and how people are now taking inspiration and knowledge that came from past humans to come up with  new ideas and figure out new information.  Knowing the truth helps us to make good decisions, which can help us improve ourselves and our world.

Whenever I learn new information about our planet and universe, I am astounded at the vast variety of existence.  There is a certain mystery and elegance to it all, and trying to find out more about it all is a wonderful human endeavor.  We exist here, on this little rock, in this vast void — on the Pale Blue Dot, as Carl Sagan referred to our planet — and we may or may not be alone in this vast void.  Whether we are alone or not, we do exist, and that gives me great inspiration to live on and keep trying to find truth.

Morality

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already:  we have the power to imagine better.” (J. K. Rowling, The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination; Harvard University Commencement Address, June 2008)

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” (J. K. Rowling, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ch 18, p. 333)

I think one of the most important parts of humanity’s existence is the search to find what is right and wrong.  There are so many questions I ask myself and which I imagine others must also ask themselves about right and wrong.  Both real and hypothetical situations present moral dilemmas, and we would be irresponsible and heartless if we ignored them.  As we gain more information about the universe around us, as we learn more, we are able to use what we have learned and determine how we can do what is morally right.

We look at the past, at humanity’s successes and mistakes, to learn what we should do.  We find inspiration in the words and actions of those who have made the world a better place and try to avoid repeating the mistakes of those whose actions lead to great destruction and hate.  We look, perhaps most importantly, at how our actions affect other people.  We not only look out at the world but we also look into ourselves, to imagine a better future, and we have the ability to make it happen.  The ability to do good is in humanity, and that is the greatest magic of all.  Our ability to love inspires us to do the right thing; we know from what is within ourselves that there must be within other people a similar spark of life, tying us together in our efforts to build a better world filled with more love and less hate.

Living on in hope consists of believing that love will win out over hate.

Human Rights

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” (Sirius Black, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch 27, p. 525)

Equality and human rights are important parts of justice and morality, and a good way to find out what a person believes about equal rights and human rights is to ask a person if they think that others, especially those who are in the minority or in a position of less power, deserve the same rights.  Some of the greatest achievements of humanity are the steps forward in human rights.  People realize — sometimes, it seems, too slowly, but there is always hope — that inequality is a grave injustice, which cannot be continued.  As we realize that other people are our equals, we are motivated to work for a world in which human rights apply to everyone.  While looking at the injustice around us, we imagine a more just world and know that it is our moral responsibility to make justice a reality.

Lessons in Literature

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” (Albus Dumbledore; J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch 35, p. 723)

“That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to understand. Of house-elves and children’s tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.” (Albus Dumbledore; J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch 35, p. 709)

I love to read, and I think that we can learn a great deal from the stories we tell.  The power of the human imagination is an an amazing wonder to behold.  We humans portray the thoughts within our own heads on paper with words, creating whole universes within the minds of readers.  The stories humans have invented tell us a lot about ourselves, about what it means to be human, inspiring us to think about ourselves, our societies, and our world.

In the name of humanity, our search for truth, and our imagination,

Ani Sharmin