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Process: Idea formation from within or from outside source > Consider this to be a hypothesis and attempt to adapt it to something which is disprovable using data > Look into available data sourced from places which would not themselves be advantaged or disadvantaged by an interpretation of the data (mainly academic) > Accounting for data, form belief which I consider likely to be true, although I can’t be certain it is true. > Take in other perspectives on my conclusion and re-assess if necessary

Explanation: Although there are certainly beliefs which I hold strongly and would fight for (which involve human rights), I believe that having absolute certainty of anything is absurd. Although I can’t be certain Empiricism is the best possible method to determine beliefs, it is the process which I find to be the most effective at this time. As physical beings who evolved for an ecological niche which few of us are now involved with, we may lack the sheer capability to truly understand the underlying mechanisms of the universe. All current philosophical and scientific paradigms which we can be knowledgeable of are only most likely to be true according to what we have collectively learned so far, and paradigm shifts in basic understandings of sweeping subjects have occurred during my lifetime. Because of this, I can’t assume that anything I believe is strictly true, only that it is what I personally find most likely to be true given my limited perspective. For this reason it is important to take into account the interpretations of reality from as many other perspectives as possible who have applied a reasonable basis of empirical reasoning to their arguments in order to have the best possible chance of approximating truth. Although I will make my best possible effort to be as objective as possible, I know that as a human creature I hold inescapable bias which I may or may not be aware of and much of this process is subjective.