Integration of belief is the most important and most lasting form of integration, and the basis of wisdom and compassion. To develop these qualities we need to be able to avoid absolute beliefs but engage with provisional ones. We need to sift absolute beliefs from provisional ones in areas such as religion and politics, but there are also many other everyday ways of practising integration of belief in relation to cognitive biases. This is a tributary video to no. 6 in the series, on integration.

This is the 23rd video in the Middle Way Philosophy introductory series.

Some suggested reflection questions:

1. Think of an example of an absolute belief that you have found difficult to integrate (it has caused conflict for you).

2. How can you apply the five principles of Middle Way Philosophy to this belief and its opposite (scepticism, agnosticism, provisionality, incrementality, integration)?

3. When you have avoided absolute beliefs in this example, what are the associated provisional beliefs and meaning, and how might they be used to develop a more integrated belief?

Suggested further reading:

Middle Way Philosophy 4: The integration of belief