Do you believe in aliens?
I'm honest about my stance on alien life: I believe that it is possible for another intelligent life to exist in the Universe, and therefore I am open to dialogue about it. Frankly, it doesn't matter! Whether or not I believe in aliens doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't matter to my friends - as far as our relationship goes anyhow. People often get bent out of shape about what they believe (and what others believe), but if we were open to new ideas, beliefs, or ideologies, we might get along a little better.
Let me ask you this: In 50 years, will your belief system be exactly the same as it is now?
The answer, unless you have a severe developmental disorder of some kind, is no. We change as we learn and experience the world. If you met an alien tomorrow, and you refused with every fiber of your being that they couldn't possibly be out there, either you would go mad or pass it off as a dream because your mind literally cannot reconcile the existence of aliens with your system of beliefs. However, if you were just open enough, you would change your mind about aliens. Shocking, I know!
This happens regarding relatively believable things all the time. People believed in Sea Dragons before they discovered the Oarfish, the Kraken before Giant and Colossal Squid were discovered.
Our belief systems change over time, both as individuals and as a collective. No matter whether someone has a PhD from Harvard or dropped out of high school, chances are they still know something you don't. I always assume that I don't know any more about life than the person to whom I am speaking. I doubt what they tell me (even the guy from Harvard) and continue to think for myself, but I keep an open mind. Who knows? You might just learn something that way.
Let me pose another question: Do you believe in God?
Your sentiment and beliefs regarding a Divine Being certainly matters to you; most people define themselves in some way relative to this viewpoint, but we all have different answers. Is the first question you ask someone, "Do you believe in God?" If they said something that didn't align with your own beliefs, would you walk away? You probably wouldn't associate with individuals who aren't [insert your religion here: Mormons, Muslims, Christians, Jahovah's Witnesses - okay maybe that one is stretching it a bit] if you were too firm about your beliefs to hold a conversation with someone who didn't agree with you. Most of us aren't so closed off that we can't associate with people who have different views about God. I have friends who are Mormons, Muslims, Christians, a few atheists, Buddhists, Jews, and probably some other religions I'm forgetting about. I've entertained a few Jahovah's Witnesses about religion, just to learn about what they believe. I don't have to accept their beliefs to accept them as individuals. We wouldn't be "individuals" if we all believed in the same things anyway (and life would be pretty darn boring)!
So, do me a favor? When one of my friends tries to talk to you about aliens (or Allah or Jesus or the Messiah), just listen! You don't have to agree with them. In fact, they probably already assume that you don't. But it can't hurt to listen to what he or she has to say. Who knows? You might just learn something.
Message of the day: Be open. It can only make you more wise.
...Or don't. It won't change my reality. Cheers!
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