Every opinion we hold, every preference we carry, every vote we cast — all of it flows from something deeper than a passing thought. Our religion, our worldview, our politics, our tastes in art, food, and relationships — they don’t appear out of nowhere. They are shaped by a complex interplay of biology, upbringing, culture, and personal experience.
But how often do we stop to ask: Why do I think the way I do?
Nature: The Wiring We Inherit
Science tells us that a portion of our worldview is quite literally hardwired. Twin and adoption studies repeatedly show that personality traits — such as openness, conscientiousness, and even political leanings — have a significant genetic component. Some research suggests that up to 40–60% of personality is heritable.
This doesn’t mean destiny is written in our DNA, but it does mean that biology provides the blueprint. For example, people who score high on openness to experience are statistically more likely to lean progressive in their politics, while those high in conscientiousness often lean conservative. These aren’t conscious choices so much as natural inclinations we express through our beliefs and behaviors.
Nurture: The Environment That Shapes Us
If nature gives us the blueprint, nurture builds the house. Our families, schools, religious institutions, and peer groups provide the framework through which we interpret the world.
A child raised in a deeply religious household is more likely to adopt faith as a default lens, at least in early life. A student immersed in secular or scientific communities may approach the world with skepticism and demand evidence before belief.
Culture also exerts powerful influence. A collectivist society will emphasize community obligations, while an individualist one will prize personal freedom. Even within the same nation, the “tribes” we belong to — urban vs. rural, academic vs. trades, coastal vs. heartland — shape our assumptions about truth, morality, and identity.
Experience: The Forks in the Road
Then there are the life experiences that jar us off the path we thought we’d walk. A personal tragedy might deepen faith — or shatter it. A betrayal can harden us politically, while an act of kindness from a stranger may reshape our view of humanity.
The Vietnam War, 9/11, the COVID‑19 pandemic, the financial crisis of 2008 — all of these became generational markers that shifted how millions thought about government, freedom, and security. For many, the Russia collusion narrative or the DEI battles in universities represent similar inflection points.
In short: what we live through often matters as much as how we were raised.
Religion: The Lens of the Sacred
Religion deserves special mention. Belief systems don’t just give us doctrines; they provide moral frameworks, rituals, and communities. They tell us not only what to believe but how to live.
A Christian might see suffering as a test of faith, a Buddhist as an opportunity for detachment, and an atheist as a problem demanding practical solutions. Same event, three interpretations — each shaped by worldview.
Religion also intersects with politics, economics, and identity, which is why debates about faith often become debates about everything else.
Politics: The Expression of Deeper Currents
Our politics are often the surface-level expression of deeper moral instincts. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory argues that conservatives and liberals are motivated by different core values:
- Liberals emphasize care and fairness.
- Conservatives emphasize loyalty, authority, and sanctity alongside care and fairness.
This doesn’t mean one side is moral and the other isn’t. It means each is tuning into different moral frequencies, based on both wiring and cultural reinforcement.
Personal Likes and Dislikes: The Small Mirrors of the Big Picture
Even our hobbies, tastes, and daily choices reflect these deeper patterns. Why do some gravitate toward order and routine, while others chase novelty and chaos? Why do some find comfort in tradition, while others feel stifled by it?
Often, these micro-preferences mirror our macro-worldviews. A love of classical music may pair with a respect for hierarchy and tradition. A passion for abstract art may connect with openness to ambiguity. These may seem trivial, but they’re clues to how we’re wired to see the world.
Why Do We Believe Our Thinking Is the Right Way?
It’s one thing to recognize why we think the way we do. It’s another to understand why we’re so certain our way of thinking is correct.
The answer lies in a blend of psychology and social dynamics:
- Cognitive Biases: Humans are wired for confirmation bias. We notice and remember evidence that supports our beliefs and discount what challenges them. It feels less risky to be “right” than to question ourselves.
- Social Reinforcement: When our family, community, or political tribe agrees with us, it reinforces the sense that our thinking is not only valid but morally superior. Belief becomes a badge of belonging.
- Moral Certainty: Religion and ideology often provide frameworks that define not just what is true, but what is good. To question them feels like betraying morality itself.
- Fear of Uncertainty: Certainty is comforting. To believe our thinking is “the way it should be” is to shield ourselves from chaos. Doubt can feel destabilizing — so we cling harder to our mental frameworks.
In short, we believe our way of thinking is “right” because it affirms our identity, secures our place in community, and protects us from uncertainty. That doesn’t make our beliefs objectively true — but it makes them deeply entrenched.
Why This Matters
Because without examining why we think the way we do — and why we believe we’re right — we risk falling into intellectual arrogance.
- Understanding our mental wiring helps us recognize why persuasion is difficult: people aren’t just defending ideas, they’re defending identity.
- Recognizing the pull of confirmation bias can make us more cautious in forming judgments.
- Questioning why we believe our way is the “right” way builds humility — and opens the door to real dialogue across divides.
Ultimately, this awareness gives us a chance to think critically, challenge assumptions, and grow — rather than living in the echo chambers of our own certainty.
Final Thought
We like to imagine we arrived at our beliefs purely by reason. But in truth, our religion, worldview, politics, and preferences are mosaics — pieces inherited, taught, and lived. And the conviction that our way of thinking is “the right way”? That, too, is part of the pattern — born of bias, belonging, and the human need for certainty.
The question isn’t just what we think. It’s why we believe our thinking is the way it should be.
Because until we answer that, we’ll never fully understand ourselves — or the people across the table from us.
References
- Bouchard, T. J., & McGue, M. (2003). Genetic and environmental influences on human psychological differences. Journal of Neurobiology, 54(1), 4–45.
- Haidt, J. (2012). The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. Pantheon.
- Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Plomin, R., & Daniels, D. (2011). Why are children in the same family so different? International Journal of Epidemiology, 40(3), 563–582.
- Pew Research Center. (2017). The Religious Landscape Study.
- Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. Atria Books.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are opinions of the author for educational and commentary purposes only. They are not statements of fact about any individual or organization, and should not be construed as legal, medical, or financial advice. References to public figures and institutions are based on publicly available sources cited in the article. Any resemblance beyond these references is coincidental.
