Conviction & Belief

Sometimes the idea of conviction and belief might seem the same. By my thinking
the ideas are somewhat different. For example someone might have an experience
which creates in themselves a conviction about something. It could be trivial or
significant and the following is an example of that and how it might relate to
belief.

Someone, from experience or study might conclude that wine has a beneficial
effect on them. They might view it as beneficial to there well being or health
or perhaps in some other way. However, it is also possible for that person
to be involved somehow with a belief or belief system which suggests to them
that all types of alcohol has a pernicious ( i.e. bad ) effect. This in my
mind represents an example of how convictions and beliefs might differ for
one person.

Now I would like to apply these concepts to another pair of terms, that
is liberal and conservative. Now in themselves both words suggest both
positive and negative ( good/bad ) ideas. Liberal suggests forward looking
and open while conservative might suggest care and caution. Both of these
perspectives have value.

Now consider two individuals that have convictions about firearms. One
might feel that it is important for all " citizens " to possess or carry
firearms at all times. This might be a conviction based either on personal
experiences or even perhaps study and examination. Now, it might be possible
that this same individual has beliefs resulting from other causes that
are in complete disagreement with there convictions yet those some convictions
might be so strong that they have become focused in such a way that they
will always have a firearm.

Now, it is also possible to imagine a second individual who has convictions
that no one should ever possess our carry firearms and yet it is also possible
to imagine that person associated to a belief that suggests it is valuable
or prudent to possess or carry a firearm. If you can not imagine such a thing
just consider a Quaker in the military ( that rarely happens but it's possible ).

Now if you had to guess you might think that the first person was conservative
and the second liberal. My opinion is that there is no way to really know that,
and my reason is as follows. Say the second person was actually a Quaker. Now
that person might associate or value caution and he might be very reluctant to
embrace change rapidly and also might associate with people who feel that way
and so might be considered a conservative. Now the first person might on the
other hand may very quickly embrace change and in his outlook on life might be open
to new ideas and new behavior, yet these ideas might not conflict with his
conviction on the issue of firearms.

This is of course a very brief examination of these ideas but I believe
it would be possible to consider many such scenarios from which one can
conclude that from the point of view of a single individual the label of
liberal or conservative could not be applied based on either particular
convictions or beliefs.