Update 1.02 — Adding “attitude” and “focus”.

Now I would like to refer to the top left corner on the Mandala of Characters, where there is a following set of words:

EXTRAVERSION
 attention, belief, persuasion
hot

Among these words, there is a word “belief”. The word “belief” is often associated with religion, or many people treat this word simply as a synonym of religion.

In this work, however, I try to point out that “belief” is a very ambiguous concept, and it can be widely understood.

In English, there is also the word “faith”, which has a stronger connection with religion. With something which needs strong trust, what needs to be in some way organized, arranged, ordered, settled, etc. So, I prefer to use “belief” as a word which is further from religion and closer to typical life, more common, more general, etc. Or “belief” is more connected with impression, notion, opinion, feeling, etc. Then “belief”, I think, will be more useful for this work about personalities.

So, there are differences between belief and religion. Religion in comparison with the belief is:

• On the one hand, it is just one of the ways of how belief can be manifested in life.
• On the other hand, religion can go far beyond what belief concerns. It is because, religion can, for example, be associated with: science, logic, philosophy, art, morality, ethics, law, politics, business, lobbying, marketing, and other areas of life.

Religion, therefore, often not refer only to the belief, but to a whole set of various factors that religion contain.

With regard to belief, religion rather concerns a narrow field among the many things that may relate to the word “belief”. Most of these things do not even have much in common with religion.

One example of that is atheism. Atheism actually can be one of the forms of belief or faith. But atheism is not a religion. It is not based on belief or faith, in any of the gods. Gods who are available in many religions in the world. Atheism is basically a belief in the lack of a god or gods in general.

In addition, we have many areas of life associated with belief, which at first glance do not associate with belief. Let’s list some examples of this life belief:

1. Belief in statements.

A simple example of that is our belief in various mathematical theorems. For example, into it, that 2 + 2 = 4. It is indeed easy to prove it. We can convince about it even small children, showing them that, for instance, that two sticks from ice cream added to the other two sticks in total will give us four sticks. Therefore, we can take it for granted, and we can be persuaded about it. And, all in all, we can believe in it.

And there appeared to us the interesting word—“persuasion”. “Persuasion” I decided to use in the Mandala of Characters as one of the manifestations of belief, or as a word that is closely related to belief.

To summarize this point, we can therefore believe and be persuaded or of the validity of various statements, assurances, philosophies, maxims, proverbs, sayings, wisdom, etc.

Belief in the statements also occurs in religions. It is because it is difficult to live without various statements that we can believe. For example, in the Christian religion, there are statements for believing which are called—dogmas.

2. Belief as the right attitude.

We may have statements which are scientific, logical, philosophical, religious, and many others. However, regardless of what kind of statements we have, there is a strong need in us. We need some statements that we can think are right, and we may follow them in our life. This intense need to believe in the statements is a need that requires to be satisfied. Satisfied similarly as many needs which we have. For example, physiological, safety, belonging, love, esteem, self-actualization, etc. At this moment, I mentioned the needs which are in so-called “Maslow’s pyramid of needs”. This pyramid is used in various fields of knowledge. We can read about it in many books and articles. Some information we can find on the internet, for example, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

Belief in the statements, although it is literally not present in the Maslow’s pyramid of needs. However, I think that it can be applied to the need for safety and belonging because belief can satisfy these two needs.

So, we are dealing with satisfying our needs through belief. And satisfying needs through belief is giving us a proper attitude to life.

How can such an attitude be manifested?

People who are guided by the right attitude believe that something will go in this way, which they believe in. For example, they believe that the right attitude will lead them to what they expect, what they want, and what will satisfy their needs.

So, the word attitude is closely related to the word belief. Then, I think, it will be useful to add the word “attitude” to the Mandala of Characters.

3. Belief as attention.

One of the simple examples of attention are the various signs that warn us of something. For example, we have road signs. When we pass by the road sign, we believe that what this road sign warns us against is true, and it will certainly take place. In that case, we should prepare ourselves appropriately to avoid some danger that this sign warns us against.

So, figuratively, we can say that we believe in the word which road sign is giving to us. It means, in a specific mark or symbol. Using the references used in religion, we can say that—we believe in command of road signs.

In general, then, we are dealing here with belief in connection with attention, because:

• firstly we need to keep our attention on noticing traffic signs,
• and secondly, we keep attention to avoid the danger or problem that these signs warn us.

So, “attention” or “attentiveness” is a form of belief that requires a proper way of being and the right way of behaving. Many people are able to maintain attention or attentiveness. On the Mandala of Characters ability to maintain attention have two types which we can find in this place. These types are Hot Fire and Hot Air.

The concept of “attention” or “attentiveness” has fascinated people for a very long time. “Attentiveness”, for example, is an element of many religions, philosophies, and psychology. Nowadays more and more popular in the English language is also the term “mindfulness” that is taken from the Buddhist tradition. However, for example in Polish “mindfulness” is often translated as “uważność”, that is, it is similar to “attentiveness”. Besides in many schools of “mindfulness”, “attention” is only one component of whole mindfulness. So, we can have differences in understanding mindfulness in different schools of this subject. Then, I think, in Mandala of Characters I will be using simply the word “attention”.

Below, I give examples of websites where we can find information about Buddhist attentiveness or mindfulness.
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satipatth%C4%81na
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness

Regardless of it, from which tradition is coming idea about attentiveness, it is often used in the therapeutic activity. For example, on the internet, we can find many websites which describe and promote workshops, training or sessions of various therapeutic methods, during which attentiveness is used.

In normal life, whether we are paying bigger or smaller attention to “attention” or “attentiveness”, it is one of the basic elements of our psyche and our life.

4. Belief as a focus.

“Focus” is closely related to “belief”. For example, in religion prayer and various religious services and ceremonies require focus.

In life a lot of activities require focus. For example, the focus is needed in many types of learning and work.

However, in fact, why we keep the focus? And why the focus is connected with belief?

We are focusing because we believe that thanks to this focus, we will be able to achieve something. If we did not believe that it is worth focusing on a problem or matter, it would not be worth focusing on it at all. We believe, therefore, that the focus will bring us some effects, benefits, will lead us to some purpose, provide and satisfy our needs, etc.

In sum, I think, that “focus” is an important word which is closely related to belief. That is why I also decided to put “focus” on the Mandala of Characters.

In that case, summarizing the above points, the new set of words in the top left corner of the Mandala will look as follows:

EXTRAVERSION
attention, attitude, belief, focus, persuasion 
hot

So, let’s put the above set of words to the Mandala of Characters. Please look at the diagram below.

In the above diagram, the words “attention” and “attitude” I placed near the type Hot Fire. It is because Hot Fire often has these characteristics in Conscious State. So this type is able to focus on being attentive to this, what is going on around. Type Hot Fire can set its attention in this way, that can notice and catch appearing opportunity. This type can also set attention to capturing what may give some benefits, and lead to the desired goal.

The words “focus” and “persuasion” are located near Hot Air. It is because, this type, in turn, exhibits these characteristics in his Conscious State. In short, this type can focus on this, what is doing with great persuasion. Hot Air can also with great persuasion focus on the goal that he is aiming for. And he is often so focused on the goal that it would be difficult to discourage him from doing so. In general, Hot Air has many own beliefs. Interesting here is this, that actually, these beliefs cover all areas of life. And Hot Air is often very focused on these beliefs. Hot Air also often is very persuaded of his persuasions. It is so, even when he is the only one who this persuasion. Or when his persuasion is very different from the persuasions of others. Often the fact that others have different persuasions or convictions does not bother him. It is because he can focus on proving that his persuasions are right. So, Hot Air can effectively defend the rightness of his beliefs, convictions, persuasions, opinions, views, etc. He can do it even when his beliefs to other people seem wrong and incorrect. However, interesting for this type is this, that even if he is guided by incorrect beliefs, often he is able to achieve his goals. So, it comes to the fact that for Hot Air keeping the focus on his own beliefs (regardless of whether they are right or wrong) is an effective way of achieving various life goals. Of course, it does not apply to all people equally. First of all, such talents have people from this part of the Mandala of Characters. That is mainly Hot Air, and next Hot Fire. These types, to a large extent, take advantage of the various benefits and opportunities that can be achieved through different types of belief.

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