Beliefs 2: Cause--Effect Beliefs

Beliefs 2: Cause--Effect Beliefs

Date: 7/16/2026

Copyright  2026 to Shlomo Kory,  Jerusalem,  Israel,  All Rights Reserved.  

 
(NOTE:  It is recommended to read  "Beliefs 1: Stop Fooling Yourself!"   before reading this article. )
 
 
What are Cause-Effect Beliefs?  
 
"If A  happens,  then B  will result"
 
 
 A cause-effect belief is the assumption that an event or action will produce a particular result, when in reality the relationship may be more complex—or the belief may simply be incorrect.  In other words, every cause-effect belief is really a prediction about what will happen if we do something--or don't do something.
 
Many of the problems we create for ourselves can be traced to erroneous Cause-Effect Beliefs and Complex Equivalence Beliefs (the next type of belief to be discussed).


An Example of a False Cause-Effect Belief:  
A classic illustration appears in the Talmud:  
  -פסיק  רישא ולא ימות    "If I cut off the animal's head,  it will not die.
 
We all know that cutting off an animal's head inevitably results in death. Claiming it won't die is an obvious impossibility.  Yet in our daily lives, we often hold beliefs that are just as logically flawed--without realizing it!

 
Other Examples of Cause-Effect Beliefs: 
  • "I couldn't sleep because the neighbors were making a lot of noise"
  • "Customers don't like to shop in my store because I have a Jewish name"
  • "He got me upset"
  • "If I cut off the animal's head,  it will certainly die"
  • "I can show up late to work and the boss won't fire me"

    Notice that one of these beliefs is clearly true, while the others may be true, partly true, or completely false. "He got me upset" is a cause-effect belief about emotional control ---giving another person power over your internal emotional state. The other beliefs deal more with external circumstances.                                                                                                                                                                                        Erroneous cause-effect beliefs often lead us to avoid actions that could improve our lives--or to pursue actions that can harm us . If we wrongly believe that a particular action will produce a negative result, we may never even try it--and we may miss out on valuable opportunities.  Similarly,  if we believe that a particular action will benefit us we may pursue something that could harm us.                                                                                                                                             
    How to Correct Erroneous   Cause-Effect  Beliefs  
 (NOTE-- for the convenience of the reader,  this section was copied from the Beliefs 1 article--with some minor changes)
 
As an example let's take the belief
"If I say 'no' to someone , they won't like me "

A)  Look for Counter Evidence:  One way to discover a mistaken belief is to notice occasions when reality contradicts what your belief predicts should happen.  Each exception you discover weakens the belief's certainty.
 
Ask yourself:
  • " Have I ever said 'no' to somebody and they continued to like me? "
  • "Have I ever observed other people saying "no" to another person and they continued having a good relationship?"
  •  "Do I stop liking people simply because they occasionally say no to me?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         It can also be very helpful to ask a good friend if they notice things you are doing that may be contributing to the problem. 

    B)  Challenge the Connection:   
    The goal of Challenging the Connection is to become more open-minded and to reconsider the belief.  This should  weaken our certainty that the belief is always true and opens the door to considering other possibilities.  [NOTE:  If you are helping someone else with their belief, be careful not to argue with them!]

  • How, specifically, would saying  "no" cause them to not like me?"
  • What else might happen if I say "no" to someone? 
  • Under what circumstances might saying "no" actually increase someone's respect for you?


C) The New Belief:  Once the original belief has been  weakened,  formulate a new belief

One effective way to do this is:  (See Ruach Chaim on Pirkei Avos,  Perek 2,  Mishna 7-- מרבה עצה מרבה תבונה)
First :  Ask other people for their perspective on the issue at hand. This gives you new information and understandings that help you see the issue differently.

Second:  Evaluate the various perspectives you have heard in light of your personal life situation. What would benefit you--and what not?   Suggestion:     Don't rush this stage!  It is a process.  Take your time to fully consider everything you heard.    

Third: Formulate a belief that better fits the available evidence and is more useful in your life.   Select from what you have heard those ideas--or parts of ideas- that would benefit you. Combine them and create your new belief.  (Because what works for one person may not work for another person.  You want a belief that works for you personally).    

Example of a new belief:   "On the one hand, it is important to keep in mind that people may not always like hearing 'no'.  On the other hand,  good relationships are actually strengthened by honesty, respect, and clear boundaries. Respectfully expressing my limits can create greater trust and openness--and these are essential in any good relationship."  
 
Try It Yourself ! Write down a cause-effect belief  in the format "If I do X, then Y will happen." Run it through the 3 steps above—find one exception, challenge the connection, and rewrite it into a more accurate belief.
 

In the next article, we'll look at another common type of belief that can  create unnecessary problems—and how to recognize and change it....