How to Form Beliefs

Your quest should be to search for fundamental patterns of reality, society and our civilisation. Patterns that are true across the board regardless of region or religion. This is the way to reach the truth of any domain.

This does not mean behaviours or patterns that arose from the evolution of a particular region are false. They are the result of evolution, so you are free to adopt or discard them.

Let me give an example. Eating meat is considered morally and religiously wrong in Hindu culture, especially North Indian. This is not the case with any other region or religion. Now let's see if we can apply our theory to find whether it is a fundamental truth to not eat meat or not.

The reasons are that everything is conscious and you should not kill someone when you have options. This is a way of thinking that might have developed because of the climate of the region, where red meat is not suitable for your body. In order to provide food for the people who cannot eat meat in that weather, alternatives are provided in dairy, and to save the source of dairy, animals are put into religion — otherwise no one would abide.

Now this is a region-specific fact. It is not a fundamental truth of our moral stance, because it is not seen anywhere around the world. You are free to form your own opinion on it, abide or deny it.

On the other hand, killing a fellow human or raping a fellow human is considered morally wrong across the board, in region and religion. It is not limited or specific to an area or type of people. So it can be considered a fundamental truth of morality.

Rebuttal

You should have your individual thinking rather than following everybody.

Yes and no. In the case of things that are seen by our evolution as beneficial, it is stupid to go against the norm. Heuristics in thinking exist for a reason.