Understand Why People Do What They Do

Everyone has presuppositions, a general set of beliefs, a grid through which we perceive everything that happens – a general belief about what is true, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize.

Our presuppositions form the basis for our values, and these values determine what we believe and how we live our lives.

An individual is not just the product of the forces around him. He has a mind, an inner world. Then, having thought, a person can bring forth actions into the external world and thus influence it. People are apt to look at the outer theater of action, forgetting the actor who "lives in the mind" and who therefore is the true actor in the external world. The inner thought world determines the outward action.

As we consider a person's actions, it is helpful to have an understanding of their world view. The beliefs a person holds and the actions they take will make more sense when considered within the boundaries of their world view. Their beliefs and actions will generally be consistent with their world view.