your judgment (influence your opinions/decisions). A lot of people believe in superstitions – irrational beliefs that have no basis in fact, like the number 13
being unlucky. Others have a blind faith (believe in something without thinking) in fate or destiny. When
new evidence appears, it can either strengthen/reinforce your belief(make it stronger) or
undermine/weaken your belief (make it weaker). When forming your beliefs, be careful about making assumptions, which can lead to erroneous conclusions. False beliefs held by many people are called common misconceptions. Scientists and other
researchers often publish material to help dispel misconceptions (eliminate them) – for example,
“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not harmful to go swimming immediately after eating.”
If you are completely sure about something, then you can describe it as “beyond/without a shadow of a doubt.” But sometimes doubts arise – or another person voices their doubts – thus making you
reconsider. Maybe the doubts don’t even come from a fact, but you just have a sneaking suspicion – a
persistent feeling – that casts doubts on things you previously assumed to be true.
When you have a small doubt that persists and continues to bother you – this is called a
gnawing/lingering/nagging/niggling doubt. This might be an indication that it’s time to rethink/ reexamine your beliefs – after further consideration, you just might arrive at a different conclusion.
