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what is a worldview

WORLDVIEW 101

Have you ever asked yourself, “Where did I come from? How do I know the purpose of life? What happens when I die?” If so, then you have been pondering some very important worldview questions.

“A worldview is the fundamental perspective from which one addresses every issue of life.”

– James Sire

What is a worldview? Simply put, a worldview is the lens through which we view and interpret the world. A well-rounded worldview will be able to answer the following questions about life:

  1. What is prime reality—the really real?
  2. What is the nature of external reality—the world around us?
  3. What is a human being?
  4. What happens to persons at death?
  5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?
  6. How do we know what is right and wrong?
  7. What is the meaning of human history?

As Contributor Os Guinness shared in the video above, everyone has a worldview and should be able to answer these fundamental questions accordingly.

However, a worldview does not stop at the basic beliefs we hold—it also dictates our actions and how we tackle every issue within life.

“A worldview may well be defined as one’s comprehensive framework of basic beliefs about things, but our talk (confessed beliefs or cognitive claims) is one thing, and our walk (operative beliefs) is another and even more important thing. A lived worldview defines one’s basic convictions; it defines what one is ready to live and die for.”

– John H. Kok

Ever heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words?” Often times, our behavior shows us what we truly believe more than our words ever could. A worldview is not just a check-list of questions—it is a way of life.

That is why it is so important to build your worldview and understand the worldview of others—what we believe about the world directly impacts how we live within it. In order to best navigate life, we as people have to make sure both our mind and behavior are aligned with the truth of what is. Only then will we be able to answer life’s greatest questions and better interact with the people around us through a truly lived worldview.

“People function on the basis of their worldview more consistently than even they themselves may realize. The problem is not outward things. The problem is having, and then acting upon, the right worldview—the worldview which gives men and women the truth of what is.”

– Francis Schaeffer