What Is The Difference Between Knowing and Believing?

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  1. Cagsil profile image71
    Cagsilposted 13 years ago

    Just curious to get people's reactions, opinions, insight, knowledge or wisdom, so as to see if a barrier I see actually exists.

    The barrier? Is the ignorance(lack of knowledge) behind making them the same thing, when clearly they are not.

    Anyone want to take a shot at it?

    Knowing

    &

    Believing

    The difference if you please....

    Thank you for you responses in advance. smile

    1. pinkboxer profile image60
      pinkboxerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I believe, therefore, I know.

      1. Cagsil profile image71
        Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        I don't think so. But thank you for your response. There is a difference between them, and simply because you believe something to be true, doesn't make it true.

        If you need to know the difference, look at blondepoet's reply to this thread. smile

        1. couturepopcafe profile image61
          couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Perception is everything is the knowing and believing realm.  Knowing as in something which has been proven and learned is not the same as knowing as in feeling the essence of truth in something.

          Believing is a matter of trust.  One can believe something which was read or not believe.  One can also know something by first hand experience or by a sense of knowing.

      2. maxravi profile image45
        maxraviposted 12 years agoin reply to this

        If you know something you may or may not believe it but if you beleive you know about it surely.

    2. profile image0
      kimberlyslyricsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      one based on fact the other on assumption

      1. Cagsil profile image71
        Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Agreed. smile Hey Kimberly, nice to see you too. Thank you for your input too. wink smile

      2. dahoglund profile image73
        dahoglundposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        I agree

    3. SwaggeretteMom profile image60
      SwaggeretteMomposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Not the same at  all. To have a belief could be anything from what  religion you are to how you raise your children, but what you KNOW is things that are tried and true to you by and what we have been taught. We know the ABCS, for example... but you believe that there is a heaven and hell, when for some that belief is not even an option to think about. As they personally feel that they KNOW there is no such places, by reasearch ETC>

    4. deepthinker76 profile image61
      deepthinker76posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Knowing includes evidence and Believing does not include evidence

    5. inspiredbydg profile image60
      inspiredbydgposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Knowing is a higher level than Believing.

      Knowing is one of enlightenment emotional responses to the knowledge that is offered by ones own thoughts.

      Believing is a lower emotional response to ones thoughts about a subject.

      The higher the thoughts the more one moves up the emotional gauge or emotional degree from Negative Emotional of Fear to Doubt to Belief all the way to Knowing, and Enlightenment, Joy, and Love...

      All these are thoughts and emotional mixtures..

      http://s3.hubimg.com/u/3929166.jpg

      1. couturepopcafe profile image61
        couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        That's about as well explained as it could be in laymen's terms.

    6. IntimatEvolution profile image69
      IntimatEvolutionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Living and love.  That's the difference.

      1. Cagsil profile image71
        Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Interesting response IE.

    7. THE DIVINE YOU. profile image59
      THE DIVINE YOU.posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ACCEPTANCE OF REALIZATION

    8. Shahid Bukhari profile image59
      Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Knowing ... per se, is Knowledge, without Distinction.

      Believing ... is, the Knowledge, of Truth ...  where the Knower, does not have the option, of Denying ...

    9. roncitrus profile image60
      roncitrusposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      In epistemology (philosophy of knowledge) knowledge is boiled down to a "Justified True Belief" - with a few exceptions.  That is I believe that it's raining, I am justified in believing so because we live in a temperate climate and this sort of thing happens all the time, and it's true, it really is raining. If I had never looked out of the window, or I lived in the sahara, and I believed it was raining, i would be wrong, and therefore i don't "know" that it's raining.

      There are some exceptions to this though.  For example I look at the clock tower which tells me that it is 12 noon, which is true.  I believe it, I'm justified in believing it, and it's true.  However, the clock hasn't been working all week, it stopped at 12 noon last friday.   It just happens to be the right time. Do I still "know" the time?

      Can we really ever know in the way that our language implies? probably not.  I "know" the sun will rise tomorrow.  Or more precisely, it is extremely probable, so much so that I am prepared to stake everything I own on it.

    10. profile image0
      jomineposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      To believe is to have the opinion that something in the past happened, that an event occurred.
      To know is to predict the future, to be able to tell accurately what will happen in the future.
      I believe Caesar lived, I know sun will rise tomorrow morning.

  2. JulesGerome profile image61
    JulesGeromeposted 13 years ago

    I know I believe, and I believe I know.

  3. blondepoet profile image67
    blondepoetposted 13 years ago

    Knowing is being certain of something no matter what your personal opinions are. It normally is a proven true fact.
    Believing is putting your faith or trust in something that you yourself see as the truth. However it may not be the truth.

    1. Cagsil profile image71
      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Very nice answer Blondepoet! smile wink

      How are you this morning? smile

      1. blondepoet profile image67
        blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        I am doing wonderful dear Cags I had a beautiful morning and just ate a crab roll, I feel bloated like a bull frog. smile

        1. profile image0
          blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Bloated like a bull frog? I guess I could pretend to be a prince and kiss you back into the princess we know as BP. But I don't know if it works in reverse or not. I might turn into a bloated bull frog. But I will do what I must milady.

          1. blondepoet profile image67
            blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I am a risk taker Blake, let us give it a bash. smile

            http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg212/careBear072469/mc51624.gif

            1. profile image0
              blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

              Pucker up froggy style. Smack!!!! Smooches, and a little tongue. lol
              (What an incredibly dazzling frog you turned yourself into my dear...)

              1. blondepoet profile image67
                blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Why thank-you sweet honey child lol. I scrub up alright. smile

                1. profile image0
                  blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  It isn't easy being green
                  Cause you are the same color
                  As a bar of irish spring...
                  LOL

            2. starme77 profile image76
              starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

              hey nice frog smile

    2. profile image0
      blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree completely BP...
      Check my latest you will love it babydoll...

      In essence Knowing is outside the ego, there is no I in team type  idea
      but the collective rules

      But believing is completely devoid of reason, and trusting in that which cannot be know or tested

      1. profile image0
        blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Except for me
        I know everything I believe is true
        And believe everything I know is true
        Which can only lead me to one conclusion
        Everything believable is knowingly false
        So there , take that.!!!!!

        1. blondepoet profile image67
          blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Am going there right now see you soon Blake. smile

          1. profile image0
            blake4dposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You always have my back BP. Thanx and big HubLove.

    3. optimus grimlock profile image61
      optimus grimlockposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Right on point again!!!

    4. mathsciguy profile image59
      mathsciguyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Can you say, for instance, what is a "true, proven fact?"  Look, as a mathematician, I have a healthy respect for what can be logically demonstrated as "true" based upon a beginning set of axioms.  Unfortunately, there is no logic for determining if your axioms are true.  They may be what you call self-evident, but think about that by itself for a moment.  Are you going to say that something is definitely "proven" true, because it is true?  Now, I am deliberately being contentious, and I know that for practical purposes the basis of rationality is the best possible system on which a person may confer "truth" on an idea - but we aren't talking about practical purposes, are we?  Ask a philosophical question, get a philosophical answer, Cagsil.

  4. wingedcentaur profile image65
    wingedcentaurposted 13 years ago

    This is a question that could just as validly have been put into the linguistics category. People have multiple uses for the word "believe" and "know." They use "believe" when they are certain and they use "know" when, in truth, they merely believe.

    In this latter instance "believe" is used somewhat ironically or even sarcastically. This word,'believe' is used to strike a certain mood. 'Believe' is used as a kind of bet against someone who may challenge their accuracy on something.

    To "know" is used to affirm conviction that something must be true. There is not really a firm difference between knowing and believing. We may "know" the world is round but there are members of something called 'The Flat Earth Society' who, with equal conviction "know" the world is flat.

    People 'believe' in God via one or another religious system. Depending upon the level of their conviction, their belief morphs into "knowledge." If one's religious certainty is not so rock-ribbed, then they may be more comfortable saying that they believe in God, rather than asserting knowledge of "His" existence.

    What does "believe" mean in this instance? You find yourself on a sliding scale of a level of conviction about the truth of something - somewhere between rejection and acceptance. Persons with relatively low belief will find themselves on the scale more tilted to rejection (but not quite); those with stronger belief will find themselves on the scale more tilted toward acceptance. What does knowing mean in this sense?

    True knowing can only cover a very limited range of our perception of reality. I know it is 10:24 in the morning on Sunday that I am writing this. I know my name and the particulars of my history; I know the identities of friends, relatives, family member, and so forth. Knowing cannot be very deeply involved in matters of philosophy, religion, and the like, despite believers assertions to the contrary. Knowing is involved in the sciences and other objective disciplines - and yet for other people these "facts" can be rejected as false beliefs.

    I hope that helps.

    wingedcentaur

    1. wilderness profile image95
      wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think that the term "know" is even as firm as you make it out to be.  If I drop a golf ball I "know" it will hit the ground.  Unless a mini tornado suddenly comes up and blows it into the nearby water hazard (happens all the time to MY golf balls!).  You "know" your name - were you inadvertently switched as an infant in the hospital?  You "know" your friends identities - is one of them operating under false ID?

      One can never know the future - unforseen actions can always occur.  The past is never COMPLETELY known in every possible detail.  Even the present can be suspect - the blue car you're looking at in the parking lot is sitting under a sodium lamp and is actually green.

      To "know" then simply indicates a very high probability that your "belief" is correct and true.  That probability must be based on far more than your own ego and desires.

      1. wingedcentaur profile image65
        wingedcentaurposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Thank You, Wilderness. The idea of "knowing" is very fluid. I thought I mentioned that it could only be confined to a very narrow spectrum of human experience. Some people of faith, fundamentalists, make the concept of "knowledge" more firm than it should be.

        wingedcentaur

  5. Pearldiver profile image67
    Pearldiverposted 13 years ago

    Clearly the difference is 2 letters!
    This is a serious difference if you have a Speech Impediment hmm

  6. Cagsil profile image71
    Cagsilposted 13 years ago

    Thank you very much for all the responses. Much appreciated. smile

  7. Naturalreflection profile image61
    Naturalreflectionposted 13 years ago

    I have thought about the relationship between knowing and believing, but its too long to write here.

    http://hubpages.com/hub/Is-faith-a-contradiction.

    I explore believing as related to faith and whether that constitutes knowledge or not.

  8. profile image0
    sandra rinckposted 13 years ago

    Would you believe me if I told you I know somethings that you don't know?

    1. Cagsil profile image71
      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Everyone knows something that everyone doesn't know. No one can know everything. wink Yes, I would believe you.

      Thank you for your response Sandra. smile Nice to see you again. smile

  9. habee profile image91
    habeeposted 13 years ago

    Answer to original question: fact vs. faith.

    1. Cagsil profile image71
      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You put faith in everything you do. So, faith works for what you know and what you believe. So, I don't think so. wink Thank you for your response Habee.

      Nice to see you. smile

  10. rcritchett profile image59
    rcritchettposted 13 years ago

    Great Question. I believe that there is a huge difference between  knowing something fundamentally and intellectually, (for example, methods, ideas or principles that can really help you to change your life for the better), and then actually applying what you know and making it personal. It only becomes a belief when you have many references to back it up, like actual life experiences to prove this belief, therefore allowing it to become a belief, or a conviction. I believe that since we live in an information dense world, someone can know all they want to, but unless they apply it and make it personal, they may not really believe in the validity of what they "know." You can tell someone something over and over again and they may respond with "I know," and they truly may "know" but is it personal? Do they really know? Or do they just know it intellectually, in their heads, because it sounds basic? There is where I believe the difference really sits.

    Knowledge is not power, knowledge is possible power. Believing, making it a core conviction and using your beliefs in a resourceful way on a consistent basis, is power!

  11. katiem2 profile image60
    katiem2posted 13 years ago

    Oh I'm at a point in life ... I know nothing and believe little...

    Peace smile

  12. profile image0
    philip carey 61posted 13 years ago

    Hope.

    1. katiem2 profile image60
      katiem2posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Your right I find joy in the simplist of things, know myself and enjoy peace!  wink

  13. lightning john profile image60
    lightning johnposted 13 years ago

    I believe that I will wake in the morning, but I know that I may not be alive for that moment, for life is taken at any time for no available reason.

  14. KCC Big Country profile image85
    KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

    I know this thread is about the difference between "knowing" and "believing", but the word "fact" has come up and that always gets my attention.

    I actually don't care for the word "fact".  It's been the topic of a number of arguments between my husband and myself.

    I believe that one person's facts may not be the same as another's.  Facts are always opinions in my opinion.  Facts are simply conclusions one makes based on a variety of pieces of input (current data, background, upbringing, education, etc).  We might both conclude the same thing, but we might not.  Millions of people might conclude the same thing, but it changes nothing.  If we conclude something differently then this now makes your fact different than mine.  We both can firmly believe them and shout from the rooftops that they must be true, but that doesn't make them true for anyone but you. 

    My husband maintains that "anyone is entitled to their opinion, but not their own facts".  The scientist in him wants to establish ONE fact that is indisputable. 

    I believe EVERYTHING, without exception, is about your OWN perspective and I acknowledge and appreciate that every single person alive may have an entirely different perspective and it's equally correct, valid and beneficial to all.

    1. mythbuster profile image70
      mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't care for the word "fact" much either - partly because it puts our minds into a way of thinking that limits "spectrum" ideas and turns most things into "either/or" classifications.

      As far as the OP question about the difference between knowing and believing, I think, yes, there are differences.

      I believe that knowing is, well - knowing something. BELIEVING something is taking that extra step to incorporate what you "know" into practice, acting on it as if it is true/truth and believing involves the action of being committed to upholding what you know...

      Some things I "know," I don't commit myself to or do not act on. Many of these things, I do not act on, because I am not sure they are worthy of action or because I am unsure as to how they incorporate into my belief system yet and how I can or should act on them...

      The latter "knowing" without committment of believing encompassess a TON of things I have yet to decide upon or act upon. Man, I've got a lot to to yet, eh? lol

      As well, there are things I don't know, but do believe and act upon as if they are true (so I wouldn't do well in a conversation with deepthinker76 who said "Knowing includes evidence and Believing does not include evidence)... things like "I believe there is something that follows death" but I have no evidence...I live my life, however, as if death is not an end...or my thinking is wrapped around the idea that I do not need to worry about death, so I don't sit around in an anxious state like I might if I were certain that death is the absolute end. So I am committed to something that lacks evidence and is, technically, rather illogical for me to believe.

  15. Tusitala Tom profile image66
    Tusitala Tomposted 13 years ago

    In my view this is a very easy question to answer:  Believing is an idea in the mind; it is a thought-form  Knowing is something which has actually been experienced.   A belief MIGHT change our life philosopy.   An experience ALWAYS does.

  16. kalixao profile image61
    kalixaoposted 13 years ago

    From perspectives in linguistics and psychology (theory of consciousness), I have found that knowing and believing are not the same thing because only when knowing (the perception and acknowledgment of states, conditions, or facts) is installed as an operative principle within a paradigm (or "schema"), does belief emerge. Belief is the result of building a context around knowledge that transforms perceptions into principles. We "know" that drugs could kill us, see it every day, read about it, but we "believe" we will not be harmed and that they are worth the risk. We know we are breaking the law in possessing or distributing them, but we believe we will not be caught because we "know" we are not really criminals. Knowing is not only not the same thing, it doesn't operate the same as belief, and can stand in complete contradiction and still be ignored. Belief trumps knowledge, in all cases; hence, it is difficult to "educate" someone out of their beliefs. This requires experiential reconditioning, so a paradigm shift can occur which will ultimately destroy old beliefs and/or rebuild new ones. No one wants the trauma of having their entire worldview toppled like this. It is psychologically intolerable, like your virtual world being nuked.

    1. couturepopcafe profile image61
      couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      So what you're saying is there is sort of a cause and effect, impressions on the mind causing us to behave in certain patterns.  The magnetic quality of habitual mental patterns and memory, clings even though there may have been a change of physical embodiment by class, space or time.

  17. profile image51
    almera diwaposted 13 years ago

    knowing...

    it's when you are aware of one thing yet you don't put it on action....

    believing.....

    though you don't have enough idea about it yet you stand for it...

  18. Evan G Rogers profile image60
    Evan G Rogersposted 13 years ago

    The other day, I dropped a piece of toast. It hit the floor. I did this 30 times.

    On the 31st time, I KNEW that the piece of toast was going to fall to the ground. Why? Because I had performed numerous experiments, and each one came up exactly the same way.

    Then I formulated a reason behind it - it was because there was an invisible chain connected between all things and the Earth - and because the Earth was big, it didn't bet pulled nearly as much as other things.

    Then I took that "reason", that "explanation", that "hypothesis", and I went about comparing it to other situations. Why didn't the moon ever fall down? Why didn't the sun ever fall into the earth?

    Unfortunately at that point, I had no answer. So I went through and learned more about what OTHER people had discovered about the world. They went through and launched things very quickly around the planets and around the stars and around other large objects, and they found out that if they increase the speed of the object, they can get the item to continuously fall around the planet or star for ever.

    They had done this numerous times, just like me dropping my toast, and so they KNEW that it was true, and so I KNEW that it was true.

    I came across someone else's discovery. They said that it was a giant invisible man in the "unseeable" area of the universe. And he spent all his time making sure that the Moon never collapsed into the Earth, and that the sun never hit the earth. But this person never showed me the giant invisible man, nor did they provide any evidence for his existence. They just kept telling me that if I didn't agree, I would go to another invisible area... after i died.

    That is how KNOWING something and BELIEVING something are completely different. Trial - Hypothesis - Experimentation - Peer review.

    Science is how knowledge is gained.

    1. kalixao profile image61
      kalixaoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I enjoyed this illustration of how knowing and belief are related and not related. For the sake of argument, the relevant question would be, what would happen if you dropped your toast one morning and it didn't hit the ground? Would you form a belief to explain it, or search for new facts? Some people would choose to form a belief, some would look for new facts, and some would just complain because they were really hungry and their breakfast was not cooperating.

  19. Rafini profile image81
    Rafiniposted 13 years ago

    I'm surprised I missed this thread.  roll

    I'd say...knowing is the after affect of gaining knowledge, whether or not the knowledge obtained is factual, right or wrong.

    Believing is a mental action meant to put the mind, body, and soul at ease regarding knowledge obtained whether it be factual, right or wrong.

    So, in other words, believing leads to knowing. hmm  I say this because first you must believe something to be true before you can know it's true.  hmm

    1. glgoyal profile image61
      glgoyalposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is known that human visited Moon...
      but still it is believing that live is there &in futrture people will reside there

      1. Rafini profile image81
        Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Believing humans visited the Moon had to come before knowing it was true because nobody can 'know' anything without first 'believing' it. 

        When I first learned to add 2+2 I had to 'believe' the answer was 4 before I could 'know' the answer was in fact 4 and not 3 or 5 or whatever.

        Believing it is possible to live on the moon 'may' make it known in the future, or it may not come true.  Belief can not and does not lead to factual evidence being true when it is in fact false.

    2. kalixao profile image61
      kalixaoposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree very much with this great illustration of yours. wink

  20. mrod profile image61
    mrodposted 13 years ago

    For me, BELIEVING and KNOWING are but the two faces of the same coin. When we believe something, we may have convinced ourselves of something without having substantial evidence to support it. It can often be the action of blind faith. For instance, some people believe rap music is a fad.

    However when we KNOW something, we have found solid evidence to support our beliefs. Now mind you, the "evidence" may be only obvious to us. An example of this is creationism. Evolutionist claim creationists are wrong, but creationist find hard evidence for creation in the intrinsic designs in nature. See, when we come from a place of KNOWING, there is this unwavering zealous and unshakable feeling of reality tied to the subject of our belief that no one or anything can convince us otherwise. So some people say about  faith that faith is to believe without seeing, others say you have to see in order that you may believe and have faith. I say, both must coexist together to give birth to faith.  There is a riddle of faith that goes something like this: Do we believe because we have all the evidence, or do we have all the evidence because we believe? It is up to us to figure it out.

    1. Rafini profile image81
      Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      (just thought I'd point out this is a discussion on the difference between knowing and believing - the OP said Nothing about faith, creation, or evolution!)

      1. couturepopcafe profile image61
        couturepopcafeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        The English language is often tricky but I think the words belief and faith can mean the same thing though each can mean different things.  Having faith or trust, having a faith or religion, believing someone or trusting what they have said, and so on.

  21. profile image0
    Stevennix2001posted 13 years ago

    It's really hard to say what the difference is, as it depends on the subject we're talkin about.  If you asked a question like how do you know the Dallas Cowboys are having a bad season versus believing they are, well then that's easy to define, as you can easily point to stats and whatnot to prove your point.  Wheras if your talking about religion, then that's another story, as there's no definitive proof that religion or god exists outside of belief.  Sure, you have many people that claim to have near death experiences, and claim to allegedly see god.  However, it's also a proven fact that the mind can and does play tricks on people a lot.  therefore, it could be easily argued that what they saw is a hallucination and nothing more.  it's hard to say when it comes to religion.  knowing implies that you actually know something exists like yourself, or that we need air to breath.  that's a fact.

    believing in something requires faith with no real justification, to back it up.  something like when you marry a person.  there's no guarantee that person will always be faithful to you, but you choose to believe they will as you love them.

  22. Jaggedfrost profile image61
    Jaggedfrostposted 13 years ago

    In my way of thinking, knowing is the end result of exercises in faith.  Faith being defined by the assurance that the obedience to the laws of the Universe or God will result in the promised rewards associated with them.  Once you try the law and find the result then knowledge is the natural fruit.  Beliefs are a matter of perspective and are held by people without respect to any facts or documentary evidence to the contrary.  Faith that yields knowledge is observable and verifiable from the observation of the experiment in obedience that is repeatable.  Perspective and point of view must be maintained but it is doable. Belief has no such sureties.

  23. couturepopcafe profile image61
    couturepopcafeposted 13 years ago

    No difference.  Same thing.  But you can't intellectually believe something.  You have to feel it.  Who feels it knows it.

  24. starme77 profile image76
    starme77posted 13 years ago

    I think its more of a feeling than knowledge or belief - I dont believe in all the God stuff - but I feel the spirits watching over me

  25. Sage Williams profile image60
    Sage Williamsposted 13 years ago

    Knowing is the ultimate truth, there is no question, no doubt, it rings true to your very core. Knowing comes from a state of pure awareness.

    Believing is based on facts or knowledge which instills ones beliefs.

  26. Tusitala Tom profile image66
    Tusitala Tomposted 13 years ago

    Believing is an ingrained thought pattern that has come about and solidified into a sort of gell in the mind.  It is based upon trust, but it could still be wrong as far as the truth pertaining to the matter.   Knowing is having experienced the truth of something.

    To give an example.  Someone tells you that the food at JJ's restaurant is excellent.  You believe your friend absolutely.  He's never let you down before.   You go along to JJ's because you believe the food is going to be great.   You get there and -Good God!   It's awful!    This is knowing.

  27. Tony DeLorger profile image64
    Tony DeLorgerposted 13 years ago

    Because truth is in a constant state of flux, because our perspective of it can change, Knowing is really a misnomer. However to simply answer the question- Knowing infers you have proof of the existence of something. Belief infers faith that something is true, in other words no proof but a positive belief.
    Both are not definitive terms, inference being the communicator. That is my view.

  28. xixi12 profile image69
    xixi12posted 13 years ago

    knowing means you are sure about the truth, believing means that you have chosen a truth (based on your experience or opinion)

    Knowing turns to knowledge which eventually converts to belief

  29. Ruchira profile image71
    Ruchiraposted 13 years ago

    Knowing is being confident in what you know. Believing is more like Gut feeling kinda thing.
    I would vouch more on Knowing things than believing since, that gives the assurance of any data.

  30. profile image58
    C.J. Wrightposted 13 years ago

    It's a matter of fact and faith. Knowing relies on the former while believing relies on the later. The former is objective, the later subjective.

  31. profile image0
    Helpful Hannaposted 13 years ago

    Are we talking about fact and opinion here?  Something we know to be true is a fact that we can prove.  Something we believe expresses our feelings and emotions and it cannot be proven.

  32. Damon Simonetti profile image55
    Damon Simonettiposted 12 years ago

    "The word "belief" is a difficult thing for me. I don't believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it - I don't need to believe it." Carl Jung

  33. kschang profile image87
    kschangposted 12 years ago

    Knowing -- there is some logic behind the decision

    Believing -- there is NO logic behind the decision, only "faith".

    For example: "I know he didn't murder that woman." (Because I know him personally and from what I know of him he's not a killer)

    "I believe there is an after-life." (though I can't really prove it.)

  34. RKHenry profile image62
    RKHenryposted 12 years ago

    Believing is faith based, and knowing is factual, based off tangible certainties.  That's my two cents worth.

  35. Jonathan Janco profile image62
    Jonathan Jancoposted 12 years ago

    Knowing is believing with unaldulterated certainty. Believing is not knowing and not wanting to be certain.

  36. kmackey32 profile image64
    kmackey32posted 12 years ago

    They are spelled different...lol

  37. A Troubled Man profile image58
    A Troubled Manposted 12 years ago

    Knowing is understanding.

    Believing is pretending to understand.

  38. NathanielZhu profile image66
    NathanielZhuposted 12 years ago

    Everything a person has stored in their brain is a belief. Believing is the act of using a belief. Knowing requires that a person attain the truth of his/her belief(s) which is logically impossible. A person can be 99.9999% certain of a belief, but not "know" it per say. A belief that has been justified with observable/testable evidence is knowledge (not to be confused with knowing).
    ASTF.TK

  39. moneycop profile image60
    moneycopposted 12 years ago

    we know that go exists and taking care of his world...but do we believe he is in real
    after some one says I LOVE U, we know ok, but do we believe
    we know that our parents and dear ones are scolding, punishing, forcing to study and filling our life with sorrow, but de we believe.

  40. Vicente Zeldana profile image60
    Vicente Zeldanaposted 12 years ago

    Knowing is just a very strong belief. Anything you know can be potentially disproved at any time. The Ancients "knew" the world was flat, didn't they? When enough people use logic and reason to decide that they know something, it is just a very strong belief that is difficult to get rid of. Just because a belief is difficult to get rid of does not mean that belief is correct. Knowledge is very powerful but very tenuous at the same time.

  41. fpherj48 profile image61
    fpherj48posted 12 years ago

    We humans cannot KNOW ANYTHING for absolute, undeniable, proven, unadulterated, unchangeable.....pure & simple fact at ALL times, for all Purposes, Under ALL circumstances for EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE.  Having said this....I BELIEVE we can only "BELIEVE."

    1. seanorjohn profile image72
      seanorjohnposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, we think we know stuff but it is just something we believe in.Karl Popper, a philosopher suggested we should always test things rigorously for falsifiability. Some other philosophers agree and suggest the search for truth just goes on .... and on.

  42. johnwhiteman1 profile image61
    johnwhiteman1posted 12 years ago

    The difference is a slight energy shift inside of you. To believe something is future and mind based and something you are chasing.

    The knowing has depth and resonates with your whole being

    Negativity to Positivity to Belief to Knowing

    I am speaking about exactly this next September in London at I Can Do It.

    Great question :-)

  43. Shauntforever profile image60
    Shauntforeverposted 12 years ago

    When you know, you don't fear.  When you believe it may throw you for a loop.

 
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