What does "worldview" mean?

Dave Ramsey gives a good word picture of the importance of worldview or paradigm:

"Your view or belief system is called your paradigm. Your paradigm is your filter system. If you receive information that does not match your belief system, you filter it out - and usually with it that kook that brought you that bad information. The scary thing about your paradigm is that it is based on your past and your feelings. What if it is wrong? What if your feelings and your past gave you a road map that sent you toward Maine when your goal was Florida? It could be a long trip...Acting on incorrect information, no matter how deeply held, can be catastrophic...What you don't know can kill you. If you don't know that tractor trailer trucks hurt when hitting you, then you can play in the middle of the interstate with no fear - but that doesn't mean you won't get killed."

Ramsey then gives an example of a "visual paradigm to show you how this works:"


IAMNOWHERE

If you see: I AM NOWHERE

that excludes you from seeing: I AM NOW HERE


Our personalities do not change much throughout life, but our worldviews can if we are willing to "keep an open mind. Allow your paradigm, your belief system, to drop and you just might learn something." pp. 67-69 Financial Peace (Revisited) chapter 8. Copyright by Viking Penguin 2003 www.daveramsey.com

The goal? To shape our worldview to align with reality!