I attended an event (with some hippies) and I was having a conversation with a few guys. The most alpha guy there, James, had his foot on another guy's water bottle. The other guy, Ron, complained to James and asked him to move it.

And, let me preface this by saying, this argument nearly had everything to do with him defending himself about putting his foot on the bottle, which wasn't polite. I know it wasn't polite, but his argument changed my opinion of everything.

James asked him "why don't you want my foot on your water bottle?" And Ron responded, "because your foot is dirty. I don't know if you have a cut or anything. I don't want to take the chance."

Again, we're camping, such that we do have to make a lot of effort with sanitation and health. So, his argument was valid for the location.

To which James said, "what do you mean dirty?" And Ron responded, "there's bacteria, I don't know where you've been walking..." And James said, "how do you know there's this bateria?" And Ron responded, "because, people get sick and infected from bacteria..."

And this argument about the validity of his foot being contaminated went on for about five to ten minutes.

And then James got his point across very clear, "you know, I understand what you're saying, but is that what you enjoy believing? Because if that's what makes you happy, to believe that everything is contaminated and dirty, then okay, but it seems like it just makes you filled with fear. For me, I see you're fear as a way to isolate me from the people and feelings and happiness. And I choose not to believe I'm dirty."

Which was weird for me, because I didn't think he was right, but then I realized it didn't matter if I thought he was right. He was happy with himself being right with whatever he wanted to think... that he was clean, regardless of not having used soap in six months... you name it.

And the next day, I was sitting in front of the river, and I was looking at the bugs and dirt and other gross looking things... I thought it was cold... lots of thoughts which didn't really make me happy. Then, I thought, why can't I just believe this water is pure and will make me younger, stronger, and happier once in it?

I jumped in after that thought.

I don't question my value anymore. I have my own values and I am a 10 out of 10, were there a metric that I held myself at, but it's not, I don't hold myself to anything.

tldr: build your own reality ie. Don Quixote