I expect that most of us believe what we believe because it makes us feel we have some control. It seems to be in our nature to keep seeking mastery over our domains. And when there are no reliable means, we accept unreliable means -- believing in a variety of things that are magical in some sense -- devices, so to speak, by which we hope we can at least influence what will happen, or predict what will happen -- anything that allows us to believe everything is neither simply arbitrary, or solely dictated by divine fiat.

On the whole, these tendencies may have served humankind wel. A certain dissatisfaction can lead to growth, and often does yield a greater control. But perhaps it also leads us to believe that the gap between what we wish and what we have ought to be bridge-able. And perhaps this creates a deeper level of dissatisfaction with our lives. Perhaps the closer we get to a "solution," the more we feel the areas of our lives that are not under control.