> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://danielkherndon.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Belief Matters - URL: https://danielkherndon.com/belief-matters/ - Published: 2026-09-11T10:30:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-11T10:32:54.000Z - Description: And I'm paying my penance in response to your feedback. - Author: Daniel Herndon **You're reading The Lorem Ipsum by Daniel Herndon. A Funny Email About Serious Topics. Make sure your inbox isn't left out.* ***Sign up** [***here**](https://www.danielkherndon.com/?ref=danielkherndon.com#/portal/signup/free)***.** --- Hey Friends, I've never danced on anyone's grave, but I have gotten their name wrong. Last week, in a [Take](https://danielkherndon.com/the-gloria-gap/#:~:text=The%20News.-,The%20Gloria%20Gap,-Gloria%20Steinem%20died) aimed at the late Gloria Steinem, I, along with Grammarly, made the grave mistake of embellishing her name, which she needed none of. You lost no time letting me know. Lots of you. The backlash was beyond my imagination. It was such a grievous mistake that someone told me even Van Morrison, whose song I alluded to by spelling GLORIA, wanted to call to tell me. At this point, I'm surprised I didn't add "AND SOMETIMES Y" to the end to cap off the erroneousness. To those who read it and moved on, thanks for your grace. To those who brought it to my attention, you are legion, but it's nice to know you're alive. I no longer need to check your inbox's pulse. We're diving into a small thought piece today. --- ### We Do What We Believe Five years ago, I wrote an article about my most challenging phobia. My fear of cold butter. A frigid stick would cause me to shudder. Spread it across sliced bread made of enriched wheat, and I'd nearly pollute myself in terror. Like most Americans, to feel safer, I minimized my butter, opted for seed oils when I could, and ate as much bread as possible, because I believed it was best for me. The entire public health system was convinced of this, and professional training, public education, and food labels all promoted the same idea. The result is an increase in obesity and diabetes [by about 300% since 1980](https://gethlth.com/how-the-food-pyramid-impacted-american-health/?ref=danielkherndon.com), when I was born. I'm republishing the article here today. [Why I am afraid of cold butterHow the boogieman became fat when fat became the boogieman. I always get nostalgic during this time of year as we enter into the Holiday season. I begin to get a tingling feeling in my belly that I call anticipation. Anticipation for perhaps the most precious thing in our lives.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/12/06129303-38fb-4088-8aa2-412bc3b2598c/content/images/icon/Icon-1-5dab227c-9d2a-450b-abd6-70c5c965b99c.png)The Lorem Ipsum, by Daniel HerndonDaniel Herndon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/12/06129303-38fb-4088-8aa2-412bc3b2598c/content/images/thumbnail/12-Butter-II-7e357a0b-607a-4c71-a5c9-0c9022521910.jpg)](https://danielkherndon.com/why-i-am-afraid-of-cold-butter/) Twenty-five years ago today, I was in New York City, on a business trip. I was in sight of the Twin Towers most of the week. The moment I looked away to go to another meeting, it happened. I was interrupted by breaking news. Two planes had barrelled into the Twin Towers, and Americans, who believed they were safe from war four minutes ago, could no longer believe they were. As we learned, several were so committed to their beliefs that they architected the biggest foreign attack on US land and the killing of thousands of people. These men were so obsessed with their faith that they gave up their own lives to wage Jihad. We Americans believed there was only one correct response. I talk about my experience in New York City in an article where I criticize the Biden administration for its inaction regarding Ukraine, because Putin believed that he had a historic right to land outside of his borders. I'm republishing that one today as well. [Putin His Place. A Case For Action.Lessons from 9/11: It’s cheaper to clean up a political mess than a nuclear disaster. Should we stop the bleeding before it gets worse?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/12/06129303-38fb-4088-8aa2-412bc3b2598c/content/images/icon/Icon-1-776bce30-c30e-4003-8b54-52795c5c8ed2.png)The Lorem Ipsum, by Daniel HerndonDaniel Herndon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/12/06129303-38fb-4088-8aa2-412bc3b2598c/content/images/thumbnail/Twin-Towers-8854f481-ce69-4c8d-8f08-4b2140938d74.jpg)](https://danielkherndon.com/the-case-for-putin-putin-in-his-place/) Back in 2001, our beliefs committed us to war. A twenty-year war that few believed in by its end, but by then, 900,000 people [had already died](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War%5Fon%5Fterror?ref=danielkherndon.com) in the War on Terror. What we believe in matters. Belief has caused countless deaths, destroyed people's health, enabled sexual assault, and ruined plenty of dinners. In the economy of ideas, bad ones need to be disputed, and myths debunked. Our beliefs are not harmless. Those based on mere vapor, a conclusion to jump to, or a security blanket to cling to — they should be tested, questioned, and called into doubt. And the worst of them should be reformed before somebody else gets hurt. --- That's it for this week. ***Remember***: Are you a The Lorem Ipsum believer? Don't let your friends believe bad ideas when they can believe good newsletters. Share. ***Have a great weekend!*** --- ❤️ If you want to support my work, consider [becoming a Founder](https://www.danielkherndon.com/?ref=danielkherndon.com#/portal/signup) for $5/mo or just leave a [tip](https://www.danielkherndon.com/?ref=danielkherndon.com#/portal/support). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/12/06129303-38fb-4088-8aa2-412bc3b2598c/content/images/2025/11/HRNDN-Banner-Ad.png) Supported by ****HRNDN Brand Agency**. Brand Strategy. Marketing Leadership.