Yes — belief can be a nasty thing. But it also drives progress. We "believe" that living entities deserve to be treated with some level of decency, etc. Sure it's possible to hedge our bets with humility and tolerance, but it comes at the cost of the potential upsides.
Our beliefs have led to some horrific outcomes over the past several hundred years. What interests me personally isn't how to believe less in order to avoid risk, it's how to believe in such a way that the resulting actions will improve our lives.
Try to separate this into two separate questions: why do you want the things you want? And: why can’t you realize them?
We tend to implicitly accept the values of others and desire what they desire, even when it conflicts with our unique interests and abilities, which creates a painful inner conflict that is difficult to identify and articulate.
The second question is easier to answer (set good habits, etc.)