Oooh, what a great question, Susan! My friends would tell you that I'm usually right about most things ;-). And it's actually quite useful to know a lot of stuff. (Or annoying, depending on your perspective.)
I think that doubt, uncertainty, perspective and nuance are truly important parts of the bigger, deeper questions in life. Aren't they the qualities that propel wonder and awe?
When I read that comment by Robert Rubin I instantly thought Wow! That’s me! Some people get annoyed with me because I don’t immediately respond to their questions or thoughts. Well, this explains why.
I used to show up confidently in my answers whether I knew X to be true or not; however, lately I've accepted that it's OK not to know everything and appearing to be an expert in everything looks arrogant worst case, or disingenuous at the least. I like that I don't have answers to some very big questions-it leaves me open to wonder and explore.
My default position is one of skepticism. I don’t take anything anyone tells me as being true until I have verified it as far as is possible, which in itself is an increasingly difficult pursuit in this age of misinformation.
One has to have a reasonable set of beliefs in order to function in the world so I tend not to doubt my own beliefs which I have honed over a lifetime. But…
I am constantly updating my map of reality as and when I discover new information, so it’s not a case of doubt, but more of being open minded to new possibilities and willing to discard outdated information.
I admire people who are able to admit they don’t know the answer to something rather than go down the BS route. I have a very sensitive BS filter and can be instantly turned off someone when it is activated.
“Apart from mathematics we know nothing for certain. But we still have to live: and to live is to act. All actions have to be based on assumptions about reality.” David Hume
Hmmm questioning an answer leave opening for more, find myself always questioning even when I find an answer I question the answer to dive deeper than before. On going exploration of mindful thought. If life is a paradox than it would suggests there more than one truth to the truth, we so behold. If I take a part of X away than I do have Y ahh two truth lump in one... Maybe to question the question to find the answer answering the answer with a question to answer the question answer only to ask another question to the answer... Lovely isn't it or maddening hmmm now I'm uncertain again...
I love the saying: “In the expert’s mind there are few possibilities, but in the beginner’s mind there are many.”
When people are certain & dogmatic, they feel like a closed system and i don’t feel invited in. I can feel talked at. Having grown up with highly religious & opinionated siblings, I think I’m overly sensitive to it & I try not to do the same.
My left thinking brain operating unilaterally is not my strong suit. And it feels tedious and like a giant chore. However, it’s when I can take a moment to sense the energy of the person or situation in front of me that my whole system seems to come alive and come online. And then I enjoy being and doing at the same time.
The older I become the more I doubt myself. Perhaps it’s part of the aging process. When I was young I felt more confident about what I thought I knew.
With others, I am more doubtful about them if they are over confident. I think when they show some doubt they seem less driven by their ego, and more genuine.
I find most of the certainty I hear is on the subjects of religion and politics, both of which are too ambiguous for complete certainty. And then there's mixing religion and politics - yikes!
One of the most important life lessons I've learned was from an essay in "The Portable Atheist" by Christopher Hitchens. The essay is by a particle physicist and he wrote about Plank's Constant and Plank Time and the Big BANG. I read the essay 4 times to make sense of the science and math. But in the end he concluded that the world is not a simple system of two possible solutions but a complex system of n solutions where most of the solutions are variants of the unknown, open questions, open problems, it's not possible to do an experiment to gather data, etc.
This view applies to Art, culture, politics and opinions as well. Yet the world is very much defined by the former. All things are defined by the either-or dialectic -- a simple system of two possible solutions. Even, the both-and dialectic doesn't work though better than the either-or view as it's still an simple system of two solutions. Mr. Hegel and his system of thought as it's in the air we breath.
People who doubt and aren't afraid to do so, I think they have more intellectual courage and integrity. I have more respect for people who doubt as I believe that's "real value."
PS. Susan, Your Husbands sacred duty is to have you drive him crazy. If you don't believe me you can ask my ex wife!! <Rimshot/> <Cymbal Crash/>
I think it depends on context - if someone has studied something for a long time, then you’d expect them to have a high level of certainty about that topic; however, being inflexible and closed-minded is problematic - the certainty that arises from those situations tends to be more about ego rather than the ideas themselves.
I’m not certain about most things and often find people who are to be off-putting. I recently discovered the work of Ellen Langer, a Harvard professor of psychology, and I really respond to it. I like her quote “certainty is a cruel mindset. It hardens our minds against possibility.” This speaks to me.
In my younger years, I was confident, opinionated and not afraid to enter discussions… about anything.
Now at 71 I think of all aspects of the subject being discussed, often keeping my opinion to myself. I will speak up if I feel what I say will be helpful. But often my silence facilitates a more reflective, exploratory discussion.
I love those deep spaces of exploration that come up when you least expect them.
"Some people are more certain of everything than I am of anything." Truthful words. I also often ask about the existence of "Y" when someone mentions to me that "X situation is always such." I'm not a very certain person and always try to look for more possibilities beyond what I can see at the moment. I always have questions circling my head, wondering about possibilities in a situation, which I think is a good thing because it allows me to step back from certainties (whether my own or others) and observe things from a different view.
I have a hard time being certain! I think of all I don’t know and my limited perspective being on this earth for so little time… and not knowing what I don’t know. I tend to listen carefully to what others say and very after the conversation think more about it. Then I see it all better with some time and distance. I certainly know what is best for myself, but it’s hard to judge what is right for other people.
When someone is unquestionably confident in their opinion, I am skeptical. I myself am never completely confident in my own opinions. I am often questioning, internally, not necessarily externally.
Oooh, what a great question, Susan! My friends would tell you that I'm usually right about most things ;-). And it's actually quite useful to know a lot of stuff. (Or annoying, depending on your perspective.)
I think that doubt, uncertainty, perspective and nuance are truly important parts of the bigger, deeper questions in life. Aren't they the qualities that propel wonder and awe?
When I read that comment by Robert Rubin I instantly thought Wow! That’s me! Some people get annoyed with me because I don’t immediately respond to their questions or thoughts. Well, this explains why.
I used to show up confidently in my answers whether I knew X to be true or not; however, lately I've accepted that it's OK not to know everything and appearing to be an expert in everything looks arrogant worst case, or disingenuous at the least. I like that I don't have answers to some very big questions-it leaves me open to wonder and explore.
My default position is one of skepticism. I don’t take anything anyone tells me as being true until I have verified it as far as is possible, which in itself is an increasingly difficult pursuit in this age of misinformation.
One has to have a reasonable set of beliefs in order to function in the world so I tend not to doubt my own beliefs which I have honed over a lifetime. But…
I am constantly updating my map of reality as and when I discover new information, so it’s not a case of doubt, but more of being open minded to new possibilities and willing to discard outdated information.
I admire people who are able to admit they don’t know the answer to something rather than go down the BS route. I have a very sensitive BS filter and can be instantly turned off someone when it is activated.
“Apart from mathematics we know nothing for certain. But we still have to live: and to live is to act. All actions have to be based on assumptions about reality.” David Hume
Hmmm questioning an answer leave opening for more, find myself always questioning even when I find an answer I question the answer to dive deeper than before. On going exploration of mindful thought. If life is a paradox than it would suggests there more than one truth to the truth, we so behold. If I take a part of X away than I do have Y ahh two truth lump in one... Maybe to question the question to find the answer answering the answer with a question to answer the question answer only to ask another question to the answer... Lovely isn't it or maddening hmmm now I'm uncertain again...
I love the saying: “In the expert’s mind there are few possibilities, but in the beginner’s mind there are many.”
When people are certain & dogmatic, they feel like a closed system and i don’t feel invited in. I can feel talked at. Having grown up with highly religious & opinionated siblings, I think I’m overly sensitive to it & I try not to do the same.
My left thinking brain operating unilaterally is not my strong suit. And it feels tedious and like a giant chore. However, it’s when I can take a moment to sense the energy of the person or situation in front of me that my whole system seems to come alive and come online. And then I enjoy being and doing at the same time.
The older I become the more I doubt myself. Perhaps it’s part of the aging process. When I was young I felt more confident about what I thought I knew.
With others, I am more doubtful about them if they are over confident. I think when they show some doubt they seem less driven by their ego, and more genuine.
I find most of the certainty I hear is on the subjects of religion and politics, both of which are too ambiguous for complete certainty. And then there's mixing religion and politics - yikes!
One of the most important life lessons I've learned was from an essay in "The Portable Atheist" by Christopher Hitchens. The essay is by a particle physicist and he wrote about Plank's Constant and Plank Time and the Big BANG. I read the essay 4 times to make sense of the science and math. But in the end he concluded that the world is not a simple system of two possible solutions but a complex system of n solutions where most of the solutions are variants of the unknown, open questions, open problems, it's not possible to do an experiment to gather data, etc.
This view applies to Art, culture, politics and opinions as well. Yet the world is very much defined by the former. All things are defined by the either-or dialectic -- a simple system of two possible solutions. Even, the both-and dialectic doesn't work though better than the either-or view as it's still an simple system of two solutions. Mr. Hegel and his system of thought as it's in the air we breath.
People who doubt and aren't afraid to do so, I think they have more intellectual courage and integrity. I have more respect for people who doubt as I believe that's "real value."
PS. Susan, Your Husbands sacred duty is to have you drive him crazy. If you don't believe me you can ask my ex wife!! <Rimshot/> <Cymbal Crash/>
I think it depends on context - if someone has studied something for a long time, then you’d expect them to have a high level of certainty about that topic; however, being inflexible and closed-minded is problematic - the certainty that arises from those situations tends to be more about ego rather than the ideas themselves.
I’m not certain about most things and often find people who are to be off-putting. I recently discovered the work of Ellen Langer, a Harvard professor of psychology, and I really respond to it. I like her quote “certainty is a cruel mindset. It hardens our minds against possibility.” This speaks to me.
In my younger years, I was confident, opinionated and not afraid to enter discussions… about anything.
Now at 71 I think of all aspects of the subject being discussed, often keeping my opinion to myself. I will speak up if I feel what I say will be helpful. But often my silence facilitates a more reflective, exploratory discussion.
I love those deep spaces of exploration that come up when you least expect them.
"Some people are more certain of everything than I am of anything." Truthful words. I also often ask about the existence of "Y" when someone mentions to me that "X situation is always such." I'm not a very certain person and always try to look for more possibilities beyond what I can see at the moment. I always have questions circling my head, wondering about possibilities in a situation, which I think is a good thing because it allows me to step back from certainties (whether my own or others) and observe things from a different view.
I have a hard time being certain! I think of all I don’t know and my limited perspective being on this earth for so little time… and not knowing what I don’t know. I tend to listen carefully to what others say and very after the conversation think more about it. Then I see it all better with some time and distance. I certainly know what is best for myself, but it’s hard to judge what is right for other people.
When someone is unquestionably confident in their opinion, I am skeptical. I myself am never completely confident in my own opinions. I am often questioning, internally, not necessarily externally.
And literally the second after I posted, this showed up in my email as wisdom quote of the day:
"Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty."
Jacob Bronowski
I could not agree more. Uncertainly + curiosity + vulnerability = growth and strength