Can you tell which blogs are the ones where I decide what to write and what my AP English teacher decides what I write? If not, you're not paying much attention.
William Lyon Phelps said, "If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible." Basically, if you believe it enough, you can do it.
Bertrand Russell also said, "I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine." Basically, don't be afraid to admit you could be wrong.
Here we have two quotes, both by rather intelligent writers and social critics, which state the most basic examples of what is certainty and what is doubt. What is the difference? More importantly, what is their relationship? Can you have certainty but also doubt at the same time?
You know what I think? Whether you care or not, I'm going to tell you.
I think that both have their place in the world and in our lives, but their extremes are very different. I also don't think that doubt should always be regarded as negative (though it should usually be), nor do I think that certainty should always be regarded as positive (though it should usually be). Confused yet? Excellent.
Certainty is feeling so strongly about something being true (or not true) that it's nearly impossible to dissuade you. It would take a great amount of reasoning and logic to even begin to wear down on that certainty. But is certainty the same thing as knowledge? Well, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "certainty is either the highest form of knowledge or is the only epistemic property superior to knowledge."
Doubt is wondering whether something is true or not--it is not knowing for sure that something isn't true. Doubt can often be compared to a seed, which starts out small and seemingly insignificant but can steadily grow into something much bigger. Doubt can often be extinguished if led to the right sources and with earnest desire to find out the truth, but if left to itself, can become suffocating.
So what did I mean by the extremes are different? Well, the most negative part of certainty is having a lot, and the negative part of doubt is a little. How does that work, you ask?
Mind you, I'm not a philosopher, and I'm not full-on studying certainty and doubt. That's my disclaimer for today.
See, too much certainty can lead to stubbornness, when the real result of certainty should be passion. One girl in my eighth grade history class once said, "I don't see what the problem with being stubborn is. Isn't being stubborn about something and being passionate about something the same thing?" No. As another girl replied to this one, "The difference between being stubborn and being passionate is that when you're passionate about something, you're willing to listen to other people's views and contribute them to your own, but when you're stubborn, you refuse to listen to what other people have to say and you're very set in believing that you are right." And too much doubt makes you unable to make decisions and consistently skeptical.
Just some food for thought.
I hope your day is as awesome as you.
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