virgin islands scene

Men are born to succeed, not to fail.
-- Henry David Thoreau
 

 

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Once you are certain

Once you are certain, you stop thinking, stop questioning, stop wondering, stop exploring, stop listening. Is that a good thing?

Once you are locked into certainty, you are no longer able to engage in rich, meaningful exchange. All you’re left with is to express your certainty, which can quickly become tedious and predictable.

Once you are certain, imagination dries up, crumbles, falls away, is prevented from coming back. Is the smug satisfaction you gain from your certainty, worth all that you lose?

It’s good to be certain that there are no cars coming before you cross the highway. Yet once you’re across, it’s best to let go of that certainty, because the situation you’re so certain about, will change.

If your certainty is accurate, truthful, it can be quite helpful. But if it is mistaken, it can lead you headlong into awful places.

Question your certainties, question your assumptions, especially when they’re handed to you by someone else. Make sure that your certainty does not wall you off from the truth.

— Ralph Marston

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