Doubt v Certainty

Doubt on one hand, and certainty on the other ~ which frame of mind might be said to cause more problems for people - as individuals and people acting in concert with others? In what kinds of situations do doubt and certainty each serve us well?

Originally posted by FMF
Doubt on one hand, and certainty on the other ~ which frame of mind might be said to cause more problems for people - as individuals and people acting in concert with others? In what kinds of situations do doubt and certainty each serve us well?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I certainly perceive you are a scoundrel and doubt your sincerity😵

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I certainly perceive you are a scoundrel and doubt your sincerity😵

Originally posted by FMF
Doubt on one hand, and certainty on the other ~ which frame of mind might be said to cause more problems for people - as individuals and people acting in concert with others? In what kinds of situations do doubt and certainty each serve us well?

Originally posted by divegeester
Certainty causes more problems I think. But it depends what one is "certain" about of course.

"Dogmatism and skepticism are both, in a sense, absolute philosophies; one is certain of knowing, the other of not knowing. What philosophy should dissipate is certainty, whether of knowledge or ignorance."

Bertrand Russell

Originally posted by FMF
Give a couple of examples that illustrate the "it depends" thing.

“The more we try to live in the world of words, the more we feel isolated and alone, the more all the joy and liveliness of things is exchanged for mere certainty and security. On the other hand, the more we are forced to admit that we actually live in the real world, the more we feel ignorant, uncertain, and insecure about everything.”

― Alan W. Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety