“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” Voltaire
Someone once said that few things in life are certain. The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom in those words. Unfortunately, in the absence of understanding this, there has been a serious deterioration in the quality of discourse in many areas of our lives. It is most apparent in the extreme polarization in the world of politics. A recent study found that the percentage of people at both of the far ends of the spectrum has doubled in the last 10 years. More and more people, it seems, are “certain” of their way of thinking and not open to discussing other viewpoints. To me, Voltaire’s words are an invitation to search for the truth rather than for data that supports a “certainty”.
Till next time…
