Several years ago, after noticing I was drawn to people who admitted they were "confused", I chalked it up to getting older. Why wouldn't I be drawn to confused people, right? Isn't confusion a given as we age?
Well, maybe. But the more I reflect on it, the more my posture toward confusion shifts. And when stacking up confusion against certainty, the former strikes me as preferable. As long as I'm confused - and it's not physiological - I'm living in the question. When I'm certain, I'm living in the answer. Seems to me, especially in politics and religion, there's way too much certainty and not enough confusion. Your thoughts?
I once heard someone say it was better to have lots of questions with few answers than lots of answers with few questions. Nothing confusing about that.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
For me, certainty is padlock that makes it impossible to access an open mind.
ReplyDeletePeter
Peter; Good to see a comment from you; like the "padlock" metaphor.
DeleteWhile I enjoy the process of questioning, as someone who thrives on closure, I struggle with remaining in confusion for extended periods of time. I look for solutions, and once found, even if not completely ideal, I will make things work given the circumstances of the certainty I've chosen. I'm not declaring this tendency toward certainty or a preference for confusion to be good or bad. I think we need to be aware of where we as individuals can most effectively operate. As someone living in my world of certainty, I must continue to make honest attempts to remain open-minded to the ideas of others, realizing that others can own opinions other than my own. In this way, two seemingly opposing certainties can exist, without judgement of right or wrong. d.
ReplyDeleted; Your comment is both insightful and instructive. As a recovering judgaholic, I especially appreciate your final sentence.
Deletemmhm
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