Discussion Topic: Being Certain
Hi Students!
Here is a difficult topic for students to discuss. Good luck!
I think human beings always prefer to be right, to be sure that what we are doing is the best way to move forward. But can we ever be 100% sure about everything? Isn’t there always some doubt? The great French writer and philosopher Voltaire said:
“Doubt is not pleasant, but certainty is absurd.”
[Language notes: “doubt” has basically the same meaning as “uncertain”; “absurd” basically means “very strange”.]
What could Voltaire have meant by this? Is certainty absurd only because it is impossible? Or is there a deeper meaning here? Aren’t there many examples of people being “sure” of something, but later they find out they were not quite right? Has that ever happened to you? Human beings do make mistakes, and we often do misunderstand things.
What do you think? How do you feel about doubt? Is there any way we can be certain about any topic? (I’m not even sure about what I will eat for lunch today!) If we can’t be more certain of things, how can we live better with doubt? And finally, are there any reasons why this is important? I mean, why did Voltaire feel the need to say this in the first place?
I’m looking forward to reading your philosophical thoughts!
Nafis Said,
May 7, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
I agree with this sentence to some extent. I think doubt is not pleasant but if we are certain one hundred percent, we will accept everything without thinking. I clarify this in the scientific researches. Researchers and scientists are doubtful about outcome of the facts. For the first time, Newton thought that why the apple fell from the tree and, this leaded him to discover the law of gravitation in physics. Galileo doubted if sun turns around the earth or vice versa. Carl Sagan said:’’ it is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science”. So, the necessity of developing depends on our doubts.
In a process of making decisions and being mentality balance, doubt play a significant role. I want to buy a car but I am not sure whether Toyota Matrix is fuel efficient and convenient car or not. So, I always think if my decision is right or wrong. I then will not make a decision or buy the vehicle. Someone with lots of doubt might be mentally ill. You can imagine a man who is suspicious of his wife. He keeps her in a room the entire day because he is afraid of his wife betrayal. Dictatorial governments block the flow of information and censor them. They do not allow people to read books, to watch foreign movies, to talk and act freely. They always have spies to report them what is going on. We consider these leaders as a Paranoid patient.
I am sure about the existence of God, Sun and the moon, the fact that if I tell lie, I will not be very successful and finally people will discover my wrongdoings. I know if I respect my parents, teachers, people, I will have a blissful and prosperous life. So, there are some basic facts that I can not deny or ignore them.
In my opinion, doubt is necessary for either developing or understanding the truth as scientists to do so. Although we need doubt to extend our perception of the world, remaining in doubt is harmful and even will threat our mentality balance and finally, I do not know many things but I know some things for sure.
teacherjoe Said,
May 8, 2008 @ 12:45 pm
Good comments Nafis! I especially like the Carl Sagan quote. I think it not only applies to science, but also to the understanding of other countries. As I live in China and try to communicate better with the people around me, it is helpful to have some skepticism about my understanding. In that way, I can continue to learn, to ask questions, and to have better relations with my students, colleagues and neighbors.
Nafis Said,
May 8, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
Dear teacher joe,
I so appreciate that you read my comments and gave me a feedback. That was a really satisfying and challenging topic. I love this part of your blog and I am looking forward to seeing next topic. it helps me to use my frozen mind!
Thank you once again!
Mai Said,
May 9, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
In the daily life , people can’t avoid making mistakes . Personaly , I think that making mistakes isn’t serious , the important thing is if you can get over it and become more careful or not . You live and learn . The more mistakes you make , the more you learn from them . So , don’t be too afraid of them . When you decide something wrongly , don’t think pessimistically , try to learn as much as possible from them so that you won’t do the same thing again .
I think Voltaire meant people who try to never make mistakes are absurd . Because however they try , they finally do something wrongly . 100% sure is impossible .
Moreover , trying to be sure about everything makes people feel afraid of making a decision , particularly something new or important . I was a clear example of this . Before , I used to be afraid of changing myself , trying a new relationship and so on as I thought what I wasn’t sure about might hurt me . But I found out that I missed a lot of chances to become better because of that . So , I changed my mind . Now , I’m ready for new experiences .
teacherjoe Said,
May 10, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
That’s a great attitude Mai. You’ve changed your mind, now you can go out and change your life! I think you can have some great experiences and learn a lot at the same time.
Chichi Said,
May 11, 2008 @ 8:22 am
Certainly is absurd, I think because certainly is not only one. What you believe certain might not be certain for others. For example, religion you certainly believe in could be doubt for someone. It would be the same to common sense, custom, etc. I think we need to communicate with many different people and have various experiences to develop our liberal ideas. I think doubt is good, because it makes us consider about many questions. Or it could be said that the real experience will make the doubt certain.