Ikigai thought for Today: Paradox and Possibility
Approaching life with humility and curiosity.
I love being certain. While I love it when I'm certain about something, it is indeed a rare occasion.
As Voltaire, who was known to drink 100 cups of coffee a day, wisely noted, "Doubt is uncomfortable, certainty is ridiculous."
While we believe we are right about probably quite a bit in our lives, we cannot be certain about everything. This tension between our desire for certainty and the reality of uncertainty is at the heart of human growth.
We have to operate with some assumptions, and when new information comes along, it changes our understanding. I bring this up because being certain about too many things closes the door to discovery.
Being open-minded, curious, and willing to explore the possibilities and paradoxes as they emerge is one of the rarest behaviors in adults. And yet, it is one of the most positively impactful. To discover new ways of working, we must be humble enough to open our minds to the idea that our current understanding of the world might be wrong.
Humility and curiosity are a potent combination.
The path forward starts with being open-minded as to the possibilities that emerge before us.
I believe some things very strongly. I operate as if that view is correct. Yet we never know all truth. We can only seek it and hope to get a bit nearer to it each time. We iterate towards the truth, towards certainty. We need to be humble and open in our approach; of that, I'm certain.
Our great remaining challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are while always trying to learn and grow.
Questions for Reflection
As Michael Crichton remarked, I remain "...certain there is too much certainty in the world."
🌀 Challenge your certainty with these questions:
🌱 What have you changed your mind about? Why?
🌱 Where can you embrace your curiosity to discover a new perspective?
🌱 What paradox in your life might be pointing you toward growth?
🌱 Where might accepting uncertainty open up new possibilities you haven't considered?
🌱 How might you approach this week with an open mind, humility, and curiosity?
I just had an epiphany while reading your article! That's why scientists are scientists! They doubt everything! And that's also why scientists tend to be very childish: Children are the ones who are always curious. The hardest thing is also wanting change. Change becomes an obstacle to discovering new things when we are afraid of it. Thanks for the food for thought!
Accepting and growing. A divine balance.