I stumbled upon this blog as I was doing some economic research, and I realized this guy writes about so much more -- and the topics are IMPORTANT. I have since become a fan, I guess you could say. His heroes are Karl Popper, Sam Harris, Steven Pinker, and Richard Dawkins, so that should give you an idea about what he stands for. This article discusses approaching certainty and the dogmatism that runs our lives. As human beings, we think we know truth. We want our own beliefs to be the right ones because if they aren't, that means we're wrong or that we don't know anything. Oh, how the ego becomes bruised after that realization. We're slow to examine exactly what truth is. At least, that's been my observation, and God knows, I don't know anything for certain. http://www.pacoahlgren.com/blog/approaching-certainty/
I'm not sure I follow. One of the things I love about being without superstition, is the wonder of not knowing. It's a highlight, you might say. The simple 'honesty' of going where the facts take us is a never ending source of fascination. Far from guiding such a position (for want of a better word), ego doesn't come into it at all. It's external reality which guides, and I revel in the fact that my own wish-hoping has no bearing on same.
What did you think about what he says about it in the article? I mean, are we ever certain of anything? We can only approach certainty -- we can't reach it.
Certainty is for small children (and the superstitious). accepting and being comfortable with uncertainty is a feature of maturity.
