“Doubt is the origin of wisdom.”
– Rene Descartes, French philosopher, mathematician and write (1596-1650)
There are times that it’s just a lot harder than it feels like it ought to be.
“What’s always worked” doesn’t get it done anymore, and that calls in to play all sorts of questions, concerns and doubts.
When we doubt, the key is to ask ourselves more difficult questions. Are we doubting because we’re coasting? Are we doubting because we’re fatigued? Because we’re in over our heads? Do the doubts come from people second-guessing, or resisting, or otherwise cobbing up the works? (“Cobbing” is a term used often by Dick Heston. I am pretty sure it was a substitute for words that he didn’t feel were appropriate for a young boy. On the other hand, he had a pretty colorful vocabulary….so it’s possible that it’s a technical term, meaning, “Completely screwing up…” but I digress…)
When we doubt, questions that start with “What if?” matter a lot, too.
“What if we tried this…?” “What if we stopped doing that?” “What is the worst thing that could happen…?” “What if we have the courage to try this new thing, and we’re right!?”
Wisdom rarely comes from books. Knowledge can, and does, but wisdom is more valuable, and therefore comes at a higher price.
When we are doubting, as long as we honestly answer some tough questions, we may well be really close to gaining the kind of wisdom that makes a difference.
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