Sunday, January 16, 2011

Uncertainty is good

I had major problems for a few years, because I had started being uncertain about everything. I had an opinion, and somebody would come along and make me see the opposite viewpoint too.
I saw it as a failure and weakness.

But now I see that it was a blessing. The way to progress is be able to change your viewpoint. And when you do that, there is always a period of uncertainty, either very short or longer. And you just have to live with it for a while. Like many other problems on the Path, just... ride it out, like an illness.


I think that an important aspect of making progress is the willingness to learn. And to challenge one's own beliefs.

I like to occasionally stop up totally, and just relax and expand my mind. And try to take stock over my whole life, with as broad perspective as possible, always (and that changes). Am I really doing what I want? What's the best for me? For the world? Is there something missing?

Continually pressing on instead of thinking might make it more likely to make you a millionaire, but think of the most famous millionaires you know: how many of them seem happy? How many of them struggle with depressions and drugs? So will money solve your life?

Update:
Like a friend just commented: how do you know if one's new beliefs aren't also false? Well, me, I take it on faith that if one continues the process, at some point in the end one will arrive at the truth. How can it be different?

This also means it's good to resist the temptation to judge oneself for being "wrong" before. It's easier to move on if one just sees it as a long, continuing process, where every step was necessary. 

1 comment:

Steve said...

I see it as being something like a "spirituality scientist" - coming across new findings, getting excited about it, but then becoming curious about it, questioning it, etc.