The questioning mind is full of doubts. That is something I have come to understand. The hardest part is learning to live with that. The tendency is to just say, I don't care and that is that. Our opinions become fact in our own minds and can lead to disagreements with others. It can also block further learning. It is important to keep questioning however, to not become stagnant in thought. Still, it is just as important to adopt some baseline, some foundation for truth.
Self confidence and self esteem are important in our lives. We are constantly bombarded with that lesson. It is how we have arrived were we are today. Participation trophies for just showing up. It is meant to protect our self esteem and self worth. External reaffirmation for the internal. Same as getting a raise at work or having your work praised by others. You could say, the temporary removal of doubt. Doubt will return. It is hard to understand that doubt is a good thing. Doubt is a protection against arrogance. It is often thought that only with extreme confidence can true humility be achieved. That is when we can afford to be humble. An example of this would be a Kung Fu master. He can afford to be humble with the knowledge of his superiority in fighting skills. That can be true in any field of study. The wise man continues to study however, because of doubt. The true challenge is to establish that confidence within yourself without the external rewards.
Is humility the true measure of our intelligence. The truly humble among us are not subservient but independent. They walk their path with confidence, with their goal in mind. Their goals are not for the external but for internal peace. Isn't that what happiness truly is ? It is true that one must first gain a mastery of the external before this can happen. We do require certain things from the world. Shelter, food and money. It is only the quantity and quality of each that is variable among us. We all need it. How much is enough ? The doubt lies within that question. How much of the external must be satisfied before we can focus on the internal. Is the complete removal of doubt even possible ? It is if we are convinced. The question then becomes, do we convince ourselves or rely upon external evidence. Doubt must be replaced by faith. Faith hinges upon belief. We must guard against becoming arrogant in our beliefs. The goal is humility.
Self confidence and self esteem are important in our lives. We are constantly bombarded with that lesson. It is how we have arrived were we are today. Participation trophies for just showing up. It is meant to protect our self esteem and self worth. External reaffirmation for the internal. Same as getting a raise at work or having your work praised by others. You could say, the temporary removal of doubt. Doubt will return. It is hard to understand that doubt is a good thing. Doubt is a protection against arrogance. It is often thought that only with extreme confidence can true humility be achieved. That is when we can afford to be humble. An example of this would be a Kung Fu master. He can afford to be humble with the knowledge of his superiority in fighting skills. That can be true in any field of study. The wise man continues to study however, because of doubt. The true challenge is to establish that confidence within yourself without the external rewards.
Is humility the true measure of our intelligence. The truly humble among us are not subservient but independent. They walk their path with confidence, with their goal in mind. Their goals are not for the external but for internal peace. Isn't that what happiness truly is ? It is true that one must first gain a mastery of the external before this can happen. We do require certain things from the world. Shelter, food and money. It is only the quantity and quality of each that is variable among us. We all need it. How much is enough ? The doubt lies within that question. How much of the external must be satisfied before we can focus on the internal. Is the complete removal of doubt even possible ? It is if we are convinced. The question then becomes, do we convince ourselves or rely upon external evidence. Doubt must be replaced by faith. Faith hinges upon belief. We must guard against becoming arrogant in our beliefs. The goal is humility.
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