Relationship Between Certainty

The Relationship Between Certainty and Doubt
Voltaire once said, “Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.” Throughout time, there has always been a correspondence between certainty and doubt. In fact, one could argue that in order to achieve unwavering certainty, one must first doubt themselves or their beliefs, for without doubt, a true sense of certainty could not be possible as no other opposing views or fears have been apprehended. Concerning important matters such as religion and politics, it is necessary, to prevent blind faith, to have a certain amount of doubt later contrasted with assurance, creating a balance between the two. Without a balance between certainty and doubt, haughtiness and ignorance could occur due

For instance, no matter how much a person believes that they can naturally fly, it cannot change the indisputable fact that it is not possible. It would be foolish to insist the validity of certain beliefs simply because of faith without first considering other views or the possible errors within one’s beliefs. In fact, doubt can sometimes be more effective in urging another on to realize their full potential. Doubt, in excessive amounts, can discourage others and sometimes even hinder them in realizing their true potential, but sometimes, doubt, in moderate amounts, through its unsure nature, can reassure others that their belief in their ideas or even themselves is in fact, not foolish. Oftentimes, doubt can even be practical in that it can aid others in identifying and acknowledging the flaws in their ideas or their own weaknesses, resulting in a helpful knowledge about one’s self or a revision in one’s plan to make it even better, something that utter certainty cannot