Doubt

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. "
Bertrand Russell, British author, mathematician, & philosopher (1872 - 1970)

After a period of primarily management activity over the last two weeks, managed to get technical yesterday and delve into some detail. I began to question much that had been set up by the consultants, some of which had been taken as gospel truth...

I think a lot of problems in the world are caused by the absence of doubt. The certainty of being right can lead to the most extraordinary actions. And today, we only need to look at the wars and terrorist activities to see dogma and certainty in play. Even a mass murderer is convinced that his victims deserved to die and that he was doing the world or God a service. No questions. No doubts. And yet doubt is at the very heart of civilisation. It is doubt that drives man to inquiry, to research, to develop. If we stop asking questions, we stop learning. We stop growing. Civilisation begins to grind to a halt.

Yes, there is a place for faith. Indeed, it can be a source of strength, particularly in trying times or when perseverance is needed to reach a challenging objective. But the survival of the intellect, the bedrock of civilisation, depends on its continued use. And its continued use depends on asking questions. On having doubts...