One panelist stated that knowledge
is an unending adventure on the edge of science, where we may be mistaken, but
science is self-correcting when something is proven wrong. The danger becomes
when people are so certain of a belief that they cease to look at facts any
longer. Another panelist quipped that Google is the greatest propagator of false certainty.
I like applying this analysis of
uncertainty to the world of writing. As writers, we can’t be certain that
anyone will read our work, but we can be certain that we will write and finish
our manuscripts. This gets into attitude. Confidence and certainty are very
different things. I can be confident in my abilities, but there is uncertainty
in the outcome of the final product.
Uncertainty is necessary in a
world of change. Those who are most certain are often caught off guard, when
the world changes. By maintaining a sense of curiosity and constantly testing
our assumptions, we can learn, grow and possibly turn pockets of uncertainty
into knowledge.
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