All Good Ideas Deserve and Demand Both

I greatly admire people who are honest with where they are in life. Some of us understand ourselves and have a perspective of the world that guides our decisions, and some of us are still establishing our perspective. I wrote this quote to remind me that everyone spends time seeking the truth. I also agree to doubt those who say they have found it. There are laws of nature and the universe that apply to everyone, ‘truth’ all too often has a variable definition.

That may sound sketchy, so let’s look at religion, financial planning, personal relationships, leadership, education, healthy care. All of these areas have different ‘truths’ so it really depends upon how you were raised, which one you learned first, and eventually who and how you choose to believe. There is no one all in compassing truth that solves all problems, ails all ills or even sustains all relationships. So yes, we need to doubt those who want to tell us the truth. If they believe in only one version, doubt and walk away quickly.

Maybe that is what makes growing up so difficult. What should feel very black and white suddenly takes on many shades of grey. People, money, work, play, family, friends, community – all have layers, options, perspectives and our job is to decipher which one we want to support and follow. I can respect and support a leader who has a definite voice and yet is willing to be challenged, and once challenged willing to adapt and change due to new information. I am frightened by those who live such black and white lives that no one is right but them. We all know these people because they are more than willing to tell us how often they are right and why we are wrong. Blind faith in the wrong people or principles has caused more strife than good.

Hooray that we live in a country where we speak our minds, decipher for ourselves and choose how we want to live. Hooray that we can listen, learn and change. And hooray that it can be frustrating. When we are frustrated we have to think harder, investigate and learn which hopefully means growth and change. So believe and doubt, in that order. All good ideas deserve and demand both.