Beliefs should be like fluid entities within the mind, some malleable and doubtful, others more viscous and certain. But feeling certain should never be confused with being incontestable. Once a belief is allowed to solidify, it becomes like a shackle on the mind, inhibiting exploration, learning and growth. A fluid mind should never allow a belief to be so hardened that it is beyond rational scrutiny. A fluid mind always invites rational examination upon even its most cherished convictions.
“There’s a great deal of skepticism within science. It’s an operative, function, part of the fabric of doing science. Someone tells you something and the first thing you do is you don’t believe them. That’s what you do first. And then you talk to them like you don’t believe them.”
—Greg Laden
Copyright © 2025 Daniel G. Delaney