gerbie

Somehow doubting is generally considered as a weakness. A politician who changes his policies can never be a good leader, a manager who doubts loses his influence, anyone who doubts gets labelled a wimp, a wooz or whatever name one can imagine.

How wrong can one get? Doubting is the best emotion I can think. It is a very important character trait. Dare to doubt and you show your strength.

All progress comes from doubt. The ability to think beyond what is ‘generally’ accepted has always given way to the most spectacular inventions. Where would the world be now, had it not been for Galilei daring to have doubts about what everyone else knew to be true: the world is flat. If rocket scientists had listened to experts, no rocket would ever had gone into space.

In politics one needs visionaries to change the world. Gorbatsjov had the guts to attack the system from within, probably because he doubted that it worked. Not Reagan, doing a theatrical speech near the Berlin wall, but the former Soviet leader was the real architect behind the end of the cold war.

Unfortunately we live in a world where doubt is not considered a value. If in the UK or US one dares to doubt what their leaders tell the people what is true, problems appear rapidly. Bush and Blair have been trying to change the truth for over a year, those who doubt their words are branded unpatriotic. Freedom of speech is big, according to most, yet it is still rare, even in countries considered democratic and free.

I consider myself a confident person. Yet I hate people who are really sure of themselves. The world isn’t easy. Nobody has all wisdom. No one can be sure of anything. Somehow it is still weird to just say that you don’t know. Doubt, in my humble opinion, is the ultimate form of being strong. It certainly isn’t a weakness. I'd much rather vote for someone who dared admitting his mistakes then for someone who knows he is right all the time.

I wish I could admit more often that I do not know. “I think it is, but I am not sure. Your opinion is as valuable as mine.” I am sure that the world would be a lot nicer if people dared doubting more often. At least I think I am sure. Or am I?