A Doubtful Mind: Is it a Positive or Negative State
Carpenters
have a pretty good working balance: "Measure twice. Cut once."
Doubt, is a natural
instinct provided to all the creatures in life.
By nature, doubt, is a highly protective instinct, to be used in moderation. When used in excess, it can work against progress. Like many other characters we are born with, it has to be used in moderation and subjected to examination. And like many other things, it's sort of paradoxical.
By nature, doubt, is a highly protective instinct, to be used in moderation. When used in excess, it can work against progress. Like many other characters we are born with, it has to be used in moderation and subjected to examination. And like many other things, it's sort of paradoxical.
Doubt, like conscience, is a regulator
of our mind.
A
doubtful mind has its positive side, it is our natural endowment to create, to
invent and to change. All inventions
in the world, all creative processes including free thinking stem from our
ability to doubt the concepts, ideologies, doctrines imposed upon us by
society, religion, culture etc. Without doubts, free thinking is not possible.
And without free thinking, the progress of knowledge and desired changes
required with changing epochs, changing environmental and technical challenges
would not be possible. The growth of mankind will be stagnant, all inventions
and creative process that take us forward in evolutionary scale will come to a
standstill. But doubt in a disproportionate magnitude turns into suspicion and
pathological condition.
Doubtful
mind seems paradoxical, with both bright and shadow side.
If
doubt is a brief precursor that stimulates questioning and learning, then it is
a healthy, positive state of mind. When doubt becomes internalized as
self-doubt and begins to erode one's self confidence, then it is a negative
state of mind. If, doubt leading to
strive for knowledge and action for betterment is the only way to grow. If,
doubt leading to further doubt may still be good if ultimately leads to
knowledge and action. But, doubt leading to inaction and closed mindedness is
killer. So it depends on what we do with that doubt - how we respond to it. Doubt may encourage us to gain more
understanding - that would be positive.
But remaining always in
doubt is negative state of mind! Doubt may be from ignorance and a reason to
simply deny what we do not understand - that would be negative as well.
The wise says, "if you doubt at
first, doubt again."
which means
that any doubtful situation
or thought should not be left unattended especially when the impact of that
situation is possibly big. You can not
leave anything unaddressed which may put your activities/plans in jeopardy.
Having said that, if you
have doubt, you can take next baby step to see the reaction. If reaction is
big, take back the step and reanalyze, redetermine and restrategize. Doubts about a possible impediment, devising ways
to overcome the impediment, being prepared for some enroute 'surprises' (either
pleasant or otherwise), in the journey, courage, confidence to face unpleasant
surprises are the aspects we have to look for. With all the efforts, the end results may not exactly be
the way we foresaw, but would likely, if not definitely, be one that would
benefit many.
A doubt is a doubt. It has no state of
mind.
Some say
doubt has no specific state of mind, it is attributed to it by ‘us’.
A state of mind is attributed to it by 'us' - at times, even without knowing what the doubt is, without considering its relevance or otherwise to the objective. If only we make an effort on these lines before attributing a status to it, things would be much better. Maybe doubt is just our interpretation of, or label for, some external stimulus?
A state of mind is attributed to it by 'us' - at times, even without knowing what the doubt is, without considering its relevance or otherwise to the objective. If only we make an effort on these lines before attributing a status to it, things would be much better. Maybe doubt is just our interpretation of, or label for, some external stimulus?
Balance is the key.
Doubt in
its reasonable proportion is a positive force of mind: creative, innovative and
more often than not is path-breaking, thereby effecting bifurcation point in
human history. Societies
across the world put emphasis on conventional wisdom as the quintessential
value for life. This is because;
societies obstinately discourage change and conserve ideas and doctrines for
maintaining social order and functionality. Free thinkers normally do not fall in line with the
dogmatic and obsolete social systems.
They pose threat and menace to the complacency of the common man’s perception
of life and living values. Hence, balance is needed. Unbalanced thinking causes for motion.
Balance causes for stability and status.
Therefore, the right dose of doubt
stimulates critical thinking and human progress, but too much doubt causes
conflict and close mindedness.
“Doubts are good. Confusion is excellent.
Questions are awesome. All these are attempts to expand the wisdom of mind.”
Simon Huggins – Quora
It depends on what you mean by confused.
If you mean that your mind is jumbled, and you cannot make decisions nor follow trains of thought easily, you may have a little (or lot of) ADD - I.e. Attention Deficit Disorder. This is generally bad if you want to avoid going around in circles not getting anything useful accomplished.
On the other hand, it can be good for creative activities where you want to see where flights of fancy take you - but best done when killing time by doing something useful like having a shower or going on a run.
Otherwise, a confused mind can benefit from using techniques to help funnel it - To Do lists, post it note reminders, alarms on your mobile (eg. to actually look at your to do list), that kind of thing.
If by confused you mean having Alzheimers then that's bad. Few people come off well with Alzheimers.
If by confused you mean that you don't understand what the world is all about, that the rules make no sense, and that you feel like an alien dropped on a strange planet designed by mad people, you probably have Aspergers. In which case that is bad from a social communication point of view, but good because you get to discover those rules and because you can see them from an outsider's point of view, you get to play with them so that they fit you better. Sure that makes you eccentric, but who needs normal?
So on balance, confused gives you more choices (so long as Alzheimers is not the cause) so gets my thumbs up, so long as you learn to channel your confusion.
It depends on what you mean by confused.
If you mean that your mind is jumbled, and you cannot make decisions nor follow trains of thought easily, you may have a little (or lot of) ADD - I.e. Attention Deficit Disorder. This is generally bad if you want to avoid going around in circles not getting anything useful accomplished.
On the other hand, it can be good for creative activities where you want to see where flights of fancy take you - but best done when killing time by doing something useful like having a shower or going on a run.
Otherwise, a confused mind can benefit from using techniques to help funnel it - To Do lists, post it note reminders, alarms on your mobile (eg. to actually look at your to do list), that kind of thing.
If by confused you mean having Alzheimers then that's bad. Few people come off well with Alzheimers.
If by confused you mean that you don't understand what the world is all about, that the rules make no sense, and that you feel like an alien dropped on a strange planet designed by mad people, you probably have Aspergers. In which case that is bad from a social communication point of view, but good because you get to discover those rules and because you can see them from an outsider's point of view, you get to play with them so that they fit you better. Sure that makes you eccentric, but who needs normal?
So on balance, confused gives you more choices (so long as Alzheimers is not the cause) so gets my thumbs up, so long as you learn to channel your confusion.
Kjell Pettersson – Quora
It depends. If your mind is rigid, confusion might be an opening and provide an opportunity for you to come out of a mindset that is lacking in flexibility.
Confusion may also be an adequate response to a situation that is not that intelligible. To pretend one knows it all when one does not is not helpful, to oneself or others.
However, practically speaking, in everyday life, confusion is often something we wish to avoid. Confusing time tables at the train station will not make our minds more flexible and Nirvana approach faster.
It depends. If your mind is rigid, confusion might be an opening and provide an opportunity for you to come out of a mindset that is lacking in flexibility.
Confusion may also be an adequate response to a situation that is not that intelligible. To pretend one knows it all when one does not is not helpful, to oneself or others.
However, practically speaking, in everyday life, confusion is often something we wish to avoid. Confusing time tables at the train station will not make our minds more flexible and Nirvana approach faster.
“- Confusion means you are growing.
- When growth defies all boundaries it become malignant.
- Now you can draw the line.”
- When growth defies all boundaries it become malignant.
- Now you can draw the line.”
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