I shared this little blurb of an idea I had with some friends:
Different belief systems come from different experience and the human experience is endlessly diverse. It’s nothing short of arrogant to think that our little personal idiosyncratic experience has led us to the ultimate truth.
I question my beliefs everyday, knowing that belief is not where the truth lies.
In turn a friend shared this lovely poem by Robert Graves.
.
In Broken Images
He is quick, thinking in clear images;
I am slow, thinking in broken images.He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images,Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;
Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact,
Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;
When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.He in a new confusion of his understanding;
I in a new understanding of my confusion.
Also in keeping with these ideas is this post I shared a while back: On being wrong, which includes a brilliant video. Be able to say, “wow, I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong.”
A couple of more brief quotes:
Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies. — Friedrich Nietzsche
and an all time favorite by Yeats:
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. — William Butler Yeats
Oh my, I woke up in the middle of the night, (right now) with one more quote to add to this list:
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there. — Rumi
Yes, another favorite!