A small confession: when I was a young adult, I was under the illusion that what I believed and how I acted was somehow innovative, original or unique. The truth? My actions and beliefs were entirely influenced by others. There was virtually nothing that I did or thought that differed substantially from any other young man in similar circumstances. Humbling as it may be to admit, I was just another proponent of the go with the flow mentality.
But how to explain that, even while I claimed to be original, I would follow others blindly? Clearly on the surface I needed to believe that I was special as a way to bolster my confidence, but to explain my vulnerability to the influence of others, I can point to one basic assumption. I was operating under the assumption that others knew better and that they were part of some magical, enlightened majority.
I assumed I could trust others because they had already figured things out and made the right choices. In my mind was a fantastical world populated by a few individuals who stumbled and struggled while the enlightened majority waited for these individuals to “wise up.”
Thankfully I have made progress in my understanding of how things really work. And here is the unsettling thing that I have discovered: an enlightened majority does not exist anywhere. Period. Short of agreeing on a few laws of science such as the law of gravity or nature abhorring a vacuum, etc. most people on planet earth do not agree on anything. Our vast world is filled with multiple views on every single topic.
While I used to take comfort in “being right” because I belonged to the “right group,” I now believe that I am entirely responsible for what I believe and how I act. I also believe that any group I can formally belong to is a minority on our planet. There is no political party, religious perspective or social code that is accepted by a majority of the world’s population. Anything and everything I can belong to or support comprises a relatively small group of people.
This truth has several ramifications for my life.
First, I have to be cautious with my allegiances and beliefs because no matter what I support, a number of people will disagree with me. And there is always the real possibility that their perspective may be right and mine wrong.
Second, there is even the possibility that at any one time, all people on the planet could be wrong about something. Science relies on this notion. Good science allows for the discarding of one universal theory in favour of another that holds greater merit because there is greater empirical evidence to support it. Real science holds no sacred dogmas because it is built on the idea that every conclusion is subject to change.
And the third ramification is perhaps the most important. The idea that I am always in the minority reminds me that to be human means to live without any degree of certainty about anything.
It’s actually worse than that. It reminds me that I am virtually alone in whatever I decide or believe.
This is tough to accept. Sometimes I really miss the old days of feeling sure about something. Life was easier when it was lived under that illusion.
Years ago I read on the front cover of the Daily Courier that each individual in this life has two basic responsibilities: to believe for himself and to die alone.
I am in no rush to experience the second responsibility, but I have finally accepted the first.
What I believe now is strictly my choice. But I have to allow that I could be plain wrong.