In Doubt We Trust, but Dare with Must

Any man or any idea you place your trust in may be disappointing;  Trust misplaced.  Sooner or later you may encounter a new realization and a subsequent loss of that trust. This logical observation is very hard to digest. That is because we are so committed to the ideas and to the people we wholeheartedly trust. It takes courage to hold on to plain logic from here to its disturbing inferential outcome. Today's sense of trust is based only on whatever you have learned so far. The possibility of yet unknown relevant information is there, and this yet unrealized information is unbound, namely it may include parts that will shake up your trust.

We all look back onto misplaced trust that at the time looked unshakable. It occurs to us personally and it happened to us as a society. So many ideologies, religious tenets, philosophical premises enjoyed durable lasting trust before they faced new information, new insight and trust was lost.

We are yearning  to a Rock of Gibraltar:  a mental anchor to build upon.  We overwhelmed by the attraction towards an idea to be trusted with impunity to whatever we will learn tomorrow. Here it is:

In Doubt We Trust

This is a logically tight statement of trust. To lose trust in this statement amounts to doubting it, namely to affirm doubt -- to trust it.  This is  not just a tautology, a statement that catches its own tail.  On the contrary, these four words serve as the foundation for the edifice of life, meaning, religion, philosophy, fundamental and momentary guidance. This  last claim is a bit difficult to substantiate. I am working on it. For an interim document consult my book "Commitment to the Ultimate Questions".

If doubt is our guide then paralysis is our perennial threat, since no action can be taken outside its shadow. Paralysis is life-not, unlife, not an acceptable state for the living, for the alive ones. What gives?

Doubt is hinged on the unbound unknown, so life must assault that unknown, to remove doubt, relieve the live ones from the threat of inaction, avoid the destiny of unlife.  . The imperative to assault the unknown is therefore at par with "In Doubt We Trust", which leads to the logical conclusion that what we know by now should be our guide (the best we have) to move foreword towards the doubt-generating unknown. Move decisively, resolutely, determinately, daringly to destroy the sources of doubt.

A challenge is formed, for us as individuals and for us as a society: to dare and move resolutely towards the unknown ahead, and do so on the basis of the best conclusions we muster from what we know so far; do so knowing that what we know so far while being our guide, is also subject to revision and change.

Life of In Doubt We trust, but Dare We Must, is life proceeding on firm logical railways, life of consistency and tranquility, life of  productivity, life of efficiency, life exploding with the joy of living.

Peace, justice, prosperity, advancement are all falling out logically and  smoothly  and satisfactorily from life where in doubt we trust but dare we must.