I’ve got a quote that I’ve kept by my desk, in part as a reminder of something, and in part because I keep thinking I’ll have a thought about it I could share. It goes,
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
– Eugene Ionesco
It reminds me of how important it is to let yourself ask the questions that come to mind, ESPECIALLY the ones you’re resisting asking. The idea is that asking alone opens a door that a simple straight answer might close — since just one simple straight answer is rarely the whole story.
Keeping a mind open to questioning is vital for a dynamic life, since the info available to us keeps changing daily. As soon as we hook on the need for a definite answer (rather than a “workable for now” answer), we stop asking. We run the risk of not seeing or even not being willing to consider new info when it comes by.
Reminds me of another quote –
“The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning”
-Erich Fromm
It can feel dizzying sometimes, not being certain. But I’ve found when I try to be “as sure as can be” rather than “positive”, my balance gets thrown off far less when I find out I’ve been very very wrong…
Which of course reminds me of yet another quote.
Losing an illusion
makes you wiser
than finding a truth– Ludwig Borne
Nynia in the Now 