What if we’re wrong?

Do you ever allow yourself space for that question?

Or what about this one: What if I am wrong?

My point is that so many of us—myself included—are driven by a strong sense of faith, of self—and of epistemology.

Personally, I hold these points as virtues, as strengths that have guided me through personal and professional challenges and decisions throughout my life.

But…

What if we’re wrong?  (For example, there’s an apostrophe missing in the graphic above.)

I think it is healthy to interrogate our steadfast beliefs, asking if they are rooted in wisdom, righteousness and goodness—or are they based upon misinterpretations, confusion, and unhealth?

When is the last time that you asked yourself such questions, not in a wavering from faith, but in a place of great strength, a place that allows for a personal dialogue to which perfect faith will stand up and represent honor, and glory—and the Divine?

Or not.

I worry that we do not think about how our knowledge has been constructed, and how—if at all—it is evaluated. 

In short, ask yourself why you believe what you believe?

I am not suggesting that we are wrong—nor that you are wrong.  I AM suggesting that we need to be very clear about what we believe.

Righteous indignation becomes heinous evil—very quickly—if we do not know what we know—and why.

(If you’d like to further explore the broader cognitive process here, many resources exist, including: “Personal Epistemology: The Psychology of Beliefs About Knowledge And Knowing,”edited by Barbara K. Hofer, Paul R. Pintrich.)