Living With Doubt

Doubt, arguably one of the most challenging aspects of being a deep thinker, it is the great equalizer of thought. Being unsure is both a hallmark of and obstacle for those forging their own unique path through life. Hope and doubt are very similar, they take a sure bet and in the dark whisper: what if? Even the greatest visionaries, the minds responsible for changing the world, questioned themselves from time to time. We all live with doubt in one way or another, some of us more others, it is simply a part of being human. This feeling of unsureness can sometimes be a good instinct but we must be conscious of how much it dictates our lives, how much it holds us back. 

For me, self-doubt is something that I have always had to battle, it is just a part of how my mind operates. Much of the time I tend to be in some amount of flux between skepticism and idealism, between confidence and uncertainty. Fortunately, I am not alone in this internal conflict, some of the most powerful leaders of thought throughout human history have faced personal doubt. From Dr. King to Neilson Mandela, Albert Einstein to Alan Turing, Roosevelt to Kennedy, even Jesus and Beyoncé had to overcome uncertainty within. It is easy to doubt oneself while doing something that has never been done before, the undiscovered path is seldom the simplest one. Doubt can often reveal what is at stake and what is important, however, we must not let it stop us from achieving.

Doubt is a lot like gravity; without any we would fly off into space, too much and we cannot move. There is a difference between staying grounded and being crushed, sometimes finding the balance can be difficult. Being somewhat of an over-thinker, I find it easy to get caught up in a tiring loop of self questioning. Personally, I believe that some questioning is good, it allows us to grow and change as a person, but when it begins to completely dominate our thoughts it has gone too far. Having the prescience of mind to determine the difference between legitimate concerns and intrusive thoughts is an powerful skill to have, logic can be our biggest ally. However, our own reason is not always enough, sometimes we need a little help.

Last year’s phenomenal film Selma (watch trailer), which portrayed Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery, powerfully shows the difficulties and triumphs of social change. There is a great scene in which Dr. King (David Oyelowo), sitting in an Alabama jail cell after a particularly trying day of protest, begins to doubt if the goals of equality can be accomplished. It takes Dr. King’s close friend and fellow civil rights leader, Ralph Abernathy (Colman Domingo) to reassure him that it can be done, that they will continue to build the path “rock by rock”. Sometimes we need the support of our friends and loved ones to overcome our doubts and fears, there is certainly no shame in this. Simple reassurance can mean the world as well as change it, we must be willing to both give and receive words of encouragement.

Some of the most important things we do in life come with a sense of uncertainty, a leap of faith. We are never 100% sure of anything but that is what makes existence interesting, it is what makes the bet worth all the more. Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” In this sense each of us are heroes, not for what we face but for what we do. As with many obstacles, doubt is just something we have to overcome not what defines us.