Nothing is as it Seems

This is a short writing explaining the relativity of doubt in our minds.

Doubt is a complex feeling. It eats at you from the inside, leaves you curled up in a ball, and sobbing on the floor. This is an extreme example obviously, but an ever so realistic one. So what if I told you that the world is constantly rotating? Would you dare doubt this statement? Of course not, why would you? It is a fact, and as everyone knows facts are the law of the land. They are right every time. However, by not doubting my statement you left me the ability to lie to you without you consciously being aware of it. Isn't that a scary thought? What you think is a fact, could easily be a lie. A universal truth no one thinks to doubt, could be a lie. Why? Because it is a universal truth, and no one will dare test it. 

You may be asking what the point of my spiel is. The relevance is the big picture. How many truths are lies? Obviously you don't know, and I don't either, but isn't it a weird thing to think about? Life as we know it could be completely different from what it actually is. For example, when you look at a tree, what do you see? I see the ridged outlines of the bark as it molds the tree. I see the free-flowing branches stretching for light. I see the lush leaves grasping onto each other as the wind yanks them from their base. That may all be true. What about the colors? What do you see there? On my tree I see the dirty brown trunk extending into the grass green leaves. Think about it. Do those colors exist? No, they don't. You thought they did, and to be quite honest I did for the longest time as well. Scientifically speaking, color comes from our eyes; it doesn't exist. 

Would you ever have expected that? The majority of the people on this lost planet would have thought nothing of it. This is just a prime example of a truth which was never a truth at all. Everyone who can see, sees a color. We all see it yet it isn't actually there. 

So what does this mean about life as a whole? To me, it means that we should take nothing for granted, not even the thing we are the most sure about. Everything should be doubted, every aspect of the imaginable.

Doubt isn't your enemy.

It is your friend.

Author's Note

What do you think of the concept?

Reviews

[DiskartetHaraya]

Hi there. This is a good solid piece. The concept of doubt here is a grounded one.

A bit philosophical, but not too abstract. It really helped that you mentioned color as an example.

Using the word "lie" to term something that isn't fact is provocative. Since the goal of your writing seems to advocate healthy skepticism, while I'm not convinced lie is the most accurate word (and it doesn't have to be), it's the most effective encouraging doubt.

Overall, even without being a skeptic myself (which I am), I feel as if your work has encouraged me to consider doubt as my friend.

(On a side note: Like with all writing, your topic isn't new but always relevant. If you want to delve more into the topic I'll give you two terms from ancient language: veritas and alethia; they both mean truth but only the former is concerned with facts, the other, with the logic of story. Maybe you have read about them or writers influenced by these concepts.)

To recap, good philosophically-inclined writing.