THE HUMILITY OF UNCERTAINTY BY_ AJULO ESTHER

One of the most dangerous things we can do as human beings is confuse our perception of reality with reality itself.

You see something a certain way, and because that is how you understand it, you assume that is how it must be.

But your perspective does not create truth.

Truth existed before your opinion of it.

Truth does not become true because you discovered it, understood it, agreed with it, or had an experience that confirmed it. And it does not cease to be true simply because you disagree with it.

Our perspectives are formed by our experiences, knowledge, environment, upbringing, emotions, assumptions, and limitations. And because those things differ from person to person, our interpretations can differ too.

That should make us humble.

Not everyone who sees something differently from you is ignorant.

Not everyone who disagrees with you is confused.

And not everything you have concluded about life is necessarily correct simply because you have lived long enough to form an opinion.

You can be sincere and still be wrong.

You can be convinced and still be mistaken.

You can have evidence from your own experience and still not have the complete picture.

This is why we need to stop imposing our perspectives on other people as though they are universal laws.

You may believe that life should be lived a certain way.

You may have discovered a principle that has worked wonderfully for you.

You may have convictions you will never compromise.

Hold them.

But learn to distinguish between “this is what I believe” and “this is the absolute truth.”

Those are not always the same thing.

There is a particular arrogance in assuming that because something makes sense through your lens, everyone else must see it through the same lens.

You have your eyes.

Someone else has theirs.

Neither person's eyes created reality.

They are simply looking at it.

And sometimes, what we call “perspective” is simply our interpretation of something we have not understood completely.

 So perhaps we should become more comfortable with saying:

“This is how I currently understand it.”

That statement leaves room for growth.

It leaves room for correction.

It leaves room for wisdom.

Because being open to another perspective does not mean abandoning truth. In fact, sometimes, listening to another perspective is precisely how we discover that what we thought was truth was only our interpretation of it.

Truth is not a democracy.

It does not need a majority vote.

It does not change because ten people believe one thing and ten thousand believe another.

Our responsibility is not to manufacture truth from our perspectives.

Our responsibility is to pursue truth beyond our perspectives.

So, have your opinions.

Hold your convictions.

Speak what you believe.

But please, leave room for the possibility that your lens is not the whole world.

Your perspective may be valuable.

It may be insightful.

It may even be correct.

But it is still a perspective.

And perspective is not the author of truth.

© Ajulo Esther 

- Nigeria.