Uncertainty and Thinking - 3

"If you are so sure, what's to think about?"

Really, we usually don't think about the things we take for granted.  Kenneth Bailey once said in my hearing, "Culture is what you already know and don't think about."  He was referring to village culture in the Middle East, but it's true anywhere.  In the USA most people know that you dress after you get out of bed and before you go to work.  Possibly we thought about it when we were young, but as adults we just do it because we are CERTAIN that it's "what you do".

We don't think about it.

On the other hand, if we own several items of clothing, we do think about what we will wear.  We are uncertain whether this or that will be appropriate, or admired, or valued for today's work.  As a computer tech and administrator I used to have to wonder, do I wear slacks (for higher level meetings) or jeans (for getting under dusty desks and hauling dirty equipment to the bench for repair).  I was uncertain of the day's tasks, and had to think.

Uncertainty leads to thinking.  Certainty leads to living in ruts.

Well, what do you think?  Are you uncertain about what I am writing?  Sign in and leave a comment.