The Fear of Being Wrong

Aside from the possession of the mind that certain kinds of ideas and ideologies take,  the fear of being wrong is the one of the greatest obstructions to the changing of someone's mind.

      The fear of being wrong stems from a pride and a value of one's own intellect and one's own social and political position. Being right maintains a level of dominance in a social context. As a result, being wrong reduces your authority and position of dominance in a group. This is terrifying for people whose sense of self-worth is defined by their status and authority within a group.

        The fear of being wrong contributes to antagonism between individuals, and a sense of rightness even in the face of immense uncertainty, doubt, or evidence that runs contrary to the person's beliefs all but ensures that the idea that you feel you are right about maintains its possession of your thoughts and mind.

      This is why hostile arguing with people under the possession of ideas and ideologies is quite fruitless. People don't admit they are wrong when the level of certainty about their beliefs is at close to 100%. Embracing uncertainty and being open to the possibility you are wrong is probably the most important step in liberating your mind from ideological possession.

      Admitting you are wrong when you are is the sign of a true intellectual, shows great humility, and prevents you from being possessed by ideas. 

      People possessed by ideas lose objectivity and reason and become agents of their beliefs, some of which lead them to do stupid, dangerous, or wreckless things. It leads to things like terrorism, extremism, and even the committing of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or various atrocities.

        Embracing uncertainty, being open to the possibility you are wrong, and admitting you are wrong when you are can prevent you from becoming an ideological slave. A pawn used to further the interest of an ideology, violent or otherwise.

      If you can train people to embrace the natural uncertainty of life, even while maintaining a faith and loyalty to good things like the idea of a good and noble God, their families and friends, and their country, maybe our world would be safer, more loving, more stable, and more noble than it is now.

I'm totally open to the possibility of being wrong, on everything I write, to be honest. I just like to think, speculate, and question reality. I, like anyone else, can never escape uncertainty.

Good night friends.