Constants Are Changing

"Stability is a farcical figment of our imaginations; it really is laughable, the way we create and destroy ideas of certainty on whims stemming from the abstract, masked as the concrete. True certainty doesn't exist, no matter how much we want it to exist." - Corey O'Connell

We all strive for something to rely on. A constant, if you will. And we perpetially need reassurance that these constants in our life, whether it be friends, family, relationships, places, or jobs, truly are as stable as we imagine them to be. We need certainty.

My friend Corey raises a valid point in suggesting that absolute certainty doesn't exist. We can never get all of the evidence or assurance we're looking for.

Famous philosopher Descartes once said, "I think, therefore I am," meaning that our concept of what is real and certain manifests from our own internal thoughts (or perhaps he is simply suggesting that we know we exist because we think; but let's assume otherwise for conversation's sake). But if certainty/stability can mentally be destroyed as easily as it is created, it's obviously not stable. So how can you really be certain about anything without second guessing yourself? Speaking from my own experience, my overactive mind often jumps to conclusions that dismiss certainty. "I think, therefore I may or may not be" seems more appropriate.

With the opportunities life has been throwing at me lately, my constants might soon change. Hopefully not all of them, but some of them. It's disheartening to think about, but sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone. I'd say I'm certain of this, but I suppose you can never really be certain.

Although I agree with the idea that absolute certainty does not exist, you have to admit that the statement basically contradicts itself. How can you be absolutely certain that absolute certainty doesn't exist?