#Dogmatism

How Certainty Can Deepen Human Suffering

George Saunders’ line reframes suffering as something we often manufacture internally rather than merely endure from the outside. Instead of blaming pain on loss, rejection, or misfortune, he points to a subtler culprit: the hardening of belief into certainty. When we feel sure—about who is right, what should have happened, or what someone “really meant”—we leave little room for surprise, complexity, or grace. From there, hurt becomes almost automatic. Certainty turns events into verdicts, so a disagreement isn’t just a difference but an offense; a mistake isn’t just an error but a betrayal of what “must” be true. Saunders suggests that the sting intensifies not because reality is unbearable, but because our certainty makes reality feel unacceptable. [...]

When Compassion Outpaces Opinions and Sparks Action

Several mechanisms turn talk into tar. Group polarization can push discussion toward extremes while reducing compromise-ready plans (Myers and Lamm, Psychological Bulletin, 1976). Moral grandstanding—using public moral talk to signal status—often rewards sharp rhetoric over concrete help (Tosi and Warmke, Grandstanding, 2020). Moreover, as Jonathan Haidt argues in The Righteous Mind (2012), moral reasoning frequently serves post-hoc justification, not problem-solving, which explains why debates heat up even as interventions lag. Thus, opinions untethered from implementation tend to harden boundaries rather than open pathways to relief. [...]

The Importance of Reflection: Henri Poincaré on Doubt and Belief

Poincaré advocates for a balanced approach—neither believing nor doubting everything, but considering each idea carefully. [...]

Embrace Those Who Seek the Truth but Flee from Those Who Have Found It - Khalil Gibran

Philosophers and thinkers throughout history have emphasized that truth is complex and evolving. Accepting absolute truths can lead to stagnation, whereas continuous questioning fosters enlightenment. [...]

The Danger of Insistence on One's Own Views - Adolfo Bioy Casares

The world is nuanced, full of contrasting perspectives and ideas. By clinging stubbornly to one viewpoint, an individual may find themselves out of sync with the ever-changing and multifaceted nature of the world. [...]