Beliefs should be like fluid entities within the mind, some malleable and doubtful, others more viscous and certain. But feeling certain should never be confused with being incontestable. Once a belief is allowed to solidify, it becomes like a shackle on the mind, inhibiting exploration, learning and growth. A fluid mind should never allow a belief to be so hardened that it is beyond rational scrutiny. A fluid mind always invites rational examination upon even its most cherished convictions.
“The reason why certain people turn to philosophy...why I became a philosopher, was that since I was a little boy I always felt that existence as such was weird. I mean, here we are! Isn’t that odd? Of course it’s odd.... And so you get this philosophical itch. You begin to scratch your head and think about ‘Why is that so?’ Well, after a while you realize that’s a meaningless question, and then you ask ‘How is it so?’ Well that leads you into science and other investigations. So you wonder: What is it? This thing called existence. What is it?”
—Alan Watts
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