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.
“Philosophy at its best is not simply an interpretation or explanation of things. It is also a dynamic enterprise that aims to stimulate people in the direction of those ends and values that are supremely worthwhile and desireable; to bring us closer to those standards of truth and methods of truth-seeking that are most reliable.”
—Corliss Lamont