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.
“We concede that science has proved spectacularly successful as a way of understanding the world, yet we firmly reject one of its clearest implications: We are ephemeral, contingent parts of a silent universe that is vastly larger than ourselves.”
—Chet Raymo