Mankind not only dreams of the impossible, but makes it possible. Fueled by our desire to create meaningful improvements in social, humanitarian, technological, and scientific contexts (among many other fields), man never ceases to innovate and develop. This drive has become so ingrained in our society, that our demand for progress has morphed into a need for progress. Nowadays, we despise stagnation and fear regression, because to us, they are the enemies of progress; however, when looking at the roots of progression, regression, and stagnation, one discovers that they all rely on the same relationship, one based on certainty and doubt. These three very different phenomena all have the same ingredients, but what differentiates them is the …show more content…
Certainty gives us the power to develop our passions and achieve our goals. Martin Luther King’s stand for equality depicts the role of certainty in fostering change. In an era of oppression, prejudice, and anger, the 1960s marked a time of racial turmoil. Protests and riots flooded the streets as African Americans fought desperately for the equality they deserved. It was in this setting, MLK took a stand. He was certain his peaceful approach to racial equality would prove successful and thus, MLK was able to show the world “his dream”, forever changing the lives of millions of Americans who were victims of discrimination. He achieved such meaningful progress in human rights through his certainty in his cause. Just imagine a world in which we didn’t have certainty. A world in which MLK didn’t have conviction. The tool of progress, certainty gives one the determination to develop their passions and surpass their …show more content…
Full certainty occurs when people have absolute belief in their own ideas. They believe in something so wholeheartedly that they often entrench themselves in their own beliefs by shutting down avenues of dialogue that could potentially challenge their opinions. Ultimately, this mentality promotes a culture where questioning is not approved, and accordingly narrow mindedness ensues. Fifteenth and sixteenth century Europe exemplify the dangers of absolute certainty. During this time, almost the entire population of Europe believed they were at the center of the universe. This was such an absolute certainty at the time, that the church targeted any dissenters, hoping to shut down challengers. It wasn’t until Copernicus challenged this certainty, did society truly progress rather than stagnate. By causing narrow mindedness, accepting truths blindly through full certainty staunches