Preview

Certainty vs Doubt Essay

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
524 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Certainty vs Doubt Essay
Donatello Versace
4 September 2014
Period 7, AP Lang
Ms. Burke
The argument between certainty and doubt is highly controversial. Despite the side that people have accustomed themselves to, there are still pros and cons to both. A person’s doubt can easily distract them from reaching their full potential, while it can also aide in making a more realistic and achievable decision because with doubt they are able to question their abilities and eliminate the options that aren’t as feasible. Whereas certainty can misguide someone into the delusion of great powers, it can also assist them in attaining a massive success because they are giving themselves the option of fathoming an idea so great that initiates a surge of passion that tells them they can achieve such greatness. Despite the seemingly equivalent pros and cons between doubt and certainty, certainty is definitely the best mindset to have when trying to find triumph in one’s life.
Isaiah Stock, an APLAC student at University of North Carolina, said, “Think of certainty and doubt as parts of an automobile. Certainty is considered to be the accelerator, while doubt is the steering wheel. You can get nowhere without driving --certainty—but without steering through the impediments in your way --doubt—, you will surely crash and burn.” Again, emphasizing the crucial balance between doubt and certainty, this metaphor is an almost acceptable depiction of how they work together because yes, without certainty one is likely not going to get very far in life and without doubt an individual is likely to fail. This metaphor is accurate in all its parts, but it is missing one important aspect and that is that failure is not the end and can only help to guide someone to make better fitted decisions. So with that in view, having the mindset of certainty is clearly a more efficient way of finding success.
One could say that “having doubt is a part of human nature, that from birth we are curios [and that] to question anything

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In “The Price of Certainty” By Daniele Anastasion, uses Ethos and Logos as his main rhetorical appeals, but also hints towards Pathos and Kairos. He also uses Ethos by introducing a well renowned psychologist by the name of Aire Kruglanski to explain what he calls “cognitive closure”. Which entails that when deciding on something people generally only focus in on what makes them happy, and makes them feel secure. The main idea of what this video is about is the idea that Certainty can be either good or bad, but the line between good and bad is not something that anybody can tell from. For example, when people believe that terrorist are bad, and they associate everybody who looks or comes from the same place or even believe in the same religion…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ”(Barry) The opposite of uncertainty is certainty. Uncertainty can make anybody terrified, knowing that something is not guaranteed to go right can make people weak. Scientists have come to the conclusion that, “Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    We are made to question. However, many times, we forget to question. In many circumstances, we simply conform to what people tell us. How often do people rally against historical books? How often do people rally against scientific theories? We simply accept it and move on.…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Certainty vs Doubt

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Though doubt and certainty are opposite, they both have pros and cons to them. When you look at the pros and cons of each of them they fall equally important in a person’s life. This, because with certainty, according to Phelps , is a way to accomplish anything that life will throw at you which will allow for success, but as Russell says you must still doubt in order to move more forward in your thoughts and opinions to get to success. With both certainty and doubt success is sure to follow.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Doubt can make us think that we aren’t good enough or maybe this or that isn’t right for us, but when you have certainty you have no limits. Even when we fall, we just learn and keep aiming for even greater heights. Also, in the bible, in 1 Samuel chapter 17, there is the story of the giant Philistine who is heavily armed and his name is Goliath. He challenges Saul to send out a man to fight him. Then a brave man named David says “I will do it.”…

    • 754 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Yes, it’s true that when you are certain about things faith and arrogance takes over and leads us to become acknowledged or at the top. But why would someone great and successful ever experience doubt? In society we have to know what we want to accomplish and how we want to get it done. One can be doubtful on being able to attain the dreams, discoveries, and challenges that come towards our life. But in the positive, a lot of the times you doubt your self so you can have the ability to push yourself to do bigger and better things. For example, you can surely take a test in class and think it’s easy and be certain that you did really well on it. But, there is always that doubt that you didn’t do well because you didn’t study or weren’t well prepared for this test.…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Certainty vs. Doubt

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Some people believe that life depends on either the concepts of certainty and doubt. With certainty comes a sense of confidence. When you are certain about everything in life, you will know with absolute truth your capabilities, responsibilities, and consequences for your actions. However doubt engraves a feeling of the unknown. If you are uncertain about life, then how will you ever be restrained by boundaries? Doubt may be the only certain undeniable truth.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    rhetorical essay

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages

    By juxtaposing the antithetical concepts of “certainty” and “uncertainty,” and by emphasizing the exceptional burdens of the latter, Barry compels his readers to acknowledge the courage that is required of any successful scientists and, indeed, to appreciate the unnatural skills that a scientist must possess in order to “overcome significant obstacles.” He effectively argues that uncertainty, though a weakness, is a cross that all scientists must bear and that, in order to become a successful scientist at all, one must first recognize that weakness and then persevere in spite of it. To the casual observer, venturing into the unknown might seem the more courageous feat of the scientists, but, as the allusion to Bernard’s quote reveals, the most courageous feat, and what science endeavors to teach most of all, is “to doubt” – that is, to be uncertain and to work with the discomfort of that uncertainty.…

    • 712 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Christian Approach Analysis

    • 3685 Words
    • 15 Pages

    More basically, the important issue of doubt should be examined here. First of all, according to one of Richard Paul's major works, Critical Thinking, What Every Person Needs…

    • 3685 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In contemporary society, it is whether you have the confidence to do something rather than whether you have the ability that counts. That is to say, if you believe in that you gain the achievement while others don't, you are closer to the pinnacle of success. Furthermore, we can come to the conclusion undoubtedly that confidence is of giant necessity in our daily life.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Civil disobedience is the act of openly breaking the law or refusing to comply with government demands then willingly accepting punishment for the action. In Henry David Thoreau's case, spending a night in jail was the result of his civil disobedience when he refused to pay poll-tax. Like Thoreau, Kim Davis was jailed because of her refusal to follow a rule. Since Kim Davis shared a similar experience with Thoreau and that is why I think she would best fit Thoreau's definition of civil disobedience.…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Looking around today’s society, it’s clear that we as a country and as a generation are painfully uncertain. In our careers, we question whether we are chasing our true calling and whether we should have travelled another path. In relationships, we run into the paradox of craving a maintained closeness with those we know with a desire to meet others. We question our abilities, our skills. We complain about our problems and feel entitled to solutions, but in our own indecisiveness we fail to effect any true change for ourselves and for those around us.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Believing and The Doubting game are principles, mindsets if you will, the invoke one to think outside of the box. To step into a realm of possibility that one’s way of thinking may not be absolutely correct or incorrect. It forces an individual to think objectively and find ways to be discredit a particular belief or idea believed in and support a belief or idea that one doesn’t believe in or agree with. In The Believing Game, Peter Elbow presents to the reader all of the reasons why we should see things objectively. Mainly because an objective mind can make better decisions and an idea or belief is stronger when all possibilities have been exhausted. In addition, The Doubting Game likewise, it strengthens one’s position when the idea or belief has been examined from every angle. Though I believe The Doubting Game is a little more difficult than The Believing Game, I believe both bring an aspect to critical thinking that incites great conversation and problem solving.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inference Essay

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What kind of tribe is the Eneon? We do not have much information about this tribe as the anthropologists had just found out their existence. We only have limited information we received from the anthropologists. The information are based on the environment and climate they live in, the food they eat, their family and children, books and arts and their social aspect and attitudes toward war that the Eneon tribe are live in.…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Descartes' Meditations

    • 271 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Descartes’ method of doubt is a method of being skeptical about the truth of beliefs. It aims to find things that cannot be doubted…

    • 271 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays