Monday, September 27, 2010

The ability and willingness to change one's mind

Probably the attachment that creates the most suffering - both to ourselves and others around us - is the attachment to being right, to believing in our own certainty. As you can see below, the true foolishness of this attachment was recognized many centuries ago by a powerful Egyptian pharaoh:

True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubts often, and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not; he knows all things but his own ignorance.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:40 PM

    Thanks for pointing this out Ellie. As I look back over my younger years, I am almost mortified over the arrogance of my presumptions...the longer I live, the less certain I am of anything!

    annie c

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  2. Oh, I so agree with you, Annie! But you know what they say, "Youth is wasted on the young." :-)

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  3. Excellent post! I like your post and take pleasure in it.

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