I'm Probably Wrong (Blog #7)

"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it."  -Andre Gilde

I chose to read the essay "I Could Be Wrong" by Allan Barger because I was immediately drawn to the title; I like to think that I often inhabit the "gray" areas of life where we can stay open to the possibilities, flexible to change, and humble enough to admit when we may not have the answers or see the whole truth.

Barger tells the story of his conversion from an evangelical minister with "religious certainty" to an eventual realization/acceptance of his identity as a gay man.  It was a difficult road for him to finally accept that life's truths cannot be pre-determined (or even post-determined).  This new outlook opened the author up to a whole new world of possibilities in terms of his own identity/life, but also the social and political world around him.  Barger suggests that it's more important than ever to embrace the idea that you "might be wrong" because it seems that (thanks to the 'narrowcasting' of our lives, as Andrew Sullivan might put it) people believe with more certainty than ever, which as he realized in his own life, can have devastating consequences.  He writes that "certainty becomes a prison for my mind," and my own life experience tells me that he's on to something here.

When I think of how I've evolved over the years, I picture a slow, gradual shift from a limited, rigid, certain perspective into a more dynamic, flexible, and open approach.  This approach is necessarily makes life more complex sometimes, but in the end I believe it builds humility and empathy and has opened me up to new experiences that I wouldn't have even considered before.

Looking back at this winding path, I can see that its really been my good friends and family who have pushed me (lovingly) to see that my perspective might be more limited than I had previously imagined.  What they have taught me is that it is a necessary fact of my existence and the nature of perspective that I have limited sight.  Our perspectives are like "tunnel vision", a tunnel that is built from our experiences and background and natural inclinations.  But, with the help of honest and open friends, I can begin to construct a "bigger view."   I can see to the top of my roof on my own, but on the backs of others and with a few helping hands, I can see to the horizon and then, who knows?  I'll try to keep myself open to the possibilities. ;)