Socrates, Galileo, Marie Curie, Einstein ... What did these great thinkers have in common? They all practiced deliberate doubt and used it as a tool to improve their thinking and generate creative ideas.
1[■] It is about suspending our certainty and letting go of our preconceived（先入为主的） notions in order to explore new ideas and perspectives. When we’re certain of something, we tend to stop looking for alternative explanations or possibilities. 2[■] Doubt can, of course, be unsettling, but it can also result in a greater understanding of a subject and inspire fresh thoughts and insights.
3[■] But it doesn’t mean we should use it all the time. While deliberate doubt can be a valuable tool for generating creative ideas and exploring complex problems, it can also be counterproductive if it is not practiced in the right way.
It’s important to keep in mind that deliberate doubt is not constant doubt. If we’re continuously doubting our own ideas, we’ll be less likely to pursue them and see them through to completion. 4[■] We spend so much time doubting everything and end up not doing anything.
5[■] We can become self-critical and unsure of our abilities, which can undermine our self-esteem. As a result, we may be too afraid to try new things or take risks.
To avoid these traps, it’s important to strike a balance between doubt and certainty, and to use doubt as a tool to stimulate creative thinking and exploration, rather than as a means of undermining ourselves or others.