Is certainty more dangerous than doubt? I asked myself this question as I watched a history channel program titled Nostradamus 2012. The entire program featured writers certain that an unprecedented astrological event will occur in 2012 and that Nostradamus predicted it. I watched out of curiosity since someone attributes almost every natural and man-made catastrophe to one of his predictions.

The writing of Nostradamus is very unsettling, filled with devastation and destruction. He was fascinated with the occult and popular with the French nobility during the reign of King Henri II of France. I did a little research and found that Nostradamus moved away from his medical practice when the nobility began seeking psychic advice from him. A very profitable move for him too. It was during this time that he wrote "The Prophecies." These prophecies or quatrains as they are called are vague, lyrical and confusing. Most academic sources maintain the predictions are the result of misinterpretations that are often deliberate. So I have to wonder how a man who lived over five hundred years ago has popular cult status today and why are some so eager to believe in their translations?

Descartes a French philosopher regarded as the first modern thinker believed that genuine knowledge cannot be doubted. So doubt has to be tested before something can be regarded as truth. Today we are so inundated with information that most people leave little room for doubt. Something is said, published and repeated and then it's regarded as the truth. No contemplation or investigation of the information is required for someone to believe.

Beliefs can alter observations. Those with a strong belief will see things that complement what they think. Finding the truth in anything is difficult. But truth must be sought for its own sake. Think about the danger of being too certain. A healthy amount of skepticism can lead us out of trouble. But skepticism requires intelligence.

Think about the last eight years. Too many accepted too much to be the truth. And here we are left wondering how did this all happen.

All of this lead me back to elementary science and the scientific method the most basic form of inquiry to test and acquire new knowledge. To meet the standard of this method information must be observable, empirical and measurable. And even this method will never absolutely verify the truth. Einstein said, "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right but a single experiment can prove me wrong."

Perhaps that's what we all need a willingness to be proved wrong. Be open to doubt, it's might be the only way to find the real truth in anything.

Karen Pesta provides character education for students K-12 that helps "sharpen the saw" through enrichment promoting academic and social achievement and physical and emotional health. If you are looking for a program of character education that is deliberate, holistic and reaches your entire student population visit: http://www.creativeworldconnection.com