Anyone Who's Certain Is a Fool or a Liar
You can't control your outcomes, only your actions and reactions
Anyone who’s certain is a fool or a liar – Paul David Mather
I made this quip in conversation with a friend, who was puzzled and rather amused.
It sounds flippant and judgemental, I accept. My intention was not to be snide but to highlight that faith in externalities is misplaced and confidence is often misleading.
Our world is full of people talking with absolute certainty about things they can’t control, and in many cases don’t even understand. We’re bombarded by ads guaranteeing health, wealth and happiness, carefully crafted corporate messaging offering hollow reassurances, and heavily spun political slogans promising change.
Job security, business growth, pensions, property prices, the stock market, crypto, friendships, marriage, government, peace, health and life itself – they’re all things people count on, and some we can influence more than others, but we can never truly depend on them lasting or providing for us in the way we hope they will.
All we can really control is the actions we take in the moment, and how we react to events and changing circumstances. So don’t wait, don’t count on external factors, don’t put off pursuing your passion or making a change. Have a vision in mind, make a plan, then execute it and give it your best shot. Purposeful action gives you power!