Forum Post: Confidence and Honesty

In order for me to display confidence in areas I would have to know the areas with absolute certainty. I can’t know all with absolute certainty even though I can know some things with reasonable certainty. To help prove my point I will refute this quote by Socrates, I know nothing and I know that I know nothing. This means I cannot know anything with absolute certainty which I will name statement a. If statement a is true then how can I know statement a with absolute certainty as well. This means there are certain things I can be absolutely certain on and there are things I can only be reasonably certain on. If one can be absolutely certain of something then one doesn’t have to have skepticism or doubt.

There are things that one can claim with absolute certainty. This means I know for 100% sure without any tinge of doubt. For example, one can know that 2 + 2 = 4 in the base 10 number system. Can anyone ever show an example in which this is not the case? A person can say with confidence and absolute certainty that he can add two numbers together in the base 10 number system and obtain the same answer every time. I can claim with confidence that I know what 2 + 2 is in the base 10 number system and be honest.

There are things that one can claim with only reasonably certainty. This means there is some doubt in the answer. Even if it 1% doubt there is still doubt about the answer given. Based upon my experiences there are a lot more things I can be reasonably certain about then I can be absolutely certain about. For example, people will want to know when I will fix their computer by. This is an answer that I can only give a reasonable answer. This means the reasonable answer may be way off base and may have an error in it. I may have not factored in something as I do not have all of the variables and I can be reasonably certain that it is impossible to obtain all variables in all given instances.

The reason I lack confidence in most areas is based upon reasoning, critical thinking, rationality and logic. To summarize, confidence means that I think I know something or can do something with absolute certainty. Absolute certainty means I can say for 100% sure with no room for doubt that I can do something or know something. Reasonable certainty means I can know or do something with the most certainty which means according to the oxford dictionary is the greatest in amount or degree. This greatest amount or degree that I have is determined by the summit of my knowledge, ability, and other factors I am not aware of.

In addition, my biases and prejudices that I have impact both reasonable and absolute certainty that I am able to ascertain. Since I know with absolute certainty that some things are possible that I can only know with reasonably certainty, by my projecting confidence as though I am absolutely certain about something means I am being dishonest with those around me. I am making a claim that has the possibility of not being satisfied and I have reasonable certainty that the claim may be unsatisfiable therefore forcing me to be dishonest. It is possible that I am forced to break promises because of these conditions that exist in existence. This is my apologia as to why I lack confidence and why I am incapable and unable to display confidence that American culture demands of me. It would be illogical as well as immoral for me to display confidence and for me to accept the concept and idea of confidence as logically sound based upon these grounds except for cases of absolute certainty.

I will give an example. Let's say someone asks me how long will I take to repair their computer. I state it may take an hour or so. On the surface it looks like an easy fix but it may not be an easy fix. I may have underestimated the time it took to fix this person's computer. Therefore I made a promise that I had the potential to break. This is why confidence does not work for me and one reason why I failed in America and I can never truthfully succeed in America.