The Cloud of Unknowing: Newsletter #22.

You give a man a fish and he eats for a day. You teach him how to fish, he eats for a lifetime. How likely is it that he will relinquish a lifetime of eating? iPads and iPhones will come and go, but knowledge stays for ever. All the more reason for us to cast a skeptical eye on this most precious of possessions.

In cultures throughout the world, we have stories of people who help us divest ourselves of knowledge. Yajnavalkya with his riddles, Socrates with his questions, the Buddha with his doubts and the Zen masters with their koans, all pointing out that certainty is as much a disease as it is a prize.

At the passing of another year, at a time of reflection, let's end with a note of uncertainty. To a movement from knowing to unknowing. May doubt be our guide into the future.