Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

“One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.” – Ghandi

            There was once an old willow tree that had weathered dozens of storms because of its strong, unbending trunk. The tree prided itself on this fact, believing that standing strong in every instance would allow its majesty to live forever. Unfortunately for the tree, it met with a storm with winds so strong that not even this weathered tree could stand, and it tipped off its hill to land near some weeds, who survived the storm perfectly intact because they bent with the wind. This fable begs the question: when is it best to be an oak tree, and when should one be a weed? Strongly formed convictions such as the oak tree had should be formed carefully, but when they do not stand against forces of truth – the wind – it is best to bend like the weeds.

            Convictions have to be developed slowly and carefully. When laying out a building, each brick in the foundation must be placed just so, in order to ensure that the building can withstand whatever nature throws at it. The same must be true of convictions; they cannot be laid haphazardly. Rene Descartes’ proof of “I think, therefore I am,” is the best paragon of this required form of reasoning. Convictions must be built one fact at a time. The quick decision that Iraq had nuclear missiles was not a well thought out conviction, based on this definition. It did not come from any prior knowledge, but merely wishful thinking. An impulse is not a conviction that must be defended. Acting upon such hunches as if they were commandments from a higher authority is dangerous because these so-called convictions will fail, just as a building with a weak foundation will not hold.

            Once an idea has been fostered that stands against theoretical criticism, it must also stand up to and continue to be scrutinized by new information. The World Trade Centers were built to withstand airplanes in the event of an accident. In the period of time between when they were designed and the 9/11 attacks, airplanes became bigger and more powerful. Had this fact been taken into account, and the buildings reinforced, tragedy might have been lessened. There is nothing wrong with admitting a mistake when it proves unable to hold up against new facts. The notion that flip-flopping is a negative is misplaced. The theory behind Reaganomics is solid, but unfortunately for those who cling to this method, giving tax breaks to the wealthy does not work the way it was intended. Insisting on the presence of nuclear weapons in Iraq proved to be nothing more than a cry from Chicken Little, yet these wishful heralds of doom still insist that the weapons will turn up. How much longer will we be forced to listen to this blind following of words that are so behind the times?

            There are times when it is vital to stand against all odds, no matter the consequences, when men face the great moral issues they will continue to face indefinitely, due to the ignorance and folly of other men. There are also times when the right course is not to blindly follow a poorly formed opinion. The difference between an oak tree and a weed does not lie in the man, but in his beliefs. Humans are not plants. We have the option to choose when to stand and when to bend. This is a lesson our president would do well to learn.