How does one remove themselves from Doubt

[ALine]

For as long as I remember I have had a craving for knowledge and a want to create more. However it seems like each time I do it becomes over shadows but negating thoughts such as "there are people who are smarter than you so why even try" or " there is no point in doing this, let it go." I believe that it is routed in jealousy, however I am unsure. Working out and drinking water helps, however it just seems like a constant search for something that I am currently unaware of. Any advice would be greately appreciated. I want to get out of the box of scientific insecurity and open my mind to the impossibly connected knowledge we as humanity has developed so far.

Thank you.

 

[Dagl1]

I suppose one way of thinking of it (which I am not able to defend with actual statistical data) is that smarter people may have a higher chance of finding an answer or new idea at any given moment, but that it is not a certainty. I am not sure if smart people will by definition come up with more ideas, but since that is a thought that pops up in your head, let's go with it:
A smart person at any given moment has a higher chance than you to think of a good idea or some new knowledge, but that doesn't mean that said smart people will do so, therefore you can and probably should (if you want to create new knowledge) try, as there is always the chance that you will come up with a new idea that other people have not. The smarter people may outperform you in quantity, but there is a (almost) limitless amount of new knowledge that can be created, so just go for it, the chance that a smarter person will come up with THAT particular piece of new knowledge before you do is not hundred percent, so if you try enough, you may/will come up with new knowledge. Potentially many times someone smarter will have thought of it before you, so you try again, and again, each time rolling the dice and eventually you can win the jackpot (so to say).

That said, I don't think being smart alone is a good determinant for creating knowledge either. Someone has to be interested in something, has to be thinking about the right stuff, at the right time, and combining already existing pieces of knowledge in just the right way to create a new piece of knowledge.T here seems to be some amount of 'randomness'  to be involved in that process. People also have to be interested enough to write down and publicize there ideas for it to be a real addition to the common pool of knowledge. Additionally, a smart person may focus too much on a single subject to never come along a new piece of information, so by being interested and reading about many things, you increase the chance of coming up with something new anyway. 

You said you have a craving for knowledge, so if the above doesn't resonate with you, just go forget creating new knowledge for the sake of creating new knowledge. Instead, pursue finding/inventing new knowledge for the sake of bettering your own understanding of any given subject: in your pursuit of new knowledge, you will gain existing knowledge and new insights (that maybe other people have already had, but for you they will be new knowledge), and remember that every new piece of knowledge (in your mind) does bring you closer to the possible discovery of something truly new, unseen or unthought before.

I found the book 'Where good ideas come from' by Steven Johnson, an interesting read about how new knowledge is (generally) created. I don't know how true the book is, but I feel it may be a perspective that can help you remove doubt from oneself (it is not about doubt in the slightest, but about the ideas that new knowledge generally only becomes available when several 'facts' or concepts known today, come together in someone's mind. That mind does not have to be a genius).

I hope this helps, and if it does not, then I hope someone else can maybe provide you with something to reduce/eliminate your self doubt.

PS. You can always go the Mohammed Ali route and just keep saying that YOU ARE THE GREATEST and that by definition YOU WILL CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE (I do wonder about the efficacy of this method though).

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, ALine said:

For as long as I remember I have had a craving for knowledge and a want to create more. However it seems like each time I do it becomes over shadows but negating thoughts such as "there are people who are smarter than you so why even try" or " there is no point in doing this, let it go." I believe that it is routed in jealousy, however I am unsure. Working out and drinking water helps, however it just seems like a constant search for something that I am currently unaware of. Any advice would be greately appreciated. I want to get out of the box of scientific insecurity and open my mind to the impossibly connected knowledge we as humanity has developed so far.

Thank you.

We all want to be more than we are, growing up I wanted to be as good as Bruce Lee, I knew I couldn't be so I didn't even try, so I just wished it. I wanted to be able to kick arse not just defend myself and loved ones, but TBH that was never needed anyway, besides it completely misses the point of Kung Fu. 

Only Bruce can be Bruce besides all his ability didn't stop him getting his back broken, but it did cement his legendary status because of what he did next.

There are no short cuts, you can't wish an ability into being, besides nobody is infallible or can know everything; all you can do is your best, be content with that, otherwise you're just kicking your own arse.

Edited May 12, 2020 by dimreepr

[dimreepr]

1 hour ago, Dagl1 said:

PS. You can always go the Mohammed Ali route and just keep saying that YOU ARE THE GREATEST and that by definition YOU WILL CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE (I do wonder about the efficacy of this method though).

The only way to be "so much better than myself" is to be all you can be in the face of the knowledge that you aren't the greatest. I think Ali understood, "rope a dope"...

Edited May 12, 2020 by dimreepr

[Phi for All]

2 hours ago, ALine said:

For as long as I remember I have had a craving for knowledge and a want to create more.

This is an interesting way of putting it, but I'm not sure it's a meaningful way. A farmer might say, "FALAIR, I have had a craving for food and a want to create more". An artist would pick art, and a police officer might choose order, but to me these are different. Knowledge is more fundamental, so I understand the craving, but creating more scientific knowledge seems like a focus on the goal that ignores the journey. In learning anything, I think we create the opportunity to apply knowledge in completely new ways. It happens because we understand better with more knowledge, rather than because we set out to learn something we didn't know.

2 hours ago, ALine said:

However it seems like each time I do it becomes over shadows but negating thoughts such as "there are people who are smarter than you so why even try" or " there is no point in doing this, let it go."

But that's not the way knowledge works. It's not just the "smarter than you" people who advance knowledge. Sometimes perspective can add to knowledge, and everyone has one of those. There was a guy not too long ago that devised a way to light the inside of a simple hut during the day by using recycled two liter plastic bottles and water. Solved a major problem cheaply, and he did it because he learned about refraction of sunlight and applied it to his own circumstances.

2 hours ago, ALine said:

I want to get out of the box of scientific insecurity and open my mind to the impossibly connected knowledge we as humanity has developed so far.

Another great way of putting it. All those people before you, collecting the total sum of human knowledge so you can start your journey up the mountain with a healthy lead. You're in the best position to learn mainstream science, we've never known this much before. Pick an area and start making sure you know the basics.

[ALine]

Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement along with the analytical understanding of what knowledge "is" in terms of my current situation. It has really helped out a lot in helping me analogously "face down my demons." I think I will focus more towards the "bettering myself and not worry about the intelligence of others" understanding. It seems petty now to worry about and become emotionally charged towards a person who is more naturally talented than I am. They have their own journey and I have mine. 

Now my next question is what are your personal experiences with grappling with this question of doubt and insecurity if you have ever gone through it yourself?  

Edited May 12, 2020 by ALine
There -> their

[dimreepr]

11 minutes ago, ALine said:

Now my next question is what are your personal experiences with grappling with this question of doubt and insecurity if you have ever gone through it yourself?  

We have two choices:

1. Try harder...

2. Accept and chill...

Personally, I choose 2, but there is no right answer; I'm just lazy...

[ALine]

48 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

I'm just lazy...

words of wisdom that hits to close to home my dude

[dimreepr]

3 minutes ago, ALine said:

words of wisdom that hits to close to home my dude

It's in your eye's.

 

[dimreepr]

But maybe I'm a creep...

 

[Phi for All]

2 hours ago, ALine said:

I think I will focus more towards the "bettering myself and not worry about the intelligence of others" understanding. It seems petty now to worry about and become emotionally charged towards a person who is more naturally talented than I am.

Start by realizing that most behavior is classified along multiple spectrums. By arbitrarily picking one aspect where you think someone else has more natural talent than you do, you're ignoring all the other aspects of existence where you may keep pace or even excel.

Since we're far beyond the point where any single person could know everything about just one scientific subject, your focus should be learning everything we know about something that really interests you. Don't worry about adding to that knowledge; I think that happens naturally as you learn more about the subject. Don't force insight to come; it grows out of necessity.

Perhaps your jealousy is more about feeling a need to catch up rather than feeling others are smarter. We often look at those we think of as "naturally talented" and assume everything comes easier for them, that they got some kind of head start. But learning isn't really a race. You need to know what you need to know, without knowing what for, or how much time you'll have. All you can do is find trustworthy information and learn what you can at your own pace. 

 

[ALine]

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

It's in your eye's.

two questions, one why are these large children playing on a stage. where are there parents. second, not really a question, I did not know there was such a thing a double violin. 

25 minutes ago, Phi for All said:

Perhaps your jealousy is more about feeling a need to catch up rather than feeling others are smarter. We often look at those we think of as "naturally talented" and assume everything comes easier for them, that they got some kind of head start. But learning isn't really a race. You need to know what you need to know, without knowing what for, or how much time you'll have. All you can do is find trustworthy information and learn what you can at your own pace.

I like that

[dimreepr]

13 hours ago, ALine said:

two questions, one why are these large children playing on a stage. where are there parents.

They're just having fun and their parents know where they are. 😉

I just like the poetry of those songs and it neatly fits the topic, just something to think about (even the diversity of the kids on stage).