Doubt is the indeterminacy that a person experiences when presented with the situation of having to choose between two judgments or two decisions.
Hesitation that a person experiences in front of something or before the choice of various alternatives
The aforementioned hesitation can occur from a fact, the receipt of news or a belief.
"The version that the government gave about the attack generates many doubts in me." "Doctor, I was left with a question about how I should take the prescribed medication." "There is no question, Sandra Bullock deserved the award for the great performance she did in the movie."
Certainty versus uncertainty
Meanwhile, when we are convinced of something we will say that we are certain about it, while when there is uncertainty, doubt will prevail.
Normally, the tests, or seeing the reality of things, removes our doubts and brings us closer to the certainty that we mentioned.
Then, a doubt will always suppose a state of uncertainty , because where there are doubts there can never be certainties, if I am doubting about something that they told me it is because I am not totally sure that this is really true.
A doubt will always imply a limit to trust because whoever doubts is not believing in the veracity of the knowledge proposed to him.
So, as we mentioned, a doubt can affect a belief or a thought or become a fact in the action of a person. If I doubt the veracity of a piece of news that a friend gave me, I can keep that doubt or transform it into a certainty by posing the question to my friend so that she can clarify the situation for me.
Doubt is always present in everything
Doubt is a very present issue in people's lives, in everyday life, for example, doubts abound because we do not always have the truth of everything that happens or happens to us. Sometimes it is impossible to know everything and then the doubt appears and the best way to correct it is to go on the way to obtain certainty by consulting the appropriate person.
Doubts can appear in innumerable moments of our daily life: when we are about to buy an object we think if it is the best option, if the price is in line or there will be a cheaper one; When we have to decide on a job before the possibility of choosing between two alternatives, doubts will arise as to which is the most beneficial ...
Also in religion, doubts can arise, when faith is enormous and well established, of course there will be no room for doubts. But of course, dogmas and religious beliefs are not always convincing or sufficient for everyone and then there are doubts about their authenticity.
For the believer, it will be enough that God, the Church, the priests say so and he will believe, or doubt, but of course, for the agnostic who does not affirm or deny the existence of God, the doubts are enormous and it is not enough to accept the dogma of faith and ready.
Too, a doubt can interrupt a decision that has been made previously. "I had planned to visit my sister who lives in Europe but now with the pregnancy come true I don't know if it would be a good decision."
Doubt as a method of knowledge for philosophy
Most philosophers consider that a doubt will always be a plausible source of knowledge. because whoever doubts about something affirms their ignorance and then it will be the trigger for study, reflection and research.
Precisely for the French philosopher René Descartes, doubt was the starting point of knowledge and the basis of his system of knowledge: doubt as a method.
Descartes proposed to doubt everything in a systematic way. This led him to assert one of the most emblematic philosophical phrases in history: "I think therefore I am."
It is also common for the concept to be used as a synonym for the word suspicion.
"There are many doubts about the statement he gave to justice."
