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Are You Sure?


Over the last few years I've worked with  many  phrases that help me stay mindful and aware. One of these is "Are you sure?" A simple phrase, but so powerful. 

"Are you sure" points directly to the fallibility of our thoughts and ideas, and how we often jump to conclusions- and then actions- without evidence or certainty. While this is sometimes no big deal, at other times it really is a big deal.  Look at any daily newspaper. How many people act out before carefully considering the truth of their assumptions? How much suffering is caused by incomplete information, bias, or outright lies? How much tension in a relationship comes from misinterpreting someone's words or tone? 

"Are you sure?", is shorthand for, "Are you sure of your perceptions?", according to Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Are you sure?  follows the middle path between suppression and impulsiveness. It just asks us to pause and make sure we are in possession of the full truth before making our move. 

I have shared this phrase with both teachers and students at my school, as a quick and simple reminder to be aware of our assumptions. To work with this phrase, I made a little note with paper and markers, and began to consign it to memory. It became so valuable to me that  I  had one of my talented art students make an original art card for me (shown here). Since working with this phrase, I am much more alert to the prevalence of assumptions in our thinking. 

I've even woven this idea- of the uncertainty of our knowledge- into a lesson on Plato's Allegory of the Cave. In this story,  prisoners are chained up and perceive only the shadows of objects as they dance against the wall in front of them. One of the prisoners breaks free, and escapes into the full light of day, where he perceives things as they really are. 

Our perceptions can be like those hazy shadows - incomplete, distorted, or downright false. So, it's a good practice to keep this phrase in mind: "Are you sure? " 

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