Do not feel absolutely certain of anything

From A Liberal Decalogue: Bertrand Russell’s 10 Commandments of Teaching by Maria Popova.

I have long been intrigued by Bertrand Russell. One the brightest individuals to come along, he seemed to make rather a mess of things as he translated ideas into real life. He is one of those individuals that I suspect was held in higher regard by his contemporaries, before time could reveal the outcome from all the sparks and insights. Still, he was exceptional. An interesting list from his pen.

Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

It is also worth noting how stale political labels become. In this essay, Russell is clearly referring to Liberal as in the Classical Liberal sense, which often today seems closer what we now call conservatives. Regardless - is there any poltician or political party which could be said to adhere to any items on this list. A few individuals here and there, but overall, pretty few and far between.

There are quibbles to be had but a list of good principles.