Truth and certainty

One of the psychological characteristics that I've noticed in freethinkers is that we value truth more than certainty, whereas in religious people it's usually the other way around. Of course, religious advocates hold their doctrines to be both true and certain; but, despite occasional assertions to the contrary, it's really the certainty that religious people value rather than the truth. To put it another way: A doctrine that does not bring its adherents self-assurance and a comforting sense of incorrigibility is one that few religious people would accept, regardless of its truth or falsity.

The history of ideas makes it clear, though, that certainty is not a guarantee of truth. On the contrary, truths are often accessible only to those who begin by doubting -- they are the ones who will collect and weigh the evidence, and formulate the arguments and counter-arguments, by which subtle truths come to be known. In such cases, certainty is an impediment.