In a few months I’ll be 37. I think it’s fair to assert that I’m past the point at which I’d be considered a young man, and I’m closing in on middle age. The most interesting thing that has accompanied age for me is an increasing awareness of how little I actually know.

When I was younger I was more certain about my knowledge, even though I had less of it. But Socrates’ aphorism “Know Thyself” has become more intimate to me as I grow older.

There are still a few things that I remain certain of, and I figured that I should probably write them down now before I change my mind.

  • There is nothing that will teach a person the depths of sorrow more than the loss of a loved one.
  • If everyone helped someone they didn’t know, it would change the world.
  • Even if there is no God, evil exists.
  • Dogs understand unconditional love.
  • The shame in being wrong comes only from a failure to admit it.
  • The battle against tyranny must be tirelessly fought.
  • Money is not the root of all evil. But it is the goal of most of it.
  • Laughter is a necessary component of happiness.
  • There is no humanity without freedom.

I welcome other suggestions of things that I should feel certain of but may have forgotten.

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