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A review by nina_reads_books
On Doubt by Leigh Sales
3.0
This short essay by Australian journalist Leigh Sales (one half of one of my favourite podcasts Chat 10 Looks 3) was originally written in 2009 but republished in 2017 with a new postscript added.
The ‘On’ series are “little books on big ideas” where prominent Australian writers write about some big issues. I recently enjoyed On Money by Rick Morton.
In 2009, Leigh Sales wrote about the issues surrounding blind faith without any doubting of actions. Using examples from her childhood and other observations she poses questions around the importance of holding doubt in your beliefs, suggesting that doubt allows different ideas to percolate and ultimately ensuring that decisions are acted upon with a breadth of information. She also considers how there was a growing use of doubt as a character flaw – if you doubt you are second guessing your own abilities therefore you couldn’t possibly be an effective leader.
I didn’t find the original essay quite as compelling as On Money however the postscript written in 2017 was an excellent addition. Sales’ original essay foreshadows the fake news era that descended upon us particularly in the aftermath of the Trump election of 2016. The postscript really reinforces her thinking. Everything she wrote about initially is now much worse in a post-Trump world!
Overall this was an interesting and insightful read. I’m going to seek out more of the ‘On’ series to get little tasters of the talents of some of Australia’s best writers.
The ‘On’ series are “little books on big ideas” where prominent Australian writers write about some big issues. I recently enjoyed On Money by Rick Morton.
In 2009, Leigh Sales wrote about the issues surrounding blind faith without any doubting of actions. Using examples from her childhood and other observations she poses questions around the importance of holding doubt in your beliefs, suggesting that doubt allows different ideas to percolate and ultimately ensuring that decisions are acted upon with a breadth of information. She also considers how there was a growing use of doubt as a character flaw – if you doubt you are second guessing your own abilities therefore you couldn’t possibly be an effective leader.
I didn’t find the original essay quite as compelling as On Money however the postscript written in 2017 was an excellent addition. Sales’ original essay foreshadows the fake news era that descended upon us particularly in the aftermath of the Trump election of 2016. The postscript really reinforces her thinking. Everything she wrote about initially is now much worse in a post-Trump world!
Overall this was an interesting and insightful read. I’m going to seek out more of the ‘On’ series to get little tasters of the talents of some of Australia’s best writers.