In this personal essay, one of Australia’s most respected journalists argues in favour of a doubtful mind.When society seems to demand confidence and certainty, how much courage does it take to admit doubt, especially self-doubt?MUP’s Little Books on Big Themes series pairs Australia’s leading thinkers and cultural figures with some of the big themes in life.

On Doubt

This work is an extended essay on doubt, aiming to challenge blind faith and over-confidence while still realising that constant doubting carries its own issues. No mere polemic written to burgeoningly champion curiosity or dryly approach it from an overly theoretical view, Sales shares the moments and thinking in her life that have led her to her views and successful journalist career, melding insightful observations with gentle yet forensic thoughts.  Let is not be said that I agree with everything presented. For example, I differ on the conclusions she draws regarding the nature of religious faith and doubt. I actually think that there is a very real and needed place for doubt within faith, and that it is possible (however paradoxical it seems) for faith and doubt to coexist.   However, the strength of this slim and very readable work is not in whether one agrees with the premise or the various thoughts presented. Instead, it is in how it provokes thoughts and questions about important ideas of truth, scrutiny, and doubt.  This work was first published in 2009. Since then, the very nature of truth and language in public debate and life has (unfortunately negatively) changed, dramatically so. Sales muses on this in her ‘Postscript 2017’(pages 91-144), reflecting on international personalities like President Donald Trump and local incidents like interviews in the leadup to the 2016 Australian federal election with then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. This addition adds to what was already a very worthwhile read.

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