Can anyone tell me why this is correct / incorrect? And if so, do you hope you're wrong or hope you're right?

What does mystify me is how this has 283 views and only 1 like. And no dislikes? I am very disappointed.

I really wouldn't worry about that kind of stuff. I don't think it's worth the effort. The internet is a fickle and unpredictable place. :)

I see it as having two options...the first is when u have little to fight for you have nothing to lose....second the person on the bottom can only go higher, giving us the advantage of only being able to climb.

It brings up the question as to whether people whose understanding is based on hope, rather than certainty, should participate in debates at all.

Hope is part of the fabric that keeps us sane. We all hope for something be it a brighter future, an upcoming event, or whatever it is. Without hope, we have nothing. But I understand your point. Usually when I hope the other person is correct, it is because I am basing my conclusions on logic and following patterns. And often things don't appear sustainable.

It's quite possible I misunderstood your meme when I made my initial comment.

'Tis Human to err.

I also want to point out that certainty, while it is a nice thing to have, is the death of discovery. If we do not constantly question our hypotheses, we run into the iron wall of contentment, which leads us no further.

There are some exceptions to that rule about certainty being the death of discovery. There are some things we should be certain about (eg, logical axioms, or the existence of truth itself).

However, it sounds like you have some interesting thoughts and I look forward to seeing more of them in memes. Keep up the good work.

True, certainty has its place. But what is truth? When we think something is true, we tend to be intellectually lazy and judge those who do not conform to our truth, be it true or a false assumption based on speculation based on the results of a few tests. But the thing I like about the Scientific method is it is supposed to work with my philosophy. The moment we reach a conclusion is the moment we stop searching, and we may stop searching before we find everything of substantial value. And that's the basis for my doctoral thesis. :)

There are some things that have to be absolutes, however. The very fact that truth exists necessitates that. And those absolutes are non-negotiable by definition. (Getting people to discern what those are might be harder, though.)

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Philosoraptor needs to learn not to conflate "what we know of truth" with truth itself... but I'm betting, since you're writing a thesis, you already knew that. :)

Do you think we are anywhere near knowing the truth?

I'm surprised you asked that.

Haha! That's why it is what we know of as truth, not the truth. But sometimes I really think the pursuit of it is all we'll ever know.