I recently finished reading an insightful chapter in the new book, Future Science: Essays from the Cutting Edge. The book contains a series of essays from some of today’s brightest young scientists.
Interestingly, one author kept referring to the notion that his theories were “not uncontested.” He did this on so many occasions occasions that I began to wonder why he didn’t simply say his theories were “contested.”
Without knowing the author or his reasons for doing so, I’m reluctant to speculate on his motives but it seems to me that it is easier to dismiss other people’s ideas by saying that your own are “not uncontested.” It is far more challenging to acknowledge that your ideas are contested.
If, however, you step up to challenge and acknowledge the validity of others to contest your ideas, you might just find that your own ideas are strengthened in the “contest” of competing ideas.
