It’s not cool to have strong beliefs anymore.

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I just saw a terrific video with poet Taylor Mali: “In case you hadn’t noticed,” he says, “it has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you’re talking about, or believe strongly in what you’re...saying.”

“Invisible question marks and parenthetical “you know’s” and “you know what I’m saying’s” have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences, even when those sentences aren’t...questions.”

I work with students all the time, so I know what he’s talking about. But it’s deeper than the language. It reflects a view of truth and certainty.

As Sean McDowell writes in YouthWorker Journal, “Rather than holding to the traditional definition of truth...youth today see truth as what “works,” rather than a belief that accurately reflects the world.”

A lack of certainty on some things is a sign of humility, but a lack of certainty on anything and everything means a lack of conviction also -- on things that ultimately really matter. Come to ThePointRadio.org to see Mali’s video.

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Further Reading Taylor Mali Poem Taylor Mali | YouTube.com True for You, but Not True for Me? Sean McDowell | YouthWorker Journal | Jan-Feb 2006