RE:Doubts: Raising, lowering, through the years...

Proposing, Opposing: Whenever you or I raise doubts when a proposal is being made (initially to us by our parents, then peers, then...?), as in when you first heard about the good side of "the devil" after earlier being cautioned "the devil will find work for idle hands and minds...😕😟", how someone playing "devil's advocate" ..."for the sake of debate...", even in a quest to find "the devil in the details", especially before signing on the dotted line, making an investment. That is, being a bit "dubious" as part of a process of "due diligence", especially in assessing the true value of something before sinking your life savings (or that from the US Treasury, which almost seems opposite, opposed by the recently overheard "Pass this bill and then we'll find out what's in it...")...AKA the "requisite effort", a term calling on us and on our behalf, depending on the type of 'deal' being made, one which has been around since at least the 15th C. (if you doubt me, look it up), one which has never fallen out of style or favor (again, depending on who you are in "Let's make a deal") and was codified as a good thing in the U.S. Securities Act of 1933: "An act to provide full and fair disclosure..." (curiously absent in "pass this bill first..."). Especially important if you, yourself, are considering in sinking some of your life's savings (or that of another, in the case of inheritance), before "sign on the dotted line, here, here, and here...". After which "due diligence" or other acts of diligence, of course spread into other forms and topics of interpersonal (dis)agreements. Throughout the years, for most of us, raising doubts came in the form of "Why this and why that, why not...?" and hopefully never went out of style, but became incorporated into a more advanced, sophisticated form of testing hypotheses, "The scientific method", which "brings (mis)truth to light", a type of diligence, which in due course serves to build us up, not break us down, which may even strengthen our resolve our most basic convictions, core beliefs...which may even provoke us to redouble our efforts, in building our own personal...

Redoubts: You know, those advanced parts of fortifications that usually consist of an emplacement outside the larger (or inner) fort, an added, advanced layer of protection, to better ward off the enemy. We grew up learning about fortifications as we transformed the living room couch, tables, etc. and then heard about "building stronger minds and bodies" (e.g., bread, milk, cereal...adding vitamins to better fortify) -- perhaps in a quest to make sure ours don't become "the work of the devil..." and eventually, for me professionally, and on your behalf, when I learned more about how we all develop our respective internal/external fortifications, as in "psychological defenses" -- a topic I have written to you about more than once in this space. But since I am back on this subject, do you see yourself, after some reflection, as someone who 1) ventures out of the fort, to encounter the 'enemy', find trouble, before it finds you, more of a 'spear thrower' (watch out, you only have so many); or 2) one who tends to stay behind the walls, build a stronger defensive position, even more 'layers' (common word in trying to get to know someone's internal workings), a stronger 'shield'; or 3) one who waits, finally recognizing "the enemy's at the gate" prior to doing something defensively. You might even find yourself, on behalf of someone you care deeply for, signaling them about a coming storm, in order to best prep...raising doubts, in order that they might make a wiser choice, as in investing their time, effort....income ("allowance")...diligence that is due before they, themselves, get drained of precious resources, well before they (we) get an "overdue" notice. And, the type of research, disclosures we will seek, before casting our votes in a few months...