Episode 12. Origin of the word doubt

Hey all—My name is Meagan Skidmore, and this is the “Beyond the Shadow of Doubt” podcast. My goal with this podcast has been and continues to be to bring this idea of doubt and having questions, which is traditionally a taboo topic in many faiths or religions, out of the shadows of shame and into the sunlight.

I am a Life transitions coach certified through the life coach school & I work w/ parents of lgtbq+ kiddos (and their teens) who are of a conservative faith background.

Welcome to episode 12 “Origin of the word doubt.”

Sooo you may or may not have noticed, I’ve been on a hiatus for a couple months.  It wasn’t planned nor did I really see it coming.  I could say that November was a busy month with biz travel and the December holidays proved to be busier than anticipated.  All of that would be true, however it is not the whole story. 

If I’m honest, I vulnerably share that in hindsight I can see that my faith journey was taking yet another pivot.  I am still processing exactly what was going on for me and over the next little while, I will do my best to share whatever comes up for me and is appropriate for the purposes of this podcast. 

I had several episodes written in advance of the month of November, and yet the words were not coming when I’d sit down to record.  I genuinely felt stuck, tongue tied almost.  And I didn’t want to publish content in an episode simply for the sake of publishing.  I wanted to feel there was value.

Maybe there was value, and maybe there wasn’t (& it was stuff I was making up) but here we are today and I’m looking forward to fanning these flames and get this fire going again.

When I was in high school and then again in my early 20s, I learned the Spanish language. Learning a second language has, overtime, opened my eyes to the complexity of language in general. There is a linguistic history behind every word we say.  Some of the words we use today did not exist last year.  Many many of the words we use in this century did not exist in the previous ones.

We have significantly more choices of words to use to express ourselves than our ancestors.

Understanding and learning a words’ origin gives context, insight and deeper meaning to the way in which is used present day, and how that meaning may or may not link back to what was originally intended.

I love analogies.  Let’s say we were to compare this word knowledge to it being like a river. Gaining deeper etymological insight into the words we use creates bridges where once symbolically existed a damn or blockage.  The bridge allows anew the flow (or understanding) of knowledge.  These bridges are important; therein lies the potential for new bodies of water to be accessed if already existing or to develop and branch out (rivers, streams, etc) and for knowledge, understanding and insight to grow and increase..

>>>Let’s take the word doubt for instance. I did a little research

Doubt can be used as a verb or a noun, (so context matters.)

Doubt as a verb looks/sounds like “to doubt, doubted [past tense], doubting [present tense]; it means to call into question the truth of, be uncertain, to lack confidence in, consider unlikely and finally of a more archaic origin fear or suspect. 

As a noun doubt means a lack of confidence, distrust, an inclination not to believe/accept, uncertainty of belief or opinion that often interferes with decision-making, a deliberate suspension of judgement or a state of affairs giving rise to uncertainty, hesitation or suspense. i.e. The outcome is still in doubt.

Why am I sharing this?  Well, because of all the descriptors of the word doubt I’ve mentioned, there are two that resonated best for the purposes of the Beyond the Shadow of Doubt podcast: first, as a verb “to be uncertain” and second, as a noun “a deliberate suspension of judgement.”

There’s more to the history of the word doubt that could contribute to the negative connotations associated with it.  c. 1200, douten (dough-tn), duten, “to dread, fear, be afraid” (a sense now obsolete), from Old French doter (doo-tay) “doubt, be doubtful; be afraid,” from Latin dubitare (doobie-tar-ay) “to doubt, question, hesitate, waver in opinion” (related to dubius “uncertain”), from duo “two” (from PIE – Proto Indo European – root *dwo- “two”), with a sense of “of two minds, undecided between two things.” Compare dubious. Etymologically, “to have to choose between two things.”

So the older, obsolete use of doubt “to dread, fear, be afraid”originating from douten, duten is much less applicable as the meaning has evolved The idea of “wavering” or weave/sway unsteadily to and fro— is in direct opposition to the idea of 2 minds, undecided between two things. 

I wonder if the sense of fear developed from this idea that one must decide between two things. This often leads to ALL OR NOTHING THINKING.  For most, thinking that it must be one or another creates stress, anxiety, among other strong emos which can lead to a sense of loss or hopelessness.

As the higher species, we have been able to evolve in our ways of thinking, and have in fact evolved.  Unlike your family dog or cat, we have the ability to think about our thinking, call it into question, ponder and analyze it when determined faulty, erroneous or confusing. 

I took the time to share this because moving forward, when I use the word “doubt” on my podcast these are the definitions I have in mind -“to be uncertain” and “a deliberate suspension of judgement.”  (unless I note otherwise).

That is all I have for today.  I will include the links in show notes of the various websites from which I took these definitions in the event there are others with my crazy interest in etymology.  Please hit the subscribe button and come along on my journey with me.  Share my podcast with family and friends who would benefit. 

Wanted to make sure you know, I am a proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network (DialogueJournal.com/podcastnetwork). The Dialogue Podcast Network features shows by Latter-day Saints who wish to bring their faith into dialogue with the larger stream of world religious thought and with human experience as a whole and to foster artistic and scholarly achievement based on their cultural heritage.  PLease check the website for a list of podcasts.

I am currently creating a PILOT hybrid group program.  By pilot, it’s in the test phase, by hybrid I mean that it will be a combination of group coaching, individual coaching, and weeks where I invite guests to speak to the group. I will simultaneously be going through a trauma certification program to enlarge my skill set as a coach, as well as deepen my ability to process with my clients. I would love and appreciate your help as I go through the program. Win-win. Those who are involved in my hybrid pilot group will get the benefit of trauma coaching as well if desired/needed. Let’s learn and grow together! 

The group starts the first week in February, requires a minimum 6 month commitment, minimal cost ($100/mo, payable monthly or if you pay in full I have a bonus) and is limited to 10 folks.  If you are interested, don’t delay. It will be first come, first served, after spots fill, then the rest will be put on a waiting list.  If this sounds like something you want to participate in fill out your name/email address at the link in my show notes. It WILL fill up! 

If you have questions about the group or anything at all, please send them to hello@meaganskidmorecoaching.com; I’d love to hear from you. Or let’s chat virtually; your first is complementary, no strings attached.  You can schedule it at my website https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com. Don’t forget to connect with me on FB/IG @meaganskidmorecoaching.

Until next time.