I am very grateful to my parent for (a) teaching me to think for myself and (b) even though they were not aware of it at the time, teaching me the fundamentals of critical thinking.

I have ready a great number of religious and spiritual texts, and "sat at the feet" of an assortment of spiritual teachers and "gurus" and learned many things in the process. Perhaps what I have most learned is that the vast majority of humans are extremely uncomfortable with "not knowing" things... be it the origins of life, or what they are going to have for breakfast. Uncertainty scares us.