Does the name Zweifel mean anything to you ? Did you immediately think of the famous potato chips brand ? Did you know that the verb Zweifel is the english equivalent of the noun: doubt? Doubt is a lack of certainty, a distrust of the realization of something. Yet doubt has more benefits than you think (not like potato chips).
Doubt me ?
Doubt is defined as “(a feeling of) not being certain about something, especially about how good or true it is“. For many, doubt is described as a weakness. When we doubt, it is the beginning of the end. Why this pessimistic view of doubt? Is doubt so bad? And what if doubt was finally the sign of a good thing?
But what are you talking about?
Why are you talking about doubt? The idea for this article came from a conversation one October evening on the highway between Lausanne and Neuchâtel. As we were debriefing the day, our discussion drifted to the qualities that certain jobs require, and the ability to never stop despite the difficulties. That’s when a Zweifel truck passed us (which gives you an indication of how fast we were going).
“You know what Zweifel means in German? It means doubt. And doubt is what keeps you going despite the difficulties.”
And if doubt was finally the trademark of successful entrepreneurs (or those who fail not too badly). Those who constantly question themselves, those who are never sure of what they know and always seek to learn more.
Maybe it’s time to stop seeing doubt as a hindrance, but as a sign that we are moving in the right direction. That of continuous improvement. To doubt is also to question what we know, to remain alert. It means being ready to innovate at all times.