Doubt

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"Doubt" courtesy of Freepik.com

Doubt: hidden superpower

Doubt and uncertainty are no fun. Our brains prefer confidence. However, listening to doubt can be your superpower IF it helps you stop, evaluate the situation, then  consider alternatives. 

As a beginner genealogy researcher, I was not only confident, but ignorant. We don't know what we don't know. I assumed memories of what I had been told about my family were accurate. I've since realized that while no one lied to me, my memories were incomplete and so were the memories of my family members. Unpleasant facts such as divorce and child deaths were never mentioned. No wonder it took me years to untangle even my own recent family, much less more distant relatives and ancestors.

The idea of research planning seemed absurd to this beginner. Now I'm looking at doubt and skepticism in a new light as I clean up my sprawling tree. I caused much of the mess years ago by accepting whatever "facts" I found. As a beginner, I lacked the foundations of good research. I had little understanding of the time, the place, and the history of the family and community I was researching. At that time, I didn't realize that same-named people could be a trap because I was not skeptical. If I had planned research before diving into records, there would be far less to clean up now. 

Once I got more deeply involved with the South King County Genealogical Society, I was introduced not only to examples of good methodology, I met people who demonstrated research planning, timelines, creating good research routines, and analysis. 

I was introduced to FANS (Family, Friends, Associates, Neighbors) as one of the keys to establishing the context in which my ancestors lived. I learned about changing county and state borders, changes in the law, jurisdictions, and how all of this could affect where records can be found, and also what they mean. The Genealogical Proof Standard became the North star guiding my work.

So it was fascinating to listen this morning to Hidden Brain, one of my favorite podcasts, discuss "Trusting Your Doubt." Part of it echoed the end of a discussion by Devon Noel Lee of Family History Fanatics discussing a new FamilySearch Family Tree feature, the Global Hinting Initiative. 

While I think that this new initiative is great, I mention it because Lee describes the process of improving each profile while  getting to know the person and family, noticing the context in which they live. She warns against focusing on any one record, and the importance of listening to doubt.  

For an overview of one way to plan research,  listen to Diana Elder: Selecting DNA Tools for a Research Plan. Such a review of what you already know and the rest of the steps will slow down the beginning of your process, while giving you the confidence which comes from creating a solid roadmap to reach your goal.

Embrace your doubt and let it help you choose the right path.

 

Valorie Zimmerman


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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org


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