 A useful analogy lies in the doubt-resisting character of the cogito. If I attempt a direct doubt of own my existence, the effort is self-stultifying; I immediately apprehend that I must exist, in order to attempt the doubt. What Descartes needs is a similarly strong and immediate doubt-resisting outcome in connection with attempts at an indirect doubt. That is, on occasions of trying to undermine clearly and distinctly perceived matters – e.g., by doubting God’s existence, or benevolence, or the like – the very effort at doubt would be immediately thwarted.