I have a weather app on my phone that tells me things like, “Rain ending in 13 minutes.” and I get frustrated when it’s inaccurate. I realize that it’s a best guess based on known conditions, but still, I like certainty, especially when I’m planning a trip to the store.
We all like certainty. It may be a factor of modernity. We’re used to scientific precision–watches that tell perfect time, cars that start when you push the button or turn the key, lights that always come on when you flip the switch, and so on. We like mathematics. 2+2 always equals 4. Hydrogen and the right amount of oxygen always makes water. Gravity is (more or less) constant.
We can deal with a certain amount of uncertainty–in things like sporting matches, for example. This relatively inconsequential uncertainty adds a bit of excitement to the rest of our hopefully predictable lives. But for the most part, we do what we can do reduce risk. We have health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, and even life insurance, in an attempt to minimize the downside of uncertainty.
Embracing Uncertainty
Regardless of our attempts, there is no way to avoid uncertainty. Uncertainty is a fact of life. We have no control over so many factors that impact us on a daily basis. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. Life is unpredictable, and everything about it is uncertain.
That being the case, it makes sense to embrace this concept of uncertainty as best we can. Does that mean that we have to like uncertainty? Absolutely not. I didn’t call this post “the joy of uncertainty.” However, I think we at least need to make peace with it. Take each day as it comes, making something of each opportunity. Notice I didn’t say “making the best…” I am not unrealistic. I believe in having reasonable goals, and always making the bast of surprises just sets you up for failure. Just realize that a surprise—an uncertainty—is likely something you didn’t plan for, so you do what you can and learn from your experience. Sometimes just picking yourself up and moving on is the best you can do, and sometimes you even need a bit of help. Be fine with that.
Next: Uncertainty and belief