For A Good Life You Have To Deal With Uncertainty
The only thing we know for sure in this life is that nothing, or at least very little, is certain. Even then, the western world overwhelms you with the idea that it is possible to keep everything under control. It doesn’t even stop there. You should also be able to find solutions for everything quickly and efficiently. Our society does not encourage what is crucial to adapting: dealing with uncertainty.
‘Dealing with uncertainty’ means exactly what it seems to mean: the ability to handle the absence of certainty and ready-made solutions. You can try to get everything in order and try to find an answer to everything. However, you will soon find that this is impossible.
Sometimes answers and solutions only reveal themselves over time. Others are simply untraceable. Humanity does not possess all knowledge. In fact, we do n’t know more than we do know.
If you say it like that, everyone will agree. In practice, however, this is viewed differently. Some people find dealing with uncertainty almost impossible. It makes them nervous and irritable. They can’t stand the fact that they don’t have a stable surface.
When you can’t deal with uncertainty
People who can not deal with uncertainty, the need for something called “cognitive closure” (for closure) . This concept can also be translated to ‘the last word.’ There are people who want everything explained or explained. Yes or no. Black or white.
People with this characteristic experience a lot of stress when there is no definitive answer to something. Cognitive closure implies certainty. “Do you love me… or not?” They want to hear either yes or no. It takes a lot of effort for these people to accept that the most realistic answer in certain cases is, ‘well… yes, and no’.
Ambiguity and paradox are unbearable for people who can handle uncertainty. They don’t see these things as concepts that have a place in the world, but as lies, deceit, a way to hide the truth. The bad news for these kinds of people is that we can say (ironically almost with certainty) that almost all human things are uncertain.
Consequences if you can’t deal with uncertainty
When people can’t deal with uncertainty, it’s probably because they’re simplifying reality. They have a limited number of hypotheses regarding what is happening around them. It’s either one or the other. People who see the world this way have a hard time gambling things. It is not easy for them to create new assumptions about what they see. It is also difficult for them to accept that something is simply incomprehensible, at least at that particular time.
For example, they cannot understand that a certain event can be the result of all kinds of circumstances. If a person has no interest in reading, it is not necessarily because this person is carefree and uncivilized. There are a thousand and one reasons why a person does what he does.
Often, an inability to handle uncertainty well is a sign of a lack of empathy. People with this deficiency see the world only from their own perspective. That makes it very difficult to accept differences between people, because they have reached an individual consensus about what is ‘right’. In addition, they believe that always agreeing is the foundation of good relationships, close families and communities.
What does dealing with uncertainty look like?
A tolerance for uncertainty manifests itself as the ability to accept that there is no right answer. People who are able to handle uncertainty don’t feel nervous or uncomfortable when they don’t get answers to their questions or dilemmas right away.
They simply accept this and continue with the information they do have at their disposal. They focus on solving something they do understand. When new elements become visible, these types of people are aware of them, pay attention to them and use these elements to clarify their situation.
Another thing that people who are good with uncertainty do: they analyze all the facts very thoroughly. They don’t stay superficial, they always try to find depth. As a result, they discover that things are more complex than they seem. This makes it easier for them to understand how difficult it is to find definitive solutions or answers.
Interestingly, people with a lower tolerance for uncertainty tend to be much more confident about their judgments and choices when they make them. Those who have a high tolerance for uncertainty, on the other hand, take more time to make choices. They will also always question their own choices before making them final. Yet they deal much better with conflicts and differences between people, as can be seen in their relationships with others.
