The Certain Uncertainties

The Heisenberg principle states that for any particle, the more precise one gets in determining its position, the less accurate he/she may be in determining its momentum. In simple words, for a fundamental particle like an electron, one can either know its velocity (from momentum) or its position, for a single instance. And isn’t this fundamental particle, the most basic unit of everything in this universe. If the flesh and blood of our world constitute an infinite number of such particles, how can anything ever be certain?

It’s in human nature to seek security and aim to avoid uncertainty. Our naive human minds are made to side with certainty and crawl back to our comfort zone at decision-taking moments. Signing up for a new job, changing career line to one that is engrossing, moving to a new place or even the decision of getting up early - these are some of the most common changes that most of us struggle to induce gracefully. But for such scenarios, we aren’t to blame ourselves alone. Just think about the structures of the society, that have shaped our early years. From the onset, we are taught to be in a certain way, to behave and waltz around the norms of these structures of the society. Entire school life is based on the concept of a certain uniformity, which demands us to be like the pack. Try to deviate to show your true colours, and you are frowned upon. And yet at the professional front, you are expected to make a choice for yourselves, and not for the pack nor like the pack. While this certain curriculum is good to lay the foundations, the real learning happens with the uncertainties. Certainty makes us feel comfortable and this comfort zone is often the reason for low work performance and lack of motivation. There must be something which forces us to go for that extra mile. The answer is uncertainty. This transition from the uniformity to individuality is most the dreadful and the scariest nightmare, that is a part of the certain uncertainty. As we face uncertainty, our brains push us to overreact. Successful people are able to override this mechanism and shift their thinking in a rational direction. Let us examine how they do it.

1.     Acceptance: Successful people manage to go through the uncertainties because they understand that they really do not have any other option. They embrace the situation and walk their way to success which is surrounded by uncertainty.

2.     Staying positive: Positive thoughts counter the effects of irrational thinking and focus your mind to something which is stress-free. Successful people always find something positive to which they can shift their attention to, when their thoughts turn negative due to stress.

3.     Certainty in uncertainty: In difficult situations, it is easy to feel as if everything is uncertain. Successful people manage uncertainty by taking a stock of what is known to them and what is unknown, and act accordingly.

4.     Not sticking to the problem for long: What one focuses on, determines one’s emotional state. If you’re fixated on the problems that you’re facing, you create and prolong stress and negativity. Successful people do not allow themselves to be stuck with uncertainties for long. Instead, they focus on what they can do to better their situation. 

5.     Contingency plans: Successful people understand the basic principle behind uncertainty: that the success of their actions is also uncertain. They prepare to give their best and are also ready for the worst. They can absorb and learn from their mistakes.

Certainty is a truthful myth. It is not a dependable ally and is always waiting to unleash the hounds of the uncertainty and change to belittle us. The right attitude and creative thoughts is always the key when you face critical moment. The key is to not to be lost in uncertainty. Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist nun, writes “Things falling apart is a kind of testing and a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together, and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that.” [2] She goes on to say that real cognizance is understanding that there is uncertainty in everything. What defines the future is how we deal with our present. Deal with life’s curveballs on a day to day basis. Do whatever you can handle and trust that everything else will work itself out.

References

[1] T. Bradberry, “11 strategies successful leaders use to overcome uncertainty,” 15 September 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/11-strategies-successful-leaders-use-to-overcome-uncertainty/.

[2] P. Ch?dr?n, When Things Fall Apart : Heart Advice for Difficult Times, 1996