The Certainty Trap

Welcome to Navigating the Fustercluck. The jargon monoxide-free weekly business newsletter. This edition we explore the

The Certainty Trap

It Can Be Scary to Find Out You’ve Been Wrong About Something.

But We Can’t be Afraid to Change Our Minds, to Accept that Things are Different, that They’ll Never be the Same, for Better or Worse.

We Have to be Willing to Give Up What We Used to Believe.

The More We’re Willing to Accept What is and Not What We Thought,

We’ll Find Ourselves Exactly Where We Belong. -- Grey’s Anatomy

Certainty certainly feels good. It feels confident. Strong. Solid. But it will also feel like a ton of bricks landing on your head if you follow it blindly. You can’t change if you’re absolutely certain. No matter how sure of yourself and your position, you may want to pay attention to see what kind of foundation your opinions are built on. You may be surprised. You may also come to a new and more genuine comfort.

Creativity Requires the Courage to Let Go of Certainties.

- Erich Fromm

Certainties lead to rules. Traditions. Customs. Things you’re supposed to follow. Lines you’re not to cross. Just the kind of conformity that the great artists rebel against. For those who make their mark are the ones who open our eyes. Our minds. And sometimes even our hearts.

Don’t Wait Until You Have Enough Facts to Be 100% Sure, Because by Then it is Almost Always Too Late. - General Colin Powell

Fear causes us to hesitate. Procrastinate. Yet, critical decisions require you to be decisive and timely. For example, the U.S. military is willing to place lives at risk when they are 70% percent sure of a mission’s success. Only 70%! Not because our military leaders don’t value the life of the enlisted, but because the battlefield conditions will have changed by the time they hoped to have absolute certainty. It’s dangerous to pass off procrastination as patience. At some point, you’ve just got to move past your fear, and move forward. In war. In work. In life.

Sincerely Believe That You Might Not Know the Best Possible Path and Recognize That Your Ability to Deal Well With ‘Not Knowing’ Is More Important Than Whatever It Is You Do Know.

– Ray Dalio, Investor & Author

?Dealing with uncertainties and the unknown require a particular mindset.

One open to being wrong. To continuous learning. To the truth. Though, unfortunately, the truth doesn’t necessarily guarantee you happiness.

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