Why are we so afraid of uncertainty?
The Fear of Uncertainty?
Shades of gray are easy to spot in a black and white photograph. But when we are called upon to find nuance in a political or social issue that seems clear-cut, we all struggle with it. Why is that?
Whether we are conscious of it or not, uncertainty is scary. Uncertainty makes us anxious — as the co-author of this 2014 study says, “uncertainty lays the groundwork for anxiety because anxiety is always future-oriented.” In other words: nuance can be uncomfortable because if good/bad or right/wrong are not clear now, then the future is not clear. When the future is unclear, we get very stressed out. Evidence shows that people would rather get an electric shock immediately than at an unpredictable time —?participants in this study reported a significantly greater amount of anxiety and physical pain when experiencing an unpredictable shock than a predictable one of the same voltage. Fundamentally, we want to know what’s coming for us — even if it’s bad.
On both sides of the aisle, there are catastrophists who warn us that the end is nigh. Politicians are motivated to say it would be the end of days if their opponent won, and their extreme statements are often viewed by their supporters as strong leadership. They use fear to get our attention and manipulate us to their own ends, which may or may not be in our best interest. Either way, it’s a pointless outlook that gets us nowhere.
Our brains want us to see the future in black and white because simplicity makes us feel safe. But if we embrace the discomfort of the gray, nuance is an opportunity for transformation and reflection.
We don’t need to be extreme in order to be strong when nuance is our strength.
This week’s highlights:
We are starting with us. We hope you are too.
With curiosity, compassion, and courage,