Soulful Sundays: Uncertainty

“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” —Seneca

Human beings crave certainty. We want to know how things will turn out. This helps explain our deep love of stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The more ambiguous the resolution, however, the more uncomfortable we become. That discomfort is held at bay as long as we remain voyeurs. Ambiguity in our own lives is far less tolerable.

Enter modernity. Uncertainty is multiplied by the speed of information exchange and the rise of bad-faith actors. The internet amplifies this chaos, making it increasingly difficult to discern signal from noise. Meanwhile, traditional value systems are often sidelined in favor of technological solutions. The new wedges out the old—and we are complicit in allowing it. We reach for easy answers out of anxiety, but in doing so, we only amplify the problem.

There is no easy path forward—no simple list of actions that will reduce uncertainty. Life is more complex than that. Expanding our tolerance for discomfort, difference, and disagreement, however, would be a good place to start. We can pause and reflect when things grow muddled, and make an effort to see what is not immediately obvious. In doing so, we can learn to orient ourselves toward what is substantial and lasting: humility, compassion, joy, love, wisdom, and the courage to weather the storm.