Uncertainty
Notes
Claim
Uncertainty is when we don't have complete knowledge on a topic. This is either because we are unable or unwilling to close this knowledge gap, or whether because it is a future event that can be affected by Randomness.
Explanation
Uncertainty causes us to be more loss averse We prefer avoiding losses over gaining equivalent value, meaning that we prefer what we have now because we have a bias towards minimizing risks as much as possible. A 100% now is better than 50% in the future, even if the differences are great (for example $5 now vs $100 in a year). The more uncertainty there is, the more we are anti-risk. Therefore, what appears as a lack of Self-control is the capacity to regulate behavior against impulses is actually the result of a logical conclusion (even if we don't agree with that logic).
When the uncertainty is really high and continuous, we might experience Stress can be adaptive or harmful depending on perception and context. For example, the poor who have little confidence in their financial situation don't know whether they will be able to make ends meet and bring food to the table; they are experiencing high stress in their day to day.
In those situations, we reject anything that is abstract and depends on the future, like goals and long term plans, and focus on basic needs Maslow's hierarchy orders needs from basic to self-actualization. For example, we might even decide to eat/sleep when we can, because we don't know what will happen in a few hours, so months and years are simply irrelevant. We are more stressed, untrusting and mentally unstable.
Why it matters
The reason uncertainty is so painful for us is because we are a Humans compulsively seek patterns and meaning even in chaos. There's a built-in desire to make sense of things, to bring clarity and order to a chaotic world. In that view uncertainty is our nemesis; it represents the fact that Life is change, that it's filled with uncertainty that we can't do anything about.
Examples
We can deal with uncertainty in a few ways:
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Fight it - Double down on your The will to power is the inner drive to transcend oneself and become something greater and try to control the situation as much as possible. On the one hand, we might discover that much of the uncertainty we face can be removed, and things that we were victim to are in our control. However, it is also a higher risk, because the more we expect that we can rise above the situation, the more we will fall if we discover that we can't do anything about it.
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Accept it - Some things are just beyond our control, and we have to accept it. The pain that uncertainty causes is the result of our judgment and expectations, rather the situation itself. If we remove this added layer, and accept things as they are, we might be more at ease with the circumstances of our lives.
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Overview
🔼Topic:: Avoidance and Defense Mechanisms 🔼Topic:: Nature and Limits of Knowledge ◀Origin:: 🔗Link::