Arthur Hughes. Uncertainty. 1878. Wikimedia Commons

“When we are not sure, we are alive.”

Graham Greene

What is the meaning of this quotation? Why does being uncertain mean that we are alive?

Greene is referring to the fact that life is about uncertainty, about not being sure, and without this we would stagnate, becoming worn and stale. Uncertainty is a part of the intricately woven tapestry of life and whether we like it or not, we must live with this sometimes uncomfortable fact.

If everything were ‘sure,’ then there would be no development, no curiosity, no growth and no need to choose anything. The certainty would preclude true living, life would be monotonous and mechanical, insipid, shallow, and predictable. We would be lacking adventure, devoid of expectation, flux and excitement.

“Certainty is the enemy of change.”

Salvador Minuchin

There would be no discovery, no creativity, no difference of opinion, no doubt, nothing unknown.

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.”

Ursula K. Le Guin

• Clinging to ‘certainty.’

The false starts, racing at Auteuil – Jacques-Emile Blanche. 1935. Wikioo

“There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing.”

Robert Burns

The more we cling to certainty as a kind of security, the more insecure we will be. Certainty, complete certainty, is an illusion, for we cannot be sure of anything, except for the fact that life is uncertain. The only certainty is that our lives will end one day.

It can happen that when we are really certain, things go awry and prove us wrong. Many proverbs point to this fact, such as ‘Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched,’ or ‘don’t put the cart before the horse.’

Seeing the world in the light of absolute ‘truths,’ like right or wrong, good or bad, male or female, success or failure, might at first glance, appear uncomplicated. It might seem that the easier option is to have only two extremes to think about. 

Yet binary, black and white thinking, actually complicates life even more…… it leaves us no margin for error, doubt, uncertainty, or second thoughts. There will be no room for difference, for diversity, for individuality, for shades of grey, or for creativity or innovation.

This blinkered view of self and the world is unrealistic and allows only for an impossible quest for perfection and idealism. 

“The more certain our knowledge the less we know.”

Hegel

With a narrow and restricted perspective, people, ideas, thoughts and beliefs are generally idealised or devalued; they are either good or bad, there is no in-between or uncertainty, no debate, no grey areas, no reservations. There are only absolutes and certitudes.

Kandinsky – Inflexible, 1929. Wikimedia Commons

“Inflexibility is the worst human failing. You can learn to check impetuosity, overcome fear with confidence and laziness with discipline. But for rigidity of mind, there is no antidote. It carries the seeds of its own destruction.”

Anton Myrer

• The ‘quest for certainty’ inhibits us…

Our world is becoming progressively more unstable, more uncertain and insecure. We may long for a greater sense of security, for more predictability in our lives.

When we cannot manage uncertainty, we will, inevitably, feel fearful, anxious and overwhelmed by how much of our lives we cannot control.

However, uncertainty can, as many of the quotations here affirm, be facilitative and enabling of life, creativity and power:

“The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.”

Erich Fromm

Why does wanting certainty ‘block the search for meaning?’ This is an important question, as searching for meaning in our lives and in the world is a crucial task for everyone. Victor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search For Meaning, states that:

“Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning.”

Victor E. Frankl.

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how.'”

Victor E Frankl

If we have a reason, some kind of explanation, meaning and purpose in life, then it becomes more bearable. 

Van Gogh. 1887. Sunflowers. Wikimedia Commons.

 

“… nothing lasts long. We all come to life and gather allies and build empires and die, all in a single moment – maybe a single pulse of some giant processor somewhere.”

Robin Sloan, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore

Everything is impermanent, as mentioned above, except uncertainty and not knowing what will happen next.

Allowing ourselves sometimes to be uncertain and doubtful can mean that we will be able to reflect on different sides of an argument and develop flexibility and originality in our thinking.

Young Woman Picking the Fruit of Knowledge (study) – 1892. Mary Stevenson Cassatt. Wikioo

“If we would have new knowledge, we must get a whole world of new questions.”

Susanne Langer

Developing such ways of thinking will enable us to make space and time for contemplation, for considering others’ viewpoints, for questioning, or even just waiting for an answer to come. This gives us the chance to weigh up situations, rather than jumping into certainty.

In our current society, much of our social discourse is constructed around the value of the quick-fix solution and formulaic, over-confident, upbeat, ‘positive’ thinking.

“We don’t know enough about ourselves. I think it’s better to know that you don’t know, that way you can grow with the mystery as the mystery grows in you. But, these days, of course, everybody knows everything, that’s why so many people are so lost.”

James Baldwin

There is little room, or respect, for doubt, uncertainty, ambiguity, or wondering. This rapid evolution of our ways of thinking may lead us into a precariously shallow and superficial state. 

• Uncertainty can give us great gifts…

If we can remember sometimes to slow down, to ponder, to wait, scrutinise, analyse and explore, then we will find that we make discoveries, become more creative, and begin to see uncertainty as manageable, having potential and a wealth of possibility.

“Man lives in a world of surmise, of mystery, of uncertainties.”

John Dewey

An Investigation, Doctor Samarro in His Laboratory – Joaquin Sorolla Y Bastida. 1897. Wikioo

“Uncertainty is a very good thing: it’s the beginning of an investigation, and the investigation should never end.”

Tim Crouch

We would not be able to be creative if we were not venturing out into the unknown. Unless we allow ourselves to move away from certainty, we will never give ourselves permission to experiment or try something new. We would not gain the courage to wander into a world where there are no guarantees, no promises, no reassuring, well-trodden paths.

“Creativity is an unending exercise in uncertainty.”

Joseph Brodsky

• Life is fleeting…

Carl Wilhelm Barth. Pilot Boat in Heavy Sea. 1882. Wikimedia Commons

“We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end.”

Blaise Pascal

Contained in the huge expanse of the universe, floating in a sea of unpredictability, we are, inevitably, beset with uncertainties and events beyond our control. This can be scary, and can fill us with anxiety and a feeling of being powerless. 

Edvard Munch – Sleepless Night. Self-Portrait in Inner Turmoil (1920)Wikimedia Commons

“The psychic task which a person can and must set for himself is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”

Erich Fromm

Being able to remain grounded when things are uncertain is, indeed a precious skill for everyone.

Life is unpredictable; we cannot know what is round the corner. However, developing a capacity not to know and to stay with feelings of uncertainty can be a highly creative, confidence-building and freeing experience.

The Female Warrior Hangaku – Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. 1883. Wikioo.

“A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next.”

Pema Chödrön

In actual fact, although it is hard and we need all the courage we can muster, acceptance of this situation is a kind of control. Paradoxically, once we let go of a desire to gain such mastery, we often feel more in control. Knowing that life is so impermanent gives us an understanding and wisdom, a reassuring sense of being in charge of ourselves, if not of the world outside.

Everything passes, except uncertainty and not-knowing what will happen next. Nothing lasts, not joy, not sorrow. Impermanence is woven intricately into the very fabric of our lives. If things go badly, this will not last. If things are good, that will not last either.

Life is a mysterious journey, and we will travel though many different episodes and experiences, which change all the time. Finding new paths involves coping with uncertainty and venturing into the unknown, but without taking such risks at some points in our life, we would remain static.

Houses in the Snow, Norway – 1895. Claude Monet. Wikioo

“Exquisite beauty is often hidden
in life’s fragile,
fleeting moments.”

John Mark Green

“Maybe that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars. ”

 Jack Kerouac

© Linda Berman