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How to Deal With Uncertainty
Tips on mastering the unknown
You’re afraid. You spend most of your life afraid. So do I. We all do. And we’re all most afraid of one thing — uncertainty.
The fear that comes from the feeling of not knowing what’s next is so palpable, even when it comes to something that’s challenging but ultimately benign like trying to change the circumstances of your life. You’re not in literal danger, but you feel like you are, and the way you interpret an uncertain future is based on these deep irrational fears.
You ask yourself:
- What if I try really hard and still fail? This is hard psychologically because you have no coping mechanism to lean on.
- What if I’m embarrassed or rejected? Lowered social status means death in your caveperson brain.
- What if I wast time? This one is actually a derivative of the first question, really.
Why do we behave this way?
We’re wired to.
I won’t dive into a long explanation of evolutionary psychology here, but we put much more weight on fear and loss aversion than the upside of “risky” activities.
Understanding that your brain isn’t your friend can help you deal with your fear of uncertainty. See, if you think your mind is…
