The Fear of the Unknown

Too much uncertainty is a fertile ground for all kinds of anxiety issues and other mental disorders, as our future itself feels like a threat.

Even if we do not become mentally unstable due to this fear of the unknown, it affects our decision-making skills, work performance, and happiness levels.

On a larger scale, extreme uncertainty makes society cling towards authority, corruption, and makes them less tolerant of alternative viewpoints.

Many people would want to obey an all-powerful religious or political figure, if it means less uncertainty, even if they are oppressed.

We create schedules, routines and habits to build an illusion of certainty, linearity and an expected order of events and circumstances.

Governments, religions and institutions know this mental need of certainty and create an illusion of stability in peoples minds by providing them with rules, laws and rituals.

Even if we know something is certain, it may or may not be true, just a trick of our mind for it to feel stable.

We all need a dose of uncertainty in our lives, to boost our immunity. Just like being exposed to certain bacteria and viruses provides our body with the strength and know-how to fight with other viruses.

Escaping from unpleasant, uncomfortable or challenging situations makes us weak, and unable to cope up at a later stage. Ignoring your anger, anxiety and discomfort only makes all of that worse.

To deal with uncertainty we need to handle well all that is in our control.

Building habits and routines that stabilize us helps counterbalance all the uncertainty that is around us. This includes changing our environment to help us accomplish our goals.

Example: Not having chocolate ice cream in the fridge will help you stick to your diet plan, as it lowers the chances of you eating it.

Just by doing the basics right, and just showing up with an intention towards positive action can help us with making life more certain.

Your chances of running a few miles, and getting the much needed exercise will increase when you get up in the morning and wear your tracksuit/jogging shoes, instead of staying in bed.

• Getting creative is a way to be comfortable with anxiety.
• Building something from scratch, even if it is just an attempt at painting something on a blank canvas, requires a strength to work with the unknown.
• A creative life full of deep dives into the unknown is more of an adventure where risk and uncertainty end up further enhancing one’s creativity.

We need to embrace the unknown as an untapped spring of opportunity.