Uncertainty: A Study Guide
Let’s say we’re all in the “school of life” for a minute and we know that there will be a few tests. Now when I was actually in school some teachers provided a “study guide” at some point in the chapter or right before the exam—right? That really helped some students a focus on what the teacher wanted the a students to take away from the materials being used.
So it seems these days we are in the midst of a master class in navigating uncertainty. So.... while this study guide (the next two or three entries and related podcasts) isn’t meant to provide the answers, it could provide some questions to consider that might give you some choices. Regarding approaching the very certain uncertainties we all face.
Step one “Facing Uncertainty?”
What if we dedicated one month in our life to changing one word. After all we have changed words before. As Carlin reminded us we changed “used cars” to Pre-owned vehicles: and our weather folks have changed a snow storm to a severe winter weather event. Therefore, how about instead of saying we are “”facing” uncertainty—we say exploring uncertainties? Better yet everybody seems to like a good mystery—so instead of facing uncertainty could we be exploring Or investigating mysteries? After all paraphrasing Oman Voral it is quite3 possibly better to feel the discomfort of uncertainty than it is to experience the certainty of being wrong.
So Point one on the study guide—don’t face uncertainty as if it is an opponent in a knock down drag out fight.....blew it as a dance partner and explore the possibilities.
When Certainty is Not possible
There are lots of times in life. When and where certainty is highly. Improbable and maybe not possible so the astudy guide should discuss this. A number of “great minds” have offered a statement that boiled down basically tells us—“Progress Starts Where Certainty Ends. science advances (and so do other realms of human inquiry) when we notice and start to consider anomalies . We have discovered planets based upon the motion of other planets that didn’t fit nicely into existing ideas. We are starting to understand.that intelligence has nothing to do with with race, gender, creed, or the size of a person’s left earlobe and personality is not dictated by the bumps on a citizen’s skull.
So study guide. Point. Two is—-our level of. Certainty may not help us make progress and in fact our need for certainty may obscure possible progress in undersatanding.
And the final. Study guide topic for today...
It is Better to Build a Boat Than to Curse The Rain or the Waves
I’m gong to go all biblical here for a second—sort of—Imagine Noah watching wGOD live from Jerusalem when Skip Shepherd predicted a 60% chance of rain over the next week. Now Skip couldn’t or wouldn’t predict 40-days of rain because that kind of storm had never happened in the history of the planet and the Babylonian model often contridicted the “three wise men” satellite projections... In short Skip had to base his “certainty level” on all that had been certain in the past and So until “Providence” came and told Noah differently, Noah was scouting the bizarre for an umbrella. Instead of searching the Dead Sea scrolls for ship building videoes. So what’s this little story mean? Instead of viewing. The past as lessons and tools we so often view them as truths. That will govern the3 future.
Point Three—Uncertainty exists because what because there are gaps in what the past has taught us and what we are experiencing no—otherwise we wopuldn’t be experiencing it... so just as the history of weather couldn’t really help. Skip inform Noah—feel okay that your past won’t provide all your answers....so maybe building a boat (creating some comfort with uncertainty ) is a way to navigate the present and what may come—that and leaving plenty of room for a couple of elephants over there in the bottom left section near the anteaters.
well there are the first few sections of your uncertainty. Study guide there will be more tomorrow if you believe in the future and that’s where the guide will start tomorrow... with. “Uncertainty and the Future
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