not sure? that's good!

When I was a young teenager, I heard this adage: There is nothing that is certain; therefore, it is not certain that nothing is certain.

I puzzled and delighted over this paradox as if it were a Zen koan. It took me around in dizzying mental circles and was one of the sparks that lit a fire of curiosity about the power of words in me that has never burned out. From Pliny the Elder to Dorothy Parker the question of certainty has been the subject of discussion for thousands of years.

I had the pleasure of hearing author Maggie Jackson speak last week on the topic of certainty, or more specifically, uncertainty. In her book Uncertain, she urges us to develop the skill of not-knowing. Rather than see uncertainty as a weakness, it is, she argues a key to flourishing if only we reframe it and learn to use uncertainty to our personal and collective advantage.

Beginning there – reframing – we can tap into the discomfort of it all. For one thing, being unsure causes our brain to shift into a higher state of alertness. Increasing tolerance to this unsettling feeling can improve with practice. Uncertainty can also suspend alertness or attention for a short time, so allowing yourself a pause to divert your attention elsewhere can open up space for processing information and, perhaps, coming to a fresh outlook.

Being on the same page with your team at work sounds great but it can quickly devolve into a flattened kind of groupthink that dulls creativity. A little disagreement may introduce some uncertainty, but with that may come a new approach. Even walking in someone else’s shoes, as the saying goes, opens up new perspectives and can lead to exciting new ideas.

Certainty can be very rigid. Uncertainty requires flexibility. The point is that neither one is good or bad. Neither one is right or wrong. But if you think about how you perceive each term, you might realize you are giving these words one sort of power while completely overlooking the opposite power.

So, take a chance this week and step into your uncertainty. And if you want to learn more, read Maggie’s book. I can’t wait to. I’m certain I’ll love it!  

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4/14/25