Certainly Uncertain
No one knows what the future holds. But you know what you're capable of.
“We must confess that at present the rich predominate, but the future will be for the virtuous and ingenious.” — Jean de la Bruyère, 1688
In last week’s newsletter, I acknowledged the strange times we’re currently experiencing.
No one knows what to make of it; and yet, amid the hoarders, price gougers, and foot-draggers, we’re seeing companies making decisions for the common good.
For most people though, there’s a lot of fear and even existential dread, rooted in uncertainty.
The future is always uncertain, but it’s usually centered around specific risks rather than vague and amorphous uncertainties.
Throughout history, as humans faced other harsh challenges such as daily hunts for food, unpredictable natural disasters and weather, and invasion by enemies such as tribes and tuberculosis, we figured that our fate was in the hands of the gods.
Eventually, we got beyond that thinking and took our fate into our own hands.
In Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk, Peter Bernstein points out that the future had to be something other than “the murky domain of oracles and soothsayers” before it could be put “in the service of the present.”
The Industrial Revolution and more recently the Tech Revolution (particularly through the lens of A.I.) insulated us from what seemed like such primitive doubts. Humankind was thought to be in control, to the extent that we could wrest back from Mother Nature that which we had heretofore damaged.
And therein lies the missing link right now: Control.
Are you a control freak? I suspect many of us are.
Not necessarily in a paralyzing way. But in the sense that we need to feel like we’re calling the shots before we can make progress.
“Fortune can take from us nothing but what she gave us.” — Publilius Syrus, c. 50 BC
Know Yourself
In my friend Laura Gassner Otting’s book Limitless, Chapter 7 is “Control.” A whole chapter that’s dedicated to our need for autonomy and self-determination. And in the chapter, Laura acknowledges that we feel limited by our lack of control.
How can we possibly lead and remain strong for others around us in the current climate when things are so vastly uncertain and out of our control?
One of the things Laura points out is the important process of self-discovery. Blocking out what we think others need us to do or be, and focusing on what we think our strengths are.
As we have more time alone — time in which we can find less dot com and more dot calm — it’s the perfect opportunity for self-reflection and self-discovery.
Control What You Can
The other thing to consider is a central tenet of Stoic philosophy: acknowledge there are things swirling around you that you can’t control. What can you control? Your reaction to them. In short, you need choices, connection and competence.
Are infection rates rising? You can abide by health guidelines.
Do inane press briefings make your blood pressure rise? Turn off the TV.
Feeling isolated and lonely? Schedule video chats with friends and family.
Don't know what devastating news could possibly be coming next? Build a daily routine for yourself.
Stressed out about work prospects? Use this time to build knowledge and skills that you otherwise wouldn’t gain.
Yes, times are uncertain. It’s the perfect time to become more certain about who you are and how you respond.
That will certainly inspire those around you.
There’s so much to learn,
