Uncertainty & Unpredictability

We need assurance to make good decisions; four questions to keep us grounded

King Lear by Benjamin West, 1788 (public domain - Museum of Fine Arts)

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
— H.P. Lovecraft, 1927

One of the constants of any era is uncertainty. In normal times, we don’t think about it often, because each day is similar to the previous, with a degree of repetition and predictability built in.

But what if each successive day is not like the previous, leading us to attend or expectations with fear, dread, or indecision because we don’t know what to expect?

Take the current state of tariffs. Since the inauguration on January 20, the administration has announced new or revised tariff policies more than 50 times.¹ On average, that’s a change every other day and it is having an effect.

Unsure about …