Your Guide Through Uncertainty

Essays and quotes from our archives

“All’s well that ends well, still the fine’s the crown;
Whate’er the course, the end is the renown.”
— William Shakespeare, 1603

I hate rollercoasters.

That makes me a real downer at amusement parks, as I’m the guy who stays behind to enjoy the bumper cars and carousel.

But I just don’t like the feeling of nervous anticipation as the clickety-clackety cars climb the incline, the feeling of sheer dread as we loiter at the top as if the cars are reconsidering this rash decision, and the tightening of my stomach as we lurch toward the bottom.

Yes, I know there are hundreds of kinds of roller coasters, and they’re all different. On some, you’ll find yourself upside down, in others you may go backward, and yet others may operate indoors in the dark.

For thrill-seekers, there’s a balance between the expected and the unknown: they eagerly queue for another ride on a favorite…