In one of my previous posts I talked about randomness and how it impacts us and basically determines why we do what we do. The opposite of randomness is certainty. And this post is on the fallacy of the idea of certainty.
Certainty - mathematically speaking something can be certain only when there is a 100% probability of it happening. And if science has taught us anything, it is that nothing is 100% certain. In fact, there is a distinct non-zero probability that I will experience spontaneously combustion right now as I write this. There is a distinct probability that I will disappear right now from where I am sitting and instantaneously appear perched on the top of Mt Everest (and probably not last there for too long - again probably, not certainly).
So when someone tells you he is certain of something - certain that John is going to arrive late for the meeting as usual, or certain that Chad and Marissa are not going to make it as a couple - ask him if he is certain he is going to be around the very next moment of his existence. And tell him that there is, even though extremely small, a distinct probability that he won't.
I feel like I am repeating my points. But one thing I have realized in my 20 years as a student is that we humans need to hear a message at least a few times before it really sinks in. I am certain of it, or am I?
Change is the only constant - the Buddha said that and there is a lifetime of wisdom in that one sentence. If we can truly grasp it we will be spared a lot of trouble, stress and misery in life. Then why do we chase certainty? If change is good for us, why did we not evolve to expect, appreciate and desire change? Perhaps we are in that process of evolution. I really think we as humans have left evolution far behind. It does impact a lot of the things we do and we are. But for the most part, we have left evolution behind.. It doesn't really apply to us anymore in the sense it applies to other species. There is no space of consciousness, self-awareness in evolution, at least in the way we understand evolution. As per evolution the sole aim of any life is the propagation of life - specifically the propagation of the species to which the individual belongs. However with conscious thought, with the mind we have, the same mind that can contemplate and try to understand the universe that created it, it can't be that simple. Even though we are a social species, we are in fact more individual than any other species I can think of. Each one of us is a unique, self-aware, conscious mind that is capable of a lot of amazing things.
I myself have struggled with letting go of the idea of certainty. For a long time most of my efforts were directed to eliminating uncertainty from my life. I wanted everything to be in its place and work perfectly. And when something, even something very small, went wrong it affected me a lot. It stressed me out, made me unhappy, anxious. It has taken some time but I feel I am more capable of accepting uncertainty now. It is such a liberating feeling. The knowledge that its ok for things to be not ok, for things to be not what you wanted them to be. Every unexpected, uncertain fork in existence leads us somewhere new. Many times somewhere much better, which was never part of the original "plan". So embrace the uncertainty and let go of the overwhelming desire to chase certainty - there is no greater feeling than the feeling of being finally FREE.
Certainty - mathematically speaking something can be certain only when there is a 100% probability of it happening. And if science has taught us anything, it is that nothing is 100% certain. In fact, there is a distinct non-zero probability that I will experience spontaneously combustion right now as I write this. There is a distinct probability that I will disappear right now from where I am sitting and instantaneously appear perched on the top of Mt Everest (and probably not last there for too long - again probably, not certainly).
So when someone tells you he is certain of something - certain that John is going to arrive late for the meeting as usual, or certain that Chad and Marissa are not going to make it as a couple - ask him if he is certain he is going to be around the very next moment of his existence. And tell him that there is, even though extremely small, a distinct probability that he won't.
I feel like I am repeating my points. But one thing I have realized in my 20 years as a student is that we humans need to hear a message at least a few times before it really sinks in. I am certain of it, or am I?
Change is the only constant - the Buddha said that and there is a lifetime of wisdom in that one sentence. If we can truly grasp it we will be spared a lot of trouble, stress and misery in life. Then why do we chase certainty? If change is good for us, why did we not evolve to expect, appreciate and desire change? Perhaps we are in that process of evolution. I really think we as humans have left evolution far behind. It does impact a lot of the things we do and we are. But for the most part, we have left evolution behind.. It doesn't really apply to us anymore in the sense it applies to other species. There is no space of consciousness, self-awareness in evolution, at least in the way we understand evolution. As per evolution the sole aim of any life is the propagation of life - specifically the propagation of the species to which the individual belongs. However with conscious thought, with the mind we have, the same mind that can contemplate and try to understand the universe that created it, it can't be that simple. Even though we are a social species, we are in fact more individual than any other species I can think of. Each one of us is a unique, self-aware, conscious mind that is capable of a lot of amazing things.
I myself have struggled with letting go of the idea of certainty. For a long time most of my efforts were directed to eliminating uncertainty from my life. I wanted everything to be in its place and work perfectly. And when something, even something very small, went wrong it affected me a lot. It stressed me out, made me unhappy, anxious. It has taken some time but I feel I am more capable of accepting uncertainty now. It is such a liberating feeling. The knowledge that its ok for things to be not ok, for things to be not what you wanted them to be. Every unexpected, uncertain fork in existence leads us somewhere new. Many times somewhere much better, which was never part of the original "plan". So embrace the uncertainty and let go of the overwhelming desire to chase certainty - there is no greater feeling than the feeling of being finally FREE.
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