The blessings of uncertainty

In our present times of frequent stock market gyrations, international political protests, food contamination scares, and a worldwide curtailment of all goods and services previously consumed with rapacity, I recall the lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s venerable song, “My Way.” In this timeless tune, the memorable line, “to say the things he truly feels—and not the words of one who kneels,” captures the adulation of an idiosyncratic lifestyle while showering praise on the boldness it takes to stand by unpopular convictions with minimal regrets or second thoughts. Indeed, part of the message of that tune was to encourage individuals to act not according to preconceived data or clairvoyants, but to the whims of a their innate sense of judgment. Although Sinatra, in the melody, never makes explicit his excoriation of the quest for a certain and predictable lifestyle, the legendary American icon demonstrated that—and much more—throughout his extraordinary rise to public prominence.

If Sinatra were alive today, he would absolutely renounce the corporate and arguably American belief that the light of certainty illuminate the dark jungles of society. From a freshly minted high-school first-year meticulously laying out a detailed time line to reach medical school, to the obsessive stock trader poring over bottomless statistics to gain just enough certainty to lure investors, the desire felt by people to achieve their dreams frequently results in disappointment and psychological unease. That said, it is not surprising that everyone seeks the ultimate prescription that allegedly heals all wounds: certainty.

Indeed, not only do financial markets respond positively to a more predictable environment, but consumers and lenders are also more inclined to absorb the risks of spending and lending if they will lead to a stable economy. In other words, people feel more comfortable buying cars and houses, paying deposits on tuitions, and venturing to exotic vacation spots if they know that their house, community, and society will be in functioning order upon their return. Certainty may be the preferred condition, but an argument can be presented that not knowing may perhaps be just as, if not more, emotionally soothing and intellectually liberating.

The demand for fortune-tellers—from the endless lines in front of major department stores in Busan, South Korea to the innumerable hits on Yahoo’s infamous daily horoscope section—illustrates a phalanx of individuals who cannot possibly comprehend a world in which things happen for no reason whatsoever. At Columbia University—with its population of high-performing academics and committed intellectuals—courses are taken, lectures are heard, and small group discussions are absorbed in the pursuit of certainty. The certainty of a job after graduation, the assurance of a favorable recommendation letter upon successful completion of a course, and the hope of achieving stellar grades for graduate school may not immediately motivate the actions of undergraduates at Columbia, but nonetheless remain an under-the-surface impetus for daily behavior. From the staircases of Lerner Hall to the stacks of Butler, inadvertent eavesdropping can confirm that ambitious, precise planning is not a campus commodity in short supply.

Wouldn’t life be less stressful if PowerPoint presentations on how to become successful were eliminated, or if how-to books were viewed with suspicion rather than endowed with demigod status? Imagine a world where people merely accepted and embraced the fact that life is inherently fluid and subject to the same instability that characterizes political revolutions and natural disasters. A world where countless hours spent planning and re-planning in the pursuit of certainty is frowned upon, instead of expected and actively encouraged. While the road of certainty is impossible to reach in all professions and industries, that does not preclude people’s trying.

The frustration and dismay that inevitably accompany an overreliance on financial, emotional, and career templates of assurance are, lamentably, intrinsic components of modernity.

At times, it may be beneficial to be the person who refuses to don eyeglasses despite serious sight deficiencies, rather than the individual who has 20/20 vision. A true visionary need not be able to accurately foresee every stumble or obstacle; instead, a bona fide sage would possess the knowledge that full-fledged certainty is unattainable and would therefore work on sharpening his or her skills of response and flexibility instead of concentrating on one’s premeditated life path. As Frank Sinatra so glowingly echoed in his version of the national anthem, perhaps it is better to take your blows and do it your way rather than live a sheep-like existence carved out of the maniacal pursuit of certainty.

The author is a graduate student at Teachers College majoring in International Educational Development/Higher Education.