Pulling back the certain

Sometimes, being unsure means trusting your gut, knowing you'll have an answer later. So, why has it become such a taboo?

- Anushree Nande

It’s inescapable. It seems that every mindset guru, leadership coach or productivity influencer is obsessed with chasing absolute focus. Goals? They must be clearer than Ambani diamonds. Success? If you can’t picture it in HD, you’ll never make it. Action plans? Don’t worry. Every hour of every day has been accounted for and optimised. No wonder somany young people are overwhelmed before they even begin adult life.

Life’s too complicated to control. And yet, uncertainty is taboo. It’s worrying great minds too. “A solid amount of ‘dallying in the wilderness of being unsure’ is a positive thing,” says Amercian journalist Maggie Jackson. Her National Book Award-nominated book, Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure, examines why the term has long been seen as a shameful flaw, and how the long-neglected topic is now exciting researchers.