Figmentations

Is it better to know or not to know?  

Does more learning occur before, during, or after we’ve studied something? 

The truth is that many times the learning stops once we believe we’ve solved a problem.   That’s when we think we can safely put the previous concerns to bed, go into “autopilot”  for that situation, and begin focusing our energies on the new/next situation.

Often we’ll stay in that “solved” mode, never giving it much more thought, until it resurfaces as a new problem for us or someone else.

Uncertainty about any situation inevitably can lead to feelings like anxiety, frustration, fear, anger, or apathy. These are feelings that no one is comfortable staying in for extended periods of time. Often, longer bouts of uncertainty can appear to be more tortuous than even swift negative results. 

Clearly our current economic crisis is an example of this.  People in any aisle (not just across the aisle from each other any more) seem to be short on patience, heavy on blaming others, and high on self-righteousness. 

There has been no shortage of opinions.  Unfortunately many of the arguments posed in support of, or against, a particular position are carefully cherry-picked to support a particular point of view or ideology.

Uncertainty can be a time of great learning, innovation, and growth.  The complexity of the situations that face our country and our world require respectful discussion, dialogue, and debate and the coming together of intelligent, experienced, and caring minds.

Even if many of those currently in the spotlight aren’t having the type of discussions, dialogues, and debate that are the most helpful in this time of crisis, that doesn’t mean that we, individually, can’t and shouldn’t. 

I like the quote: “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”.  What do we/you stand for?  Maybe more of us can choose to stand for being open-minded with humility, rather than being close-minded with self-righteousness.

My hope is that we’ll be able to take advantage of the current levels of uncertainty to get  further away from the more divisive “either, or” and closer to the more inclusive and farther reaching “both, and”.

What hopes and fears do today’s Uncertainties raise for/in you? 

Please feel free to join in the discussion by sharing your thoughts below.