How Comfortable Are You Living With Uncertainty?

[stvdv]

The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty. -- Kenko
Do you agree with Kenko, a Buddhist monk, that uncertainty is "precious"? Do you embrace it?

I hated uncertainty, so I choose a guru telling: "Love My Uncertainty".
Doctors told me to have a swelling removed [in my head]
My Master told me in a dream "You only die if I want"
I took this as an opportunity to "Love Life's Uncertainty"

 

[Jumi]

I prefer some types of uncertainty over others.

 

[Vinayaka]

Death ... anybody ... any place ... any time. Once you realise that reality, life is easier.

From an ancient Tamil ethics book. "One of man's greatest follies is to think the temporal is permanent."

 

[Polymath257]

I originally turned to math and science because of the 'certainty' they were supposed to give to our ideas.

What I have found is that science is filled with uncertainty. There is always a flux of different ideas and proposals for every phenomenon and not enough time, energy, or money to test each and every idea. Until the evidence is produced/found the default state is one of uncertainty. This is part of how we learn: we go from uncertainty to more certainty (note I did NOT say perfect certainty).

And, as we have learned more in the sciences, it has become clear that there are things we simply cannot know because of how the universe works. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle quantifies some particular cases where statistical uncertainty is inherent in nature.

But even in math, there are uncertainties. There are many unsolved problems and there is even the possibility that any given problem is unsolvable. In fact, we know with certainty that some problems are unsolvable. The work of Godel and Turing in the last century have proven that uncertainty must be present even in the most 'certain' of subjects.

For me, it is better to be uncertain that to be falsely 'certain'. It is far better to say we do not know than to claim knowledge where it doesn't yet exist. So uncertainty is the default in this wonderful life. Learn to live with it and relish it while also whittling away at it!

 

[ChristineM]

Uncertainty is fine so long as it ends in happiness

 

[Araceli Cianna]

As I get older I'm learning to live with it more. Agonising about uncertainty seems to make me more uncomfortable than uncertainty itself.

 

[Thief]

The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty. -- Kenko

Do you agree with Kenko, a Buddhist monk, that uncertainty is "precious"? Do you embrace it?

are you edging to a discussion? ......what happens after dying

 

[David T]

Or just as bad, to be not even wrong.

Wolfgang Pauli...

 

[Katzpur]

The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty. -- Kenko

Do you agree with Kenko, a Buddhist monk, that uncertainty is "precious"? Do you embrace it?

It's a lot easier for me that it used to be. At the ripe old age of 69, I'm finally realizing that certainty (with regards to spiritual things) is almost impossible. There are a few things about which I feel "certain," but I would still never say, "I know..." because my certainty is still just a strong "feeling" and not something that I can prove to anyone else, and, who knows, I could be wrong. Any of us could.

 

[Truthseeker]

The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty. -- Kenko

Do you agree with Kenko, a Buddhist monk, that uncertainty is "precious"? Do you embrace it?

If you had certainty, life would be boring. On the other hand, I don't trust God enough to look forward to some uncertainties, like when my wife and I will die. I dread the thought of my wife dying first. I'm preoccupied with the anxiety associated with that right now. She's in worse shape than I am right now, so I fear that is what will happen. We are now in our sixties.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'm not sure.

Maybe, maybe not.

 

[sojourner]

I think there’s a balance between constancy and uncertainty that must be struck in order for us to be in harmony. Comfort is not the ultimate goal of life. In my opinion, Jesus came not only to comfort the afflicted, but also to afflict the comfortable. If we don’t experience discomfort, we dont move. If we don’t move, we die.

 

[Ponder This]

The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty. -- Kenko

Do you agree with Kenko, a Buddhist monk, that uncertainty is "precious"? Do you embrace it?

Hmm... considering that Kenko was a Buddhist monk who wrote about impermanence...

I think we may have a case of lost in translation.

Is Kenko saying that 'uncertainty' is precious? Or is he saying the 'uncertainty in life' is precious? What is the 'uncertainty in life'? Is Kenko referring to a particular mental state? Or is he referring to the fact that life is precious because it is temporary?

 

[stvdv]

Hmm... considering that Kenko was a Buddhist monk who wrote about impermanence...

I think we may have a case of lost in translation.

Is Kenko saying that 'uncertainty' is precious? Or is he saying the 'uncertainty in life' is precious? What is the 'uncertainty in life'? Is Kenko referring to a particular mental state? Or is he referring to the fact that life is precious because it is temporary?

We don't know exactly, do we? That's good! Otherwise "where would the `uncertainty` be if we had all those facts"?

 

[Ponder This]

We don't know exactly, do we? That's good! Otherwise "where would the `uncertainty` be if we had all those facts"?

But if a Buddhist monk said it... then obviously it must be true! Uncertainty resolved.

 

[crossfire]

Uncertainty keeps your mind open. There is nothing like certainty to close your mind up tightly.

 

[WalterTrull]

I dread the thought of my wife dying first.

Interesting, I'm of the opposite feeling. I dread my death first, because I need to care for my wife. After she goes, whatever is OK. I'm 75, my wife is 81

 

[WalterTrull]

By uncertainty, I'm guessing is meant lack of control over our lives. I believe that, under God, we can learn to create our destiny. "Under God" of course is the determining factor. I seem to be learning more slowly than I'd hoped.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I felt the need to elaborate my initial (tongue-in-cheek) response in this thread for clarity.

I see certainty as nothing more than an illusion. While there are aspects to our worldly existence that are quite probable, with varying degrees of probability, I find nothing in our perceived reality to be certain.

 

[shunyadragon]

My uncertainty of everything including science, philosophy and theology is critical to my skeptical view including my own beliefs,