The Story of Certainty

When we get stuck in our heads, when we overthink, overanalyze, and ultimately mindfuck ourselves to the point of panic, self-sabotage, or stagnancy, it is our brains seeking certainty. We are not neurologically wired to tolerate uncertainty. This is part of our survival programming to assess risk and threat. 

Our brains are constantly asking - is this environment safe? If it’s not safe, can I adapt to it? If I can’t adapt to it, can I leave and go somewhere else? If I need to leave and go somewhere else, which path should I take? Etc. That risk assessment is like a news ticker that operates in the background of our day to day life. When we feel certain, we feel safe, and when we feel safe, that ticker chills the fuck out and we have more bandwidth to put toward other things. 

The thing is, there are very few things that we can be certain about. We can trust that the probability is high that our home will still be there tomorrow, but it’s not necessarily a guarantee. That probability dips if there is an imminent threat of natural disaster, whether that be from forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes. The only thing certain about natural disasters is that they can and will happen, but we can never be truly certain about when. Suddenly, I’m stressed out, are you stressed out?

If nothing is certain, then why do we have such little tolerance for uncertainty? Why do we mindfuck ourselves into having all the answers and give ourselves such tiny margins for error? Part of the reason is that our brains are trying to create an illusion of safety so that we can function effectively. But maybe we need to expand our comfort zones. Maybe we need to redefine what safety means to our mind, body, and spirit.