This is one of the most powerful mantras in my life. Like many people I started out believing that I have an innate sense that would tell me if there is a chance that one of my beliefs are wrong.
I’m not just talking about the big-picture beliefs like religion or morals here: My most vivid example is showing up a week early to my best friends wedding. You see I had been so sure of the date that I didn’t think to double-check the invite that was stuck to my fridge with a magnet, even as I dressed and drove 40 minutes to the wedding venue. It’s only when I realised none of the people in the church were familiar that the penny dropped.
Once I understood that I could be completely sure while also being completely wrong, I started trying to understand how to introduce the correct uncertainty into my systems. I started keeping track of my bets, and I try to avoid expressing absolute certainty. But of course, when you’re sure you don’t try to do those things, and it would be crippling if you questioned every single moment of every day.
So also have some sympathy for yourself and others when you inevitably make mistakes that you had no warning about.
I learned a lot about this idea of certainty from Kathryn Schults’ work. This TED video sums it up pretty well, but I encourage you to read more about this.
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