Seeking examples of how certainty is helpful, I came up empty handed. All I found was that certainty drives action. That sounds helpful at first. Naturally, the ‘certainty’ of autonomic reactions are helpful, e.g., jumping away from a speeding bus. Here though I am thinking more about the cognitive certainty that generally drives human affairs.

When we experience an overwhelming degree of cognitive certainty, action follows in its wake. When our degree of certainty fails to reach a desired threshold, we rationalize the needs or fears we are feeling to amp up the certainty. When we have ‘proven’ the matter sufficiently to ourselves we act (or judge) with ease within an empowering sense of righteousness.

So, if certainty is less helpful than it sounds, what is more helpful? The Tao Te Ching offers us a splendid model, as in tentative, as if fording a river in winter! Tentative, hesitant, careful, patient, deliberative, cautious, yet proceeding across the river just the same. The ‘boost’ that pulls us into action despite the absence of certainty is courage. It takes courage to move forward in life without the bold weaponry of rationalized certainty. The Tao Te Ching speaks to this when it says…

He who is fearless in being bold will meet with his death;
He who is fearless in being timid will stay alive.
Of the two, one leads to good, the other to harm.