A compass for navigating uncertainty
The dominant sentiment of our time is what the Germans call "Unsicherheit," a term that encapsulates such a vast complexity that it reflects the current state of the world and the multiple threats we face daily. This concept requires three words to translate it: uncertainty, insecurity, and vulnerability, as proposed by Zygmunt Bauman.
To understand this, it is crucial to note that uncertainty is closely related to the erosion of trust in institutions—whether governmental, educational, or economic—as evidenced by various surveys on civic culture, such as those in Colombia. The assessment of risks becomes increasingly difficult in an unstable environment, and meeting expectations amidst rapid changes becomes a monumental task. This highly uncertain environment generates a constant state of alert and anxiety, hindering our ability to plan for the long term.
Insecurity pertains to one's social standing and connections with others, whether friends, colleagues, or acquaintances. Today, these connections, which traditionally represented a source of support and stability, can easily break, creating a sense of unease and highlighting the fragility of commitments. This results in a persistent worry about our role within society.
Finally, we are overwhelmed by the fear of losing physical and material security because the information we receive from the outside highlights our extreme fragility and the potential collapse of the environments we inhabit. In other words, what once seemed solid for past generations is no longer so, fueling a constant sense of precariousness.
Uncertainty concerns not only the future but also the validity of knowledge and, largely, our own decisions. However, in this discouraging landscape, uncertainty can be a powerful advantage as it drives us to explore the unknown, seek new answers, and adapt to constant changes. Instead of paralyzing us, uncertainty challenges us to learn to walk on the edge, to balance on a tightrope, as philosopher Damián Pachón suggests. It invites us to stay attentive to the present, its challenges, and adjustments, and to be more open and reflective.
It is worth clarifying that what characterizes our socio-historical moment is not so much the change itself, which has always existed, but the vertiginous pace at which it occurs and its repercussions. This is greatly influenced by the simultaneity of experiences and images we receive through the multiple screens open in cyberspace. The constant stimuli do not always allow us to signify and re-signify life, despite the quantity.
Education for uncertainty
We have been adequately educated in a system of certainties, but our education for uncertainty is deficient. We are often encouraged to plan "life projects," but we are not warned that the outcome is not necessarily a single, coherent life path or a linear programming of life without any change. Thus, as we live in a complex world today, it is essential for educational environments to focus on preparing individuals to navigate a complex and constantly changing world, rather than simply following a predetermined path.
We navigate an ocean of uncertainties with some islands of certainties. Viewing uncertainty not as fear but as a challenge means understanding that it prepares us to be more open, attentive, and less complacent, to be flexible and learn on the go. It teaches us that existence is an open, not fixed, structure. Hence, developing creativity and reinforcing shared social values is crucial for building a possible new world, as the the Comisión de la Verdad of Colombia, reflects.
To face uncertainty, it is not enough to turn to the utilitarian concept of being "entrepreneurs of our own lives" or to conceive ourselves as capital to address existential precariousness. It is collaborative and intersubjective initiatives, which foster shared emotional connections, that can truly help us.
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