There are more people on the camp of not knowing what they're doing than people on the camp of knowing what they're doing.
I think to know what you're doing really entails having a clear understanding of your current position, your desired outcome, and at least the initial steps to bridge that gap.
But even that is also done on the background of many variables that you're either unaware of or know of but still can't really control.
I'm 99% sure that the grocery store down the street will be open at 9 AM tomorrow.
The reason I'm not 100% sure is because I've learned that the moment you claim 100% certainty about anything, life has a way of humbling you, and I suppose this small doubt is my insurance policy against overconfidence.
Adult Mask
I'd like to think that adults are just "matured" children who've learned to navigate the world with a mask of certainty.
The child isn't gone, but has been eclipsed by societal expectations and accumulated experiences. And given the right set of circumstances, that lost child can beam through like a rising sun.
See how people act when they travel to a completely foreign place?
Curious, willing to try and unafraid of looking foolish.
At least that's what it seems to me whenever I see people light up when they talk about something they're genuinely excited about, regardless of their expertise level.
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I've heard recently that a reason why the NFT mania of 2021 happened is because millennials in this space were reliving their childhood trading card experiences.
The same psychology that made us spend lunch money on Pokemon cards was driving grown adults to spend thousands on digital artwork.
Now I wonder what other childhood experiences are we trying to relive with our adult decisions in this digital space we mostly spend our time on?
In some ways, the startup culture's obsession with "changing the world" feels a lot like the childhood fantasy of being a superhero.
Pre-set Formulas
This tendency to focus more on the regret of not starting than actually starting and the potential opportunities ahead is partly influenced by people not knowing that everyone, including those who appear to "know what they're doing," is largely trying to figure it out as they go.
I think I'm beginning to really understand, perhaps implicitly, that life isn't much about following a pre-set formula but just about a continuous process of probabilistic thinking.
You try to make the best decision with available information and constantly adapting based on acknowledging the variables beyond one's control.
Besides, most pre-set formulas are either too rigid to account for real-world complexity or designed for a past context that no longer fully applies.
So might as well embrace the iterative game of experimentation and adjustment.
Passing this hurdle of not wanting to do things based on not knowing what comes next is quite crucial.
Always On The Go
It means recognizing that the most valuable knowledge needed for meaningful progress will mostly emerge from the act of starting and figuring things out as you go.
I think the child in us, unburdened by adult anxieties of perfection and predictability, intuitively understands this.
Part of me does feel a bit nostalgic remembering that spirit of experimentation and learning-by-doing, so evident in childhood play.
I think that's precisely what's needed to better navigate a world where certainty is becoming a rare commodity.
The irony isn't lost on me too that the people who seem most confident are sometimes the ones who've made peace with not knowing.
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