Uncertainty and Depravity

It is certain that every person faces uncertainties in his life. Uncertainty is part and parcel of life which can either make or break a person. A person cannot predict the sea of future uncertainties in his life, be it personal or professional. A hazy picture of uncertain or uncontrollable factors gives a person an opportunity to develop his critical thinking and hone his skills. It is the mark of a critical mind to show prudence in the event of an uncertain scenario and react wisely.

Uncertainty is like a teacher that tests your ability to get through a tough situation. It is worth remembering the story of the ‘thirsty’ crow, which you read when you were very small. The crow flew all over the fields looking for water, failed, still did not lose hope, put in more effort, found a jug of water but with a little amount of water in it, gave thought to finding a solution to this problem, and succeeded. This story is inspiring in the sense that a combination of physical and mental labour is the generator of new ideas to solve a problem. It leaves an indelible impression on the minds of an impressionable student to take cues from the uncertainties itself and take adequate steps in accordance with the goals. Analogous to the maxim that necessity is the mother of invention, an uncertainty could be the generator of creative mind.

In the event of uncertainty, four factors play their part – courage, determination, self-faith and fear of failure. A man with immense courage does not lose hope and fights back hard in whatever situation he might find himself. Courage may be physical or mental or a combination of both.

The unflinching determination to tackle difficult situations is like a span that joins two ends of a bridge. Determination to achieve a goal is a key feature of people who succeed in life while overcoming uncertainties.

And self-faith is like the cable that holds the bridge from above, functioning as a support system. Martin Luther King Jr., a great American leader, aptly said, “Faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future.” Self-faith is the underlying feature of the mind that keeps it calm despite all adversities a person might face in life.

One factor that keeps a person inactive during a period of uncertainty is the fear of failure. This mindset tells a person to not act as it could result in failure. It is important to learn how to overcome the fear of failure. There are no chances for a person to succeed either unless he tries. Overcoming the fear of failure guides a person to allow everything to fall in its correct place and at the appropriate time; and this leads him to succeed with flying colours. Difficulties and obstacles keep coming in life, but learning to tackle them comes from overcoming the fear of failure.

Uncertainty implies the suspense that the future holds. It is difficult to speculate that everything will occur as has been planned or calculated; sometimes things go wrong. But in it lies the adventure of life. Sometimes, tackling an uncertain situation might lead to failure, but it certainly leaves behind a lesson. This learning acts as a stepping stone to success in the times to come.

It would be appropriate to quote the well-renowned Indian industrialist Ratan Tata here: “I don’t believe in taking right decisions. I take decisions and then make it right.” What this great man implies is that a decision should be taken after rigorous analysis of the ground situation, but it should open the flood of possibilities to mould decisions to achieve a future goal.

Man is inclined to think negative. It is easier to fall prey to a difficult situation than stand and face it. Sometimes a person can hope to solve a difficult situation by taking recourse to negative ways; this situation is called depravity. A weak mind is overwhelmed by the uncertainties and chooses not to face them squarely.

Starting from the earliest times, life has been filled with uncertainties. It is through these uncertainties that the world has progressed to the present level. The cell, which is the first life form to have come into existence, faced a much more uncertainty than what humans face today. The cell overcame uncertainty to bloom the world into the most diverse creatures that we can find around us. Similarly, our forefathers have faced uncertainties of a higher order than we face today; they came up with novel ideas to resolve the darkness of uncertainty to make the world a better place to live in.

Every generation faces challenges of its own kind. It is from the womb of uncertainties that the world progresses and evolves, and it also shapes creativity, imagination and thinking of a person.

The Murphy's law states that if anything can possibly go wrong, it will go wrong. It is advised to keep calm and do your work meticulously without thinking much about the results. Lord Krishna says in the Geeta, "You have control over action and not the result, which lies with the Divine." So, act you must boldly and not fall victim to depravity. This alone will lead to success.