Have you ever felt like you were flustered and overwhelmed when faced with an important decision? Do you have such a regret, when you miss a rare opportunity, you will feel regretful and unable to let go? Have you ever had the confusion that when you pursue a big dream, you feel powerless and unable to achieve it?
If you suffer from these problems, you may be an ambiguity avoider. What does it mean? To put it simply, you are afraid of facing uncertain things and you like to choose certain things, even if the risks of both are the same. In other words, you would rather choose something for which you know the outcome than something for which you do not know the outcome.
Are you afraid of uncertainty? Come and take a little test!
This psychological phenomenon can be tested with an interesting little test. This test was designed by Daniel Ellsberg, a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University in the United States in 1961. It is called the Ellsberg test. The Ellsberg Paradox.
This test is like this. There are two lottery boxes A and B in front of you. A There are 50 black balls and 50 red balls in the lottery box. There are also 100 balls in the lottery box B, but the ratio of black balls to red balls is unknown. Now, you have to guess the color of the ball that will be drawn (black or red), and then choose to draw a small ball from the A lottery box or the B lottery box. If the ball drawn is the same color as you guessed before, you get a $1 reward. So, which lottery box will you draw the ball from?
What’s your answer? If you chose lottery box A, congratulations, you are an uncertainty avoider. If you chose lottery box B, congratulations, you are an uncertainty taker. why? Because from a probability perspective, no matter which lottery box you draw the ball from, your probability of winning is the same, 50%. However, from a psychological point of view, the probability of winning lottery box A is certain, while the probability of winning lottery box B is uncertain. Therefore, people who choose lottery box A are afraid of uncertainty, while people who choose lottery box B are not afraid of uncertainty.
This test revealed an interesting phenomenon, that is, people’s fear of uncertainty can lead them to make irrational choices. This fear, also known as ambiguity aversion, means that people do not like a game or game with an unclear probability distribution, and would rather choose a game or game with a clear probability distribution. This psychology was actually discovered by British economist John Keynes and Frank Knight of the University of Chicago as early as the 1920s, but it was only later discovered by Ellsber. The character is carried forward.
The harm of uncertainty avoidance: it makes you lose many opportunities and possibilities
So, what harm does this uncertainty avoidance mentality do to our lives and work? The answer is, a lot. Because of this mentality, we will lose many opportunities and possibilities.
Think about it, when you face a career change opportunity, will you worry that your abilities are not enough, or that the new work environment is not suitable for you? When you have a business idea, do you feel that the risk is too high, or are you worried that your idea will not be accepted by the market? When you have a study plan, do you feel that time is too tight, or are you worried that your study results will not be good?
If you have these worries, then you are an uncertainty avoider. You would rather choose a situation that you are already familiar with and comfortable with than one that you don’t quite understand and master. You would rather choose an outcome that you can predict and control than an outcome that you cannot predict and control. You would rather choose an option where you can maintain the status quo than choose an option where you can change the status quo.
Although such a choice can allow you to avoid some risks, it will also cause you to lose some opportunities. Because in this era of rapid change, uncertainty is everywhere. If you always avoid uncertainty, you will lose many opportunities for learning and growth, as well as many opportunities for innovation and breakthroughs. You will fall into a comfort zone and fail to realize your potential and ambitions.
How to Overcome Uncertainty Avoidance: Improve Your Uncertainty Intelligence
So, how do we overcome uncertainty avoidance? The answer is, improve your uncertainty intelligence. What does it mean? Simply put, it is the ability to make rational and effective decisions in uncertain situations. This ability can be improved through the following aspects:
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Embrace the nature of uncertainty. Uncertainty is not a threat, but an opportunity. Uncertainty means there are multiple possible outcomes, some of which are favorable and some of which are unfavorable. Our task is to increase the probability of favorable outcomes and reduce the probability of unfavorable outcomes as much as possible. This requires us to have an open and positive mind, not to be afraid of uncertainty, but to accept uncertainty and even welcome uncertainty. Because of uncertainty, we can have more choices, more creation, and more progress.
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Analyze sources of uncertainty. Uncertainty is not a single concept but a complex phenomenon. Uncertainty has many different sources, such as incomplete information, insufficient knowledge, unstable environment, unpredictability of people, etc. Our task is to find out the sources of uncertainty as much as possible, and then take corresponding measures, such as collecting more information, learning more knowledge, adapting to more environments, and understanding more human nature and motivations. In this way, we can reduce the impact of uncertainty and increase our confidence and sense of control.
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Strategy for Uncertainty. Uncertainty is not a state that cannot be dealt with, but a challenge that requires strategy. Uncertainty means that there are many possible actions, some of which are valid and some of which are ineffective. Our task is to formulate effective actions as much as possible and avoid ineffective actions. This requires us to have a flexible and innovative thinking, not to stick to a fixed plan, but to try a variety of different plans, such as setting multiple goals, formulating multiple plans, using multiple methods, and evaluating multiple result. In this way, we can cope with uncertain changes and increase our adaptability and creativity.
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Enjoy the process of uncertainty. Uncertainty is not a painful experience, but a joyful process. Uncertainty means that there are many possible feelings, some of which are pleasant and some of which are unpleasant. Our task is to enjoy the pleasant feelings and overcome the unpleasant ones as much as possible. This requires us to have a positive and optimistic attitude, not to regard uncertainty as a burden, but as an opportunity, such as finding fun, sharing experiences, celebrating achievements, and reflecting on failures. In this way, we can derive more satisfaction and growth from uncertainty.
Summarize
Uncertainty is an inevitable part of our lives and work, and it presents both risks and opportunities. We cannot avoid uncertainty because we are afraid of it, but we must embrace uncertainty because we like uncertainty. We need to improve our uncertainty intelligence so that we can make rational and effective decisions in uncertain situations and realize our potential and ambitions.
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