Randomness In Life, The Need To Accept The Unexpected

Our life is governed by many variables and one of them is randomness. Thus, and despite the fact that most of the time we take for granted that we have an iron control over our realities, we are firm captives of chance. However, it is very difficult for us to accept the unforeseen and assume that small percentage of chaos that inhabits us.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr, a writer of science fiction novels, used to say that in a world where order and predictability do not rule, we are forced to know how to handle chaos ourselves. But, yes, without becoming chaotic. Now, it must be said that this feeling, that fate is often capricious and places us in situations that we had never anticipated, is not something we experience frequently.

One can live with complete peace of mind for years, satisfied by a present where everything is in its place. We go in and out of the house, we go to work, we socialize, we share time with our people and chaos does not come. Until, suddenly, that inflection arises, that change of destiny and that face to face with the unusual and the unforeseen.

They are those moments where capacities, abilities and mental approaches are demanded of us that we have never used before. There are those who, however striking it may seem, respond to perfection. It is as if in your genetic code or in some hidden corner of your brain universe, there is a subroutine or an extraordinary code ready to activate in the face of adversity. And, indeed, they respond in the best way.

Let’s go deeper.

Difficulty accepting the unforeseen

There are days when the sun could not be brighter and the sky is clear in all its immensity. However, nothing prevents darkness from arising in a matter of seconds and a slab of variegated clouds bringing the rumor of the worst storms. In these circumstances, there is no use complaining: you have to take cover.

There are times when stability rules everything. Every thing on the agenda is fulfilled, every project, appointment, trip and project is assumed with normality and satisfaction. However, soon an unforeseen event arises.

Furthermore, the most unique thing about unforeseen events is that they never come alone, they generally bring with them more changes and uncertainties. In the midst of these contexts, there is no use complaining, lamenting or staying still. You have to respond, you have to act.

Now, doing it is never easy for many and varied reasons. Let’s analyze them.

Your brain doesn’t like randomness

How to accept the unexpected if our brain does not tolerate randomness? This exceptional organ has an almost obsessive tendency to look for patterns and to learn from experience to help us react much better to day-to-day situations. He likes to have everything under control because any unforeseen, any unknown stimulus, not previously processed or not experienced, triggers an alarm system and is interpreted as a threat.

Now, does the fact that it is programmed in this way mean that we are incapable of reacting to chance or chaos? The answer is no, people can effectively deal with these types of circumstances. And, as striking as it may seem, we have done quite well over time.

We are creative beings, with great psychological resources to innovate, react and overcome adversity. This is how we have managed to survive and this is how we will continue to advance despite the changes, despite the inevitable fear generated by unforeseen events …

Accept the unforeseen remembering your purposes

Science very often tells us that life is an accidental by-product in a random universe. Let us also remember what the well-known physicist Wermer Heisenberg pointed out: “what we observe in matter are not things (or particles) but waves of probability.”

This idea helped him to formulate his famous theory of the uncertainty principle , which claimed that it is impossible to measure or predict the position and motion of a particle. We can, yes, make conjectures. However, even in the world of quantum physics that small percentage of chaos is assumed. What’s more, something Heinseberg pointed out is that in an uncertain world we must be prepared for the unexpected.

That this is so is neither good nor bad. It is an obvious reality. There are those who take advantage of it, who have no problem accepting the unexpected and moving forward in a brave and creative way. Others, on the other hand, experience it as something paralyzing. When we have been immersed in an apparent tranquility for so many years, the mind feels capable of predicting what is going to happen until, suddenly, the black swan of which the essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb spoke appears.

Now, how to face then the inevitable variable of uncertainty in our day to day? Let’s look at some dimensions to think about.

The exercise of accepting and facing the unexpected

It is necessary to accept and face the unforeseen, taking into account the following considerations:

• The first step in accepting the unforeseen is to remember what your purposes are. No matter how chaotic your present reality is, if you have clear priorities, you will find the strength and the ingenuity to act.
• The second step is to have under control what you “really can control.” An example of this is your decisions, mental focuses and actions.

• Next, it is necessary to understand that, in the midst of uncertainty, you always have to take risks. Doing so can cause us concern, it is true, but it is necessary to take innovative steps to move forward.
• Likewise, it is important to awaken those skills that we all have: curiosity, creativity, receptivity. We must be open to the environment, listen, accept advice and, later, act accordingly by following our internal compass. What we can get from these circumstances can be very enriching.

To conclude, the key to coping with the unforeseen, no matter what its dimensions, is to be brave. If we remain still, lamenting that particle of chaos in our life, the suffering will be greater. You have to be proactive, resourceful, be able to rationalize your fears and put your emotions and creativity in your favor.