Uncertainty

The concept of uncertainty is philosophically interesting and practically consequential. All humans face uncertainty but we react to it in different ways. Uncertainty permeates most human endeavours and we often find ourselves making decisions under conditions of uncertainty. In fact, from a philosophical viewpoint, this is the essence of engineering. It has been argued that humans strive to increase predictability and reduce uncertainty. Studies show that people faced with different decision alternatives prefer the option with least uncertainty. The notion that uncertainty as an undesirable attribute is also reflected in humans who cherish past eras because of the comforting certainty about what happened the next day. The present day is different; we feel uncertain about whether the stock market will crash tomorrow and whether there will be a big earthquake next year. On the other hand, it is interesting to note that while uncertainty is often viewed negatively and we seek to reduce it, many people express personal reluctance about getting to know with certainty what will occur in their lives in the future.