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Published:
March 1, 2026
It seems like this year has started in a way that has led to a lot of chaos. A lot is going on, and we don’t really know what’s going to happen. No one has answers, and when we don’t have answers, our brains don’t like that. It can truly feel like we are all playing the violins as the Titanic is sinking
Our brains want certainty, which means they want answers at whatever cost. What does that mean? It means we will compulsively search for bits of information, ask others, read books, watch videos, and do anything else we can think of in order to get a semblance of control. Mostly, that just leads to more information as we stumble upon conflicting ideas, misinformation, and tons of people’s opinions that further mess with our heads.
Yeah, sorry, but it’s true. Sometimes there is no absolute answer. That is disgusting to bear, and I am right there with you, because it makes me want to run or crawl into a hole. At the end of the day, we have to accept that we ultimately have very little control. When we get slapped in the face with that reality, it can collectively destabilize us.
A lot of us are feeling strange about the state of the world. On one hand, that’s sad. On the other hand, we are not alone. The good news is that this could potentially spark more discourse, closeness, and community. The bad news is that we could also continue down the road of more divisiveness. After saying both the good and the bad, it’s clear that we’re kind of back at square one. Who knows what will be. Ew.
It’s tempting to just end it with “who knows what’s going to happen.” Again, that’s a nice answer for our brains to have. It’s a great way to protect ourselves from fear. But it’s too reductive. It’s times like this when we actually need to root into ourselves, connect with others, and yes, bear the feeling of the unknown. It’s very uncomfortable, and that’s okay. We all have to tolerate the unknown, and the more we tolerate it, the better we often do. That’s not to say we turn a blind eye. It means allowing all of this to exist at once.