It is quite one thing to talk about uncertainty tolerance, living in the VUCA world conceptually and quite another to live it. We have experienced in the last two years, during the pandemic, what ambiguity can do to our minds – how it unravels a chain of thoughts, that the mind devours, consumes, and increasingly becomes anxious – of the possible outcomes that may be in store. So better anxiety management, essentially is named uncertainty tolerance in common parlance. And the popular and social media fuels it – instead of curtailing, the mills run overtime to help people consume even more anxiety. And then provides the antidote – in form of mindless consumption of commodities – that fill the mind. Leaving no room, well to develop mechanisms that help in valuing uncertainty.

It is even more unfortunate when analytics tries to replace uncertainty with data-based models of being! Almost nudging people to behave in a certain way. Data of the past used to project the future and conveniently sidelining uncertainty with a “well thought out” plan.

There is nothing wrong with analytics or even with anxiety management. Information is key to sustaining a more structured and “managed” life. And anxiety management is crucial to keeping an order in the society – which let the social processes run more smoothly.

Filling the mind and mindless consumption of information to project the future is the issue? Which in turn fills most of our lives with anxiety and worry.

So, what is the antidote? Does mindfulness help in being more open to accepting uncertainty? Does it prevent from mindless consumption of information, commodities, and material – that may hitherto be unnecessary. Apparently yes, and most behavioral research points to that.

Mindfulness is fundamentally about awareness of the present moment, we know that. But each moment is also the cause for the next. In that sense, there is persistent causality in this aspect of time. So, one would suggest, anxiety is quite natural – as whatever happens now, is going to impact the then. And therefore, one must be cautious of what is in the now and be better prepared for the then. And this is where the anxiety takes over.

But here is how this may be seen considering mindfulness. Each successive moment is the effect of the previous. But how do we live that previous the best? By living that fully! By being in that moment fully! By being free of thought! And therein lies the key. Though each moment carries a bearing of the past, it does not necessarily need to remain referenced to it. Each moment may be independently appreciated by being free of the thought and being fully present – remaining attentive into that one moment. Mindfulness is the moment-by-moment appreciation of isness. And not an anxiety of the outcome of that moment.

And herein lies the key for uncertainty tolerance. The moment we free our mind from thought – next moment is no more an anxious but an aware choice. Bringing more and more choice to action we take. Liberating our action from the reference point of the past and anchor of the future. This is how anxiety tolerance becomes uncertainty tolerance. This is the essence of Bhagwat Gita indeed:

Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani
(You have the right to work only but never to its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.)

Work here is the work of the mind in each moment – and fruit, the desired outcome we seek for the next. Living in now, mindfully, attending to what is on hand the best is liberation. And not the outcome of that action. The moment we free ourselves of the bondage of outcome – anxiety tolerance becomes uncertainty tolerance – naturally with the related benefits of persistent happiness – albeit not as an outcome, as a process!

Author is currently engaged in developing mindfulness applications to workplace realities and is open to your suggestions on your experiences, co-development ideas and collaborations. Do watch this space for more publications and research.