The paradox of existence: How to make peace with uncertainty

Life is a paradox. We always seek certainty in an unpredictable world as though we expect to find it. It can keep us in fear in our comfort zone when we don't purpose in a universe that offers no guarantees and meaning in the face of inevitable impermanence. 

This often causes repressed tension between wanting answers and confronting the unknown, which becomes the core of existential anxiety. 
 
The nature of existence defies simple explanations, which can be highly unsettling to those who feel the weight of this uncertainty. One thing anxiety loves is certainty and the feeling of contrition it brings. Yet, learning to embrace the paradox instead of fearing it can lead to a profound sense of peace.

Are you struggling to find meaning?

When we become aware of our consciousness, we grapple with questions without definitive answers:

• Why are we here?
• Does life have inherent meaning, or must we create it?
• What happens when we are gone?

These vast and unresolvable questions can create a sense of existential dread. Many respond by attempting to impose structure through beliefs, routines, or intellectual frameworks to quiet the unease that uncertainty brings. But paradoxically, the more we try to control the unknowable, the more elusive certainty becomes.

Freedom becomes accepting that we do not know

A fact unknown to many is that when we find the courage to stop resisting the unknown, we free ourselves from its grip and begin to live less burdened. Uncertainty is not an obstacle but can, with knowledge, become an invitation to explore, create, and experience life in its wider form. The beauty of existence is not found in rigid answers about how boring it will soon become but in our ability to engage and change with life despite its mysteries. It doesn't have to be universal or absolute; it can be profoundly personal and ever-evolving.

Psychologists and philosophers alike have urged radical acceptance as a way forward. In Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl argued that meaning is not something we passively receive as a rite of passage but actively go on to construct. 

4 ways to make peace with uncertainty

1. Lean into your curiosity when anxiety calls

Ask what it is trying to tell you. Instead of fearing the unknown, develop new ways to embrace and explore it. Read widely, always question assumptions, and engage in conversations that challenge your perspective of life.

2. Focus on your presence

Anxiety thrives in speculation about the future. Anchoring yourself in the present moment through mindfulness, creativity, or simply noticing life's small details helps to ease the fear of what's to come. Even in times of great stress, you can reduce your fear.

3. Create, rather than seek, meaning

Whether through relationships, personal projects, art, or acts of kindness, the meaning you generate is just as valid as any philosophical conclusion.

4. Accept the absurd

Some questions will always remain unanswered, and that's OK. This doesn't require certainty; it only requires your engagement.

Do you feel ready to live with the paradox?

To exist is to live within contradiction, and nothing stays the same. We are finite beings in an infinite universe of good and bad surprises. We long for permanence in a world built on change. We seek meaning in the face of randomness. And yet, within these changes, life flourishes. By accepting uncertainty rather than battling it, we unlock a new way of being grounded - not in rigid answers but a deep presence, curiosity, and trust in the unfolding mystery of what life will bring as we seek out new things.

You are not alone in this. At some point, everyone has felt the weight of existence pressing upon them. But paradoxically, we truly begin to live through engaging with this weight rather than running from it.