"The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next"

Ursula K. Le Guin suggests that uncertainty is not just an occasional difficulty to be overcome but is fundamental to the very possibility of life. Instead of viewing uncertainty as an unbearable hardship, she frames it as the core condition that gives life its vibrancy, evolution, and meaning. The use of "permanent, intolerable uncertainty" emphasizes that life is never truly settled; we are always faced with unanticipatable developments, unexpected encounters, and the impermanence of our circumstances. The discomfort, described as intolerable, is not a flaw that disrupts life, but rather an energy that sustains it.

Knowing what will come next would render life stagnant, stripping it of adventure, discovery, and growth. Human motivation, creativity, and adaptability are born from the necessity to confront unknown scenarios. The lack of certainty pushes us to imagine, to develop contingency plans, to try new things, and even to hope. If everything were certain and pre-determined, there would be little incentive for exploration or innovation. The shape of our existence is carved by the unpredictable forces that challenge our expectations: a sudden love, a loss, an opportunity that arrives unexpectedly. These turning points imbue our stories with movement and change.

Le Guin’s perspective encourages an acceptance, even an embrace, of the anxiety that uncertainty generates. Rather than attempting to control every aspect of life, humans might find deeper fulfillment in recognizing that not knowing is what animates our experiences and renders them meaningful. The need for certainty is an illusion that isolates us from the essential, dynamic unpredictability of being alive. Uncertainty, while uncomfortable, is a permanent companion; its very presence is what affords us agency, choice, and the thrill of possibility. In surrendering to uncertainty, rather than resisting it, we participate fully in the continual unfolding of existence.