The thing we call Uncertainty

After the long post I did just now, I opened this blog of my junior, http://elizabethlittleengland.blogspot.com/ . You should check that out as she is a frequent blogger and wise one too. 

Spoiler: This might be a messy post as I threw anything that crosses my mind inside.

Anyway, I read the post entitled "Life's Uncertainty" which is about how much insecurity one can discern regarding the endless possibility lying in front of them. I find this to be a very interesting subject since as she conveyed in the post. Everyone fail too solve the mystery regarding as to why people who have gone to such prestigious universities always work under the command of those who failed to finish much less experience a lot of formal education. If you're reading this (the self-proclaimed "Elizabeth"), I would like to elaborate more on my very own saying in this. 

Before I go deeper, I would like to put in the picture of my past. I am a very vigilant person in terms of future plans. In junior high, I managed to make a very crude plan as to what I would be doing in high school. Indeed, there are some detours which themselves can be regarded as uncertainty, however in the very end a lot of stuff went according the framework of life I created. However, the more I grew up, the more I was aware of how little I could control in my life. Not only have I decided to create myriads of plans but I have also prepared myself for any change that could happen. By the end of the day, I knew that there were too many variable changes to be expected in the equation of life.

Formal education is indeed a very rudimentary yet significant factor in one's life, yet it fails to, as you said, fail to prepare us in the face of uncertainty. You're going to notice that the gate of uncertainty is going to open from the moment you ponder on what you're going to do with my life and how to do it. My classmates, which are a member of an exclusive class (excellent students among our peers), always expect to much from the major they're going to have in the university, and they also fail to prepare to the minute details of how they're going to live their life, let alone be ready for it.

I'm not saying they're not ready for life. This habit is a disease we have been contracting throughout generations after generations. I'm saying that we can't be ready for anything in life, no matter what the case might be. As to how some people manage to get to the top with very little formal education, I would like to say that these people are those who won't stutter in front of the abyss of not-knowing. Being humans, we are horrified by unknowing. However, these people are those who manage to get better of themselves and see what truly matters for themselves.

Formal education teaches us how to respond to different cases in life, however it merely tests how much a student can follow rules, the rules they read in books. Formal education gives us the delusion that there is always an affirmative answer in life, that there's always the right way to do it. I, too, have been  made loss of words when I suddenly noticed this huge fact.

In the long run, all we can do is not prepare everything for the future, instead we should prepare ourselves for what's about to come, for what's about to hit us. We should be prepared to respond when things hit us. The analogy would be if a car is going to hit you, you should not prepare a shield and close your eyes, but you should notice what kind of car it is and how to avoid it in such a way that it would leave minimal scratches to you.

Here is a quote from her post by John Allen Paulos :

Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity 

is the only security.

Here are some quotes I found on the net:

“The mistake is thinking that there can be an antidote to the uncertainty.” 
― David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary

“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.” 
― Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

“As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.” 
― Albert Einstein

“I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong. If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives. We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain … In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar.” 
― Richard P. Feynman

Please keep in my mind that Einstein and Feynman themselves are scientists who deal with the field of Quantum Physics where uncertainty itself is the groundbreaking fabrics of the universe.

The glorified race we claim to be, "Humans"

So, just this morning, I saw my friend posted something claiming that the other class who are actually having an outdoor photo-shoot were having a lot of fun. My class , on the other hand, decided that we should take one in our class since a lot stuff happened and my classmates were somewhat busy.

Then, suddenly, it dawned on me whether the "fun" they have are actually genuine. Are they actually proud of their class? being a part of their class? of being in a particular community of cool kids? If yes, how so?

Well, first of all, I would like to emphasize on the fact that nowadays, in my school, people are actually proud of being themselves. To be honest, I found it to be ludicrous. Then, there's also how girls (and sometimes boys) like to celebrate their 17th birthday. I just couldn't get my heads around this so-called "tradition".

First I would like to scrutinize more on the birthday part as it seems to be a matter that has bothered me for so long. My friends claim that they, we, should celebrate our new step towards adulthood. Well, I guess I could concur that far. Nevertheless, I don't think it justifies the fact that you should waste a lot of money holding a huge sweet 17th birthday party. From where I can see it, I guess people, girls and boys, wanted to feel special of their very own existence which carries on to my second point.

My next point is regarding the so-called pride people have been indulging themselves in. Why would you try to make yourself feel "special" whereas in fact you have done nothing to be called an achievement. Most people do that. Most people wanted to feel special despite the fact that they do not even try to BE SPECIAL, not in terms of academics, non-academics, or even social relations.

As for myself, I have been trying to acquire pride, self-satisfaction, and self-recognition by doing things I have longed to do, namely getting an international medal, becoming a student council board member, and becoming a president of a club. Even so, I wouldn't celebrate them to such a point that it requires a party since none of this is a contribution to this world. It's merely an achievement to fill my desire and "lust".

Long story short, I find it ludicrous that sometimes people just do this thing, like feeling proud of being a class that has not made any known achievement or being a recognized class, or having this self-granted pride.

P.S. Since I'll be having a long holiday, I would be active in this blogging stuff since a lot of people have recommended me to do so. Therefore, please do comment on my posts so we can discuss more on the topics since I would like to really see it from another point of view.