Uncertainty — How to navigate and win in the Information Age.
So, as mentioned in my previous post, we are currently developing an EdTech solution that aims to illuminate the dark patches in the information universe that is our reality today. Our goal is to cultivate a platform where we can learn by curating our curiosity for the unknown rather than being overwhelmed by uncertainty and conventional wisdom.
As far as we know, we humans are the only species able to be self-aware. Although this, for the most part, is a positive phenomenon, there are some downsides to the fact that this enables us to worry about the future.
We know the future exists, but we don’t know what’s going to happen in it, or which part we will play.
“In other animals, unpredictability or uncertainty can lead to heightened vigilance, but I think what’s unique about humans is the ability to reflect on the fact that these future events are unknown or unpredictable,” says Dan Grupe, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds.
“Uncertainty itself can lead to a lot of distress for humans in particular.”.
So could a possible first step to curing this great uncertainty be over-seeing our information diet to make sure we do not add to this uncertainty, instead start finding answers in what part we can play and what role we want to play in the future of our society?
We probably don’t need to convince those who believe they have already figured out what role they want to play in this world, about the importance of information as a source of knowledge and perspective, but are you genuinely controlling your information diet?
I believe doing so, will aid you in reaching your goals and achieving the level of ambition you aspire to reach.
We all consume information, but the question is if we do it consciously with set expectations, spaced repetition and analysis or if we are stuck in auto-consumption which I believe is the truth for most individuals. Our brain is only 2–3% of our body mass but utilises 25% of our total energy. Are you feeding it with the right informational nutrition or do you suffer from Infobesity? And how can you make sure you retain more of the information you proactively choose to consume?
In the extreme of this uncertainty, we find mental illness and depression on the rise. More than 450 million across the globe suffer from mental disease [WHO]. With statistics illustrating the global effect of this epidemic, research done by The World Health Organisation shows 33% of governments spend 1% of their total health care budget on mental health issues.
“A lack of urgency, misinformation, and competing demands are blinding policy-makers from taking stock of a situation where mental disorders figure among the leading causes of disease and disability in the world, says WHO. Depressive disorders are already the fourth leading cause of the global disease burden. They are expected to rank second by 2020, behind ischaemic heart disease but ahead of all other diseases.” [WHO]
In the following TED Talk, Vikram Patel describes a novel approach — training whoever is available, be it a local nurse or a family member, to provide mental health interventions — no psychiatrist required. Patel focuses on empowering everyday people to help the members of their community.
I guess we are trying to take this approach of information being the cure to a broader problem and enlighten individuals to monetise on the information so that they can find their way to success, be it career success or just finding happiness. I have chosen to define the success of our mission as; proving the tools for more individuals to achieve intellectual and creative fulfillment, which in turn allows them to contribute to society in a positive way.
