Human beings are compelled to live with three things: pain, uncertainty, and constant effort. (Phil Stutz)
Uncertainty means something that is not definite, not yet determined, or whose outcome is unknown. No one willingly invests in areas where the end cannot be foreseen. Imagine life as a span of time in which we continuously make investments. We invest in ourselves, our homes, friendships, work, the places we live, the society around us, and countless other things, believing they will turn out well. Even if things do not unfold exactly as we hoped, we proceed with the confidence that they will at least resemble our expectations. As long as this belief survives, we continue investing.
But when our health, work, safety, relationships, or livelihood appear at risk, our vision of the future becomes blurred. Decisions become harder. Moving forward becomes difficult. Situations that shake our sense of security drain our energy and weaken our attachment to life.
We are not fond of the unknown. From our inner circle outward toward the universe, we carry a deep curiosity to know. We want to know our own tomorrow, as well as the tomorrows of our families and friends. What we truly seek in this desire is a sense of certainty and safety. Even though we cannot know every detail life will bring, we try to secure ourselves against negative possibilities.
We manage small adversities fairly well: seasonal illnesses, minor accidents, small debts, insignificant disagreements with loved ones. But when the scale of hardship grows, the resistance of most people drops to its lowest point.
A disease with no cure, accidents that cause permanent loss of movement or organs, debts ending in bankruptcy, conflicts that lead to separation, losses that come with death, wars that shroud everything in uncertainty, disasters that destroy entire lives—each pushes a person to question the meaning of existence. It doesn’t stop at questioning; it cools the heart toward life. And cooling is not enough; it drags a person into a whirlpool of meaninglessness.
Someone who says, “We don’t know tomorrow… that’s why life is beautiful,” surely deserves appreciation for living in the moment. But is that philosophy enough to fuel a whole lifetime? Is it enough for someone who wakes up one morning to find their job security gone? Does it soothe the heart of an elderly person in the final stages of life? Can it give strength to someone who must spend their days confined to a bed?
Human beings want to anticipate the life they are in and envision the possibilities ahead. Among earthly creatures, only humans can wonder about the future and dream. Removing uncertainty, making things predictable, is one of our core motivations. Uncertainty blinds us to the horizon. It awakens emotions like anxiety, panic, sadness, fear, confusion, loneliness, anger, tension, and longing.
But how do we cope with death—the one reality that casts a shadow over everything we live and everything we question? Even if God had given human beings no other ability, making life finite would still convey the greatest message. If there is no life after death, doesn’t that thought drain everything of meaning and joy?
The greatest truth that condemns humans to uncertainty is death itself. If I will die in the end, what is the point of all this effort? As uncertainty grows, the depth of human unhappiness grows with it. The inability to make plans for the future makes life dull, colorless, and joyless. The constant possibility of death is the plain reminder that life is beyond our control.
When a person realizes they no longer hold control, their inner balance begins to falter. They may feel inadequate, worthless, even guilty. To escape these states, people often try to flee from death by forgetting it. In doing so, they create a temporary reason to keep holding on to life.
But can this be the ultimate solution? Of course not. It is only a temporary relief, never a final answer. Can forgetting death truly satisfy a human being?