Path to Power

The drug of Certainty

Our brains are designed to reward certainty. It reduces stress, save energy, and provides the comforting illusion that we’re in control. This is an evolutionary development. The human brain evolved to prioritize survival. Certainty provides a sense of safety and predictability, reducing stress and mental fatigue. The brain actively rewards familiar patterns with dopamine making certainty addictive. For example, imagine early humans relying on familiar hunting grounds—they chose certainty over the unknown because it offered a higher chance of survival. Today, our brains still reward familiar patterns with dopamine, making certainty addictive. 

This addition creates a sense of emotional security as certainty offers a shield against fear, anxiety and existential dread. Think of how comforting it feels to stick to a daily routine—waking up at the same time, eating familiar meals, or watching a favorite TV show. It creates a sense of control in a chaotic world, helping people feel grounded. 

Finally, due to these benefits, many societies and educational systems reinforce the idea that certainty is virtuous. Schools, for example, often celebrate “having the right answer” over creative problem-solving, while stable jobs and predictable routines are widely regarded as markers of success. Thus the human species have created a cycle of dependency. Certainty ain’t just a habit it is a high. Certainty ain’t just a preference, it is a virtue.

Understanding the fear of the uncertainty

The ultimate consequence of certainty is the fear of uncertainty. The issue is that uncertainty requires more mental effort, as the brain must process multiple possibilities simultaneously. Imagine being asked to make a decision without all the information, like choosing whether to invest in a volatile stock or trying a completely new career path—these situations force your brain to juggle risks and unknowns, which can be overwhelming, especially for those unaccustomed to navigating ambiguity. 

Understandably, this can be overwhelming for most, especially for those unaccustomed to navigating ambiguity. This phenomenon is further solidified by the fact that we are hard-wired towards loss aversion — we fear loss more than value gained. Due to the fact that uncertainty carries the potential and risk for loss, many shy away from it. For example, consider why so many people hesitate to leave an unfulfilling job despite knowing it could lead to a better opportunity. The possibility of financial instability or failure outweighs the potential for growth in their minds. Similarly, embracing uncertainty means accepting that everything is NOT within one’s control — admitting that we cannot predict or manage every outcome. This is equivalent to admitting vulnerability, which many equate to weakness. Think of how hesitant people are to express emotions or take risks in relationships for fear of rejection—this hesitation stems from a deep discomfort with uncertainty and perceived loss.

All that was discussed above boils down to the naturally evolved aversion towards risk. Our ancestors who avoided unnecessary risks—like venturing too far from their safe hunting grounds or eating unfamiliar plants—were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. While risk-taking led to great leaps forward, such as discovering new territories or inventing tools, it was often the exception, not the rule.

Modern society reflects this deeply ingrained aversion. Stability is rewarded, while failure is punished. Think of how traditional career paths, like becoming a doctor or an engineer, are celebrated for their perceived safety, while entrepreneurial ventures are often met with skepticism. People are conditioned to avoid risks because the consequences—financial ruin, social rejection, or perceived inadequacy—can feel severe. For instance, failing in a business venture might not only lead to financial strain but also provoke judgment from peers and family.

But in avoiding failure, we also avoid growth. Consider how many groundbreaking innovations, like Thomas Edison’s light bulb or Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets, were born out of repeated failures. Risk and failure are not enemies—they are integral to innovation and progress.

Is there another way? What if the answer lies in embracing uncertainty? The key, as we’ll see, is cognitive flexibility.

Cognitive Flexibility

If certainty is the chain that ties us down, then cognitive flexibility is the key that sets us free. Cognitive flexibility is the mental ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or to consider multiple ideas simultaneously. It allows individuals to adapt to new information, navigate changing circumstances, consider diverse perspectives, and solve problems effectively by shifting strategies. In essence, it’s the ability to break out of rigid thinking and see beyond immediate assumptions. Let me demonstrate why this quality is so crucial.

People with high cognitive flexibility are open to questioning their beliefs, embracing ambiguity, and seeking new insights. They can sit with the discomfort of uncertainty without being overwhelmed, using it as a space for productive exploration. These individuals are more likely to engage with complex problems and regulate their emotions effectively, finding balance even in challenging situations.

In contrast, rigid thinkers—those with low cognitive flexibility—struggle to step outside habitual thought patterns. They often find deep thinking uncomfortable because it leads to the realization that their worldview might be incomplete. This discomfort makes them avoid ambiguity, which limits growth. Emotional regulation and problem-solving are also more challenging for rigid thinkers, as they lack the adaptability to manage unexpected situations.

It is important to acknowledge that there are factors that affect cognitive flexibility starting point. Cognitive flexibility is linked to the prefrontal cortex – region responsible for high-order thinking and decision-making. Damage or underdevelopment is this area can reduce flexibility. Additionally rigid environments (like authoritarian households or cultures) can discourage explore action and an adaptability, preventing the development of the prefrontal cortex and thus reducing flexibility. Additionally circumstances that cause high stress and chronic fatigue can impair cognitive flexibility as they are not in a position to think but to recover and survive. Finally, environments, education and learning styles that encourage critical thinking and exploration foster efficient development of cognitive flexibility. 

Here’s the encouraging part: cognitive flexibility isn’t fixed. It can be developed at any age, regardless of your starting point or circumstances. The key is a willingness to take risks—intellectually, emotionally, and practically. Small, deliberate steps toward questioning your assumptions, exploring new ideas, and embracing ambiguity can gradually expand your mental agility and open new doors to growth.

Embrace the Paradox

The path of uncertainty, paradox and risk is the true and reliable path to power. Power that drives innovation, discovery and evolution. Power that not only restores but guarantees agency back into your hands. Power to achieve deep fulfillment of a life lived well. Here is my guide on embracing this path and to take your first step.

Accept the paradox. Life’s greatest truths often exist in contradiction. You don’t know good if you don’t know what’s bad. You can’t appreciate the day without experiencing the night. You wouldn’t know what love is if you never experienced hate. By being rigid and pedantic you miss out on the insights of life that lay right before your eyes. Embrace the paradox, for it offers a clearer picture of your reality.

So take the risks for those are the steps on the path of uncertainty. Risks disrupt stagnation and force growth. It doesn’t matter if it is small like starting a conversation with a stranger. It doesn’t matter if it is big like challenging a deeply held belief. The practice of risk taking challenges your prefrontal cortex and thus promoting its growth. The hope is to create a feedback loop that will exponentially bring gains the more consistently you keep to this practice. The thrill of it all once authentically embraced will be better quality dopamine that will never run out and those achieve certainty. I bet you can see the paradox in that.

Yes, there will be moments where your gambit does not pay off and you are faced to deal with your failure. Remember that failure is not the end but in fact a new beginning — a chance to challenge your mind deeper to bring even more tangible gain in the future. If anything it is more valuable that success because it gives you a chance to practically and constructively grow. 

So here is how I would practically recommend to go about embracing uncertainty. 

Question your beliefs. Each day, challenge one belief or assumption you’ve never questioned. This practice is especially useful during moments of procrastination when you want to feel productive but don’t know where to start.

Seek the unfamiliar. Use your free time to explore something new. Try a new hobby, a conversation with someone outside your circle, reading a book or even watching a YouTube video on a topic you know nothing about. By seeking the unknown you expand the realm of certainty and the known. Therefore, you are farming certainties bringing more stability to your life. 

Accept Discomfort. Do not avoid it. Discomfort is an emotion that indicates where potential for growth lies. By confronting discomfort you are training yourself to think more critically and thus increase cognitive flexibility. 

Create safe spaces for exploration. Build an environment where you can explore ideas without fear of judgment. This could be a private journal, a trusted circle of friends, or even solo reflection. Start small and scale up as you grow more comfortable. Make sure to start small and then slowly but surely scale up and use questions to unlock thought. The aim of asking questions is to see the same thing from multiple angles. 

The end result is true freedom— freedom from being a cog in the machine of Late-stage capitalism. A system that thrives on certainty and predictability. The true opium of the masses. You achieve this freedom because you can think and therefore fend for yourself. You can better advocate for your interests and do things that are meaningful to you and your values. If you follow through, you will take control of your reality and narrative. 

Reject the machine. Set yourself free!

Addressing the Late-Stage Capitalism

So let’s talk about the machine — late-stage capitalism. It is something that my generation complains about the most and is something that has intrenched itself in all aspects of life but for those who have no idea what we are talking about here is an explanation. Late-stage capitalism is the penultimate form of uncontrolled turbo-capitalism. The final form being diefied capitalism, something worse than what we have now. Something, I will talk about in a future article. 

Late-stage capitalism is a machine, vast and unrelenting, designed to strip you of your individuality and reduce you to a cog in its endless grind. A cog whose only purpose is to generate capital for the sake of predominant mega-corporations, sucking all the life and worth out of you. This machine thrives on certainty and predictability. It feeds on your routines—waking up at the same time, commuting the same route, buying the same products—your fears of instability, and your desire for safety, turning these into tools of control.

Therefore, in this system, certainty is the most valuable currency. Your predictable patterns—where you shop, what you watch, even what you think—are monetized by corporations like Amazon and Google, which track and analyze your every move. By keeping you small, dependent, and predictable, the machine ensures that you never question your reality. It rewards compliance, urging you to follow the “safe” path, while creativity, independence, and agency are sacrificed at the altar of productivity. Think of the artist who abandons their craft to pursue a “secure” corporate job or the student pressured into a lucrative field they don’t love because it’s deemed practical. The only way out is to become unpredictable. That’s where your power lies.

The system weaponizes your craving for certainty. It shapes your habits through endless subscriptions—monthly streaming services, meal kits, and gym memberships—encouraging you to stick to routines that fit its design. It monitors your movements through fitness trackers and algorithms that recommend the same shows and products, keeping you on a predetermined path. It studies your preferences to craft an illusion of safety: the stability of a steady paycheck, the familiarity of the same chain restaurants, the comfort of knowing exactly what tomorrow will bring. Your decisions—what you buy, how you live, even how you think—are shaped by a system that profits from your obedience.

It whispers that stability is success: the 9-to-5 job, the mortgage, the retirement plan. That risk is failure: quitting to start a business, challenging the status quo, or pursuing your passions. That questioning is dangerous: rejecting the life-script society has handed you might lead to chaos. It convinces you that your life must fit within its frameworks—that you must follow the rules it created.

But ask yourself: whose rules are these? Why does buying the same thing as millions of others make sense? Why does stability feel like the ultimate achievement? And who truly benefits when you follow these rules?

To reject the machine, you must embrace what it fears most: uncertainty. Every risk you take—trying a new career path, expressing an unpopular opinion, breaking from routine—disrupts the system’s ability to control you. Uncertainty is not chaos—it is possibility. It is the space where growth happens, where creativity thrives, where revolutions are born. Consider how the gig economy exploded because people questioned the rigidity of traditional work or how activists like Greta Thunberg disrupted societal norms to demand action on climate change.

History is full of those who broke free by rejecting predictability. Innovators like Steve Jobs defied conventions to create something new. Artists like Vincent van Gogh revealed deeper truths by challenging the norms of their time. Revolutionaries like Nelson Mandela risked everything to bring change. None of these individuals found freedom in certainty—they found it in chaos.

To stay in the machine is to accept stagnation. It is to live a life dictated by others, where your value is determined not by your uniqueness but by how efficiently you conform.

The cost is your agency, your creativity, your freedom. The cost is your life—a life that could be vibrant, meaningful, and fully yours, but instead becomes a series of routines designed to serve a system that doesn’t care about you.

Rejecting the machine isn’t about abandoning responsibility—it’s about reclaiming it. It’s about defining your values, your risks, and your reality on your terms. Imagine a life where your choices are driven not by fear but by purpose. Where you take risks not because you must, but because you can. Where the discomfort of uncertainty becomes the thrill of possibility. This is the life the machine cannot offer you—but it is the life you can create for yourself. 

But will you ?

Addressing the skeptics

Some of you if you have read thus far would have doubts, might be skeptics or straight up disagree. I shall address the doubters and skeptics. For those who straight up disagree are slaves to the system and are beyond proactive salvation because they do not want to listen. Of course, they are free to prove me wrong. 

Some people often equate uncertainty with dangers or unnecessary risk, questioning whether it’s worth embracing. Risk is the birthplace of innovation, growth, and fulfillment. Avoiding uncertainty means stagnation. Consider everyday risks we all take: applying for a new job, pursuing a relationship, or speaking up for what we believe in. These are all risks that carry uncertainty, yet they’re necessary for any meaningful achievement. Elon Musk took a massive risk by investing his own money into Tesla and SpaceX despite the odds, and yet these companies have reshaped industries. Risk-taking isn’t just for visionaries—it’s the foundation of every step forward, big or small.

Some of you might think all this is “privileged thinking”. Only those in privileged positions can afford to take risks or embrace uncertainty, while others must prioritize survival. Embracing uncertainty doesn’t mean reckless risks. It’s about small, deliberate steps that anyone can take, regardless of their circumstances. Think of Malala Yousafzai, who risked her life for the right to education and has since become a global advocate. Or Rosa Parks, whose deliberate act of defiance sparked a movement. Even those in disadvantaged positions have shown how challenging the status quo can change not only their lives but the lives of others.

“But what about jobs and responsibilities?” To those would say this here is my response. Yes, you have jobs, families or financial constraints. However, Taking risks doesn’t mean abandoning responsibilities. It means finding ways to challenge routine and embrace growth within your current reality. Consider a parent working a steady job who decides to take night classes to learn a new skill. Or an employee who chooses to voice a new idea during a meeting, even if it feels risky. Small risks, like learning a new skill or challenging a limiting belief, can create momentum without upending one’s life.

Some might still feel there’s nothing wrong with playing it safe, and to a degree, they’re right. But consider this: how much will you miss by never trying? Opportunities will slip by, time will be wasted, and regret will live in your mind rent-free because you never allowed yourself to manifest your full potential. Look at those who played it “safe” while others around them dared to dream. Playing it safe may feel secure, but it costs more in the long run.

“How does this apply to me?” Think about your career: taking a chance on a new project or skill could open doors you never imagined. In relationships, stepping out of your comfort zone to express vulnerability can deepen connections. Even in small, everyday choices—like trying a new hobby or questioning an old belief—you’ll find opportunities to grow. These ideas aren’t reserved for the extraordinary; they’re woven into the fabric of ordinary life, waiting for you to act on them. No matter your background or circumstances, the path to reclaiming your freedom begins with these simple, intentional steps.