Bookstrapping: Uncertainty - how to change your biggest fear into your greatest power by Arie Kruglanski

All things finite and fleeting

Having perspective requires hard work. This was my learning from the book by Arie Kruglanski; a worldwide expert and authority on human motivation. Titled 'uncertain-how to turn your biggest fear into your greatest power,' the book is written in a very indulgent and supportive tone.

The book is divided into three parts ; escaping uncertainty, closure's consequences and embracing uncertainty. Kruglanski packs a punch with pithy anecdotes, psychological concepts and data embedded in just the right amount within them.

Here are our five Bookstrapping insights:

1. What can support us during moments of uncertainty? Religion? Maybe; but the author clarifies that religious faith is not a substitute for responsible decision-making.

2. Can we keep hope alive during uncertainty? Victor Frankl managed to do so, during his three years in Nazi concentration camps. How did he find meaning in adversity?

3. The author makes a case that securely attached adults are more comfortable with certainty. Hence, they explore more freely and are more adventurous. On the other hand, adults with insecure relationships tend to find solace on stereotypes and prejudices.

4. The author makes an excellent connection between alcohol consumption and impulsive actions. People find it difficult to process information that is different from what they 'froze' upon in their intoxicated state.

5. Empathy is a crucial ingredient of the human connection. Lack of it can result in an inability to appreciate another person's view and a vilification of them as wrong or unintelligent.

The author hits a home run when he cites findings that experienced meditators don't have to exercise deliberate control over their feelings! It's effortless. The question really is, can YOU cope with the inherent impermanence of all things?

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ On instagram @officialReetaGupta