![[uncertainty-continuum.001.jpg]] The social functions mentioned in this section are mediated by their attitude toward uncertainty. They exist on a **continuum** between two extreme poles: on the left side, uncertainty is flat-out denied or eliminated. On the right side, uncertainty is actively embraced, manufactured, and utilised. From left to right: **Control** over a coterie of people beyond the Dunbar number can be achieved by the manufacturing of authority, usually in the form of hierarchy (*the rule of the priest*). A monopoly of power is established by conjuring the illusion of certainty in an uncertain world. This serves as the glue for social cohesion and trust in a predictable future. Symbols of power are signs of domination over uncertainty. Fore-**Casting** is an attempt at predicting an uncertain future. This ability is crucial because much of our social activity is subject to expectations of future reward, which serves as the foundation for building trust and cooperation. Uncertainty is corrosive to the formation of trust as people feel less secure about the expected behaviours of their counterparts in social and economic exchanges. Thus, uncertainty not only dampens the immediate anticipation of rewards but also degrades the very fabric of social interactions that underpin collective endeavours. **Causality** is the opposite of prediction. It concerns itself with *post-dicting* events backwards in time for the assignment of merit or blame. History is such an attempt to attribute merit, in an attempt to reconstruct events with the aim of forming a cohesive narrative that can inform and justify current ideologies and power structures. History as post-diction can both enlighten and mislead, depending on the perspectives and objectives of those in control of the narrative. The practice of post-diction for the purpose of attributing blame is called the law. This crucial mechanism of justice seeks to unravel events after they have occurred to ascertain liability or innocence. This necessitates a deep engagement with the uncertainties inherent in any retrospective analysis - factual uncertainty where the complete truth of past events may never be fully accessible. **Competition** is a zero-sum rivalry between parties over real or fictitious finite resources. It calls for its careful manipulation or even creation, as opponents gains a competitive advantage through deception and subterfuge. FUD and the Fog of War are excellent examples in which the ability to obscure true intentions, mislead through disinformation, or simply withhold crucial information can destabilise an opponent’s strategic planning and operational execution. **Culture** codifies processes through explicit, as well as tacit rules. The latter are an exercise in systematic uncertainty arrangements. Social trust, for example, requires a desired *state of vulnerability*. If one side insists on removing this uncertainty, say, by asking too many questions, the other side will infer that trust has been lost. The glue holding society together requires this active manipulation of uncertainty. **Creativity** is the infinite game of creating by way of objects. We encounter creativity through creative people, their acts, and artefacts. Yet, creativity is neither a person, action, or thing. It is a _combinatorial force_. Creatives make possibilities through the defeat of habit by originality. To be an explorer and maker of possibilities you need to befriend uncertainty. You need a high tolerance for ambiguity, openness to new experiences, and to feel comfortable in the presence of paradox and complexity. [[Duality|Next page]]