10 Great Quotes About Dealing with Uncertainty

There’s no two ways about it, these are trying times. Worldwide quarantines, turmoil in the stock market, and a pandemic that threatens the health of the most vulnerable among us have upended our old normal and left nearly everyone struggling to adjust.

While this period of uncertainty is new for most people, it’s certainly not the first time human beings have faced serious adversity, and it won’t be the last. Every bit of hope helps, so we’ve tracked down some quotes about dealing with uncertainty and adversity that might give you some (small) reassurance through this difficult period.

As always, feel free to comment below with any of your own favorite quotes.

1. “If there’s one thing that’s certain in business, it’s uncertainty.” – Stephen Covey

2. “So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” – Lee Iacocca

3. “Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” – John Allen Paulos

4. “Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even, the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying.” – J. Paul Getty

5. “Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.” – Tony Schwartz

6. “If I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it – keep going, keep going come what may.” – Vincent van Gogh

7. “Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty.” – John Huston Finley

8. “Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.” – Karl Von Clausewitz

9. “The future is uncertain… but this uncertainty is at the very heart of human creativity.” – Ilya Prigogine

10. “Uncertainty is the refuge of hope.” – Henri Frederic Amiel