In life, there are many things we cannot control, just as there are things we can. For some people, this reality can trigger not only a sense of unease but also intense anxiety. Driven by this need for control, an individual may become anxious that plans won’t go as desired, that something bad will happen, or that events will unfold beyond their control. These anxieties can compel a person to make excessive plans, repeatedly double-check things, and ruminate on every possible scenario. While these actions might offer temporary relief and appear to be problem-solving behaviors, the individual is actually attempting to manage the anxiety caused by uncertainty.
Why Is Uncertainty So Unsettling?
In psychology, the concept of “intolerance of uncertainty” (IU) is closely linked to how humans react to the unknown. Intolerance of uncertainty is defined as reacting negatively to not knowing what the future holds and perceiving uncertainty as a threatening or harmful situation (Carleton, 2012). Feeling uneasy about uncertainty is not the same as being intolerant of it. Most people generally dislike uncertainty and prefer clarity. However, when an individual frames uncertainty in their mind with thoughts like “I can’t stand this,” “I can’t be at ease until this is clarified,” or “If I don’t take precautions, something bad will happen,” they may resort to various behaviors to eliminate that uncertainty. We call this “control.”
We Check Things to Find Relief—But What Happens Next?
Individuals develop the belief that increasing their control over events will result in fewer negative outcomes. Since they cannot control the future, they think, “At least I can control the uncertainty.” They repeatedly review their plans, analyze the tone of messages, try to interpret the slightest changes in the behavior of those around them, and ask the same question in different ways—all in an attempt to find a sense of internal reassurance. These behaviors may provide momentary relief. However, in the long run, they can make life more difficult by reducing the individual’s tolerance for uncertainty. For instance, when a person repeatedly checks something and experiences relief, the brain encodes this as “I checked, and I felt relieved.” Consequently, when faced with the next instance of uncertainty, the person is inclined to repeat the same checking behavior. Thus, rather than eliminating anxiety, these control behaviors can actually reinforce the cycle.
Is This Always a Psychological Issue?
In a meta-analysis, McEvoy et al. (2019) found a moderate association between intolerance of uncertainty and conditions such as anxiety, OCD, depression, and other psychological disorders. Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), in particular, may struggle significantly with intolerance of uncertainty. These individuals frequently experience anxiety and worry across many areas of their lives. As a result, they may be more deeply affected by uncertainty, and their quality of life may suffer more compared to others. However, while intolerance of uncertainty is linked to panic symptoms, social anxiety, and OCD, it is not always a diagnostic criterion for a specific disorder. Therefore, it is incorrect to assume that anyone who tries to keep everything under control necessarily has a psychological disorder. At times, the act of controlling can simply be part of being organized, a reflection of a sense of responsibility, or a way we learn to feel secure in life. However, when it reaches a point where it impacts a person’s daily life and functioning—manifesting as constant reassurance-seeking, repetitive checking, mentally weighing every possible scenario, or experiencing extreme anxiety in the face of uncertainty—it may no longer be just a simple matter of control.
Perhaps Security Is Not About Controlling Everything
At this juncture, a functional approach is learning to live with uncertainty without needing it to be eliminated first. Uncertainty will always be present in every aspect of our lives. Perhaps true security stems not from the ability to calculate every possibility in advance, but from trusting ourselves when we encounter the things we could not foresee.
Kaynakça
- References list
- 1. Carleton, R. N. (2012). The intolerance of uncertainty construct in the context of anxiety disorders: theoretical and practical perspectives. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 12(8), 937–947. https://doi.org/10.1586/ern.12.82
- 2. McEvoy, P. M., Hyett, M. P., Shihata, S., Price, J. E., & Strachan, L. (2019). The impact of methodological and measurement factors on transdiagnostic associations with intolerance of uncertainty: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 73, 101778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101778