On the cusp

The beauty of ambivalence

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‘Pathways’ by S. Elba

It is often the cold hand of uncertainty that pushes us onto unventured paths. And through this intolerable and disquieting sense of ambivalence rises the phoenix of possibility. Moments of triumph often materialise from the abyss of ignorance - whether it’s the multi-million dollar success of a once humble entrepreneurial start-up or the fortuitous meeting of a kindred soul during a casual evening jaunt.

Yet, with every approaching wave of uncertainty, arises a compulsion to feverishly scrutinise what we don’t know, as we oscillate between self-awareness and self-denial, in almost ritualistic predictability. What we seem oblivious to is that the quest to know is not inspired by a pursuit for truth but rather a pursuit for meaning. Meaning is rarely ever a product of scientific deduction - it only flourishes through the process of acceptance. Accepting the unknown involves an active surrender to circumstance - a wholehearted relinquishment of the will to question reality for answers. This is an essential vulnerability of our aliveness and an undercurrent of our natural state.