425. Catastrophic Thinking

A problem can seem bigger than it actually is. Engulfed in uncertainty, I can’t see where it begins or ends, so my imagination transforms it into a monster. I know that everything uncertain is also unbounded, which causes me to jump directly to the worst case scenario: the problem is actually huge — so big that I will never be able to solve it.

The extent of my concern arises from the human ability to extrapolate. This ability is helpful when it comes to understanding the world, as it allows for the consideration of even the most extreme possibilities. But in all cases, the most worrying possibility is total catastrophe, so I automatically assign this outcome to any problem with unknown dimensions.

Even so, there is no need for me to overemphasize this particular possibility. For it is just as possible that a problem I do not fully understand can be solved quickly. I fail to give this alternative much weight because my attachments to particular intentions around safety and security have been activated by the uncertainty. But it is precisely this aspect of my uncertainty that needs further attention.

Not only do I not know how bad the problem is, I also do not know that it is necessarily insurmountable. I simply do not know and that is all. Emphasizing my lack of knowledge is a way of reminding myself that I currently cannot see the whole problem. This helps to loosen my attachment to the powerful aversion I have to the possibility of catastrophe.

When my attention is set free, I become more capable of taking action to solve the problem. And it’s through action that I gain real information about the scope and scale of the trouble I’m facing. By taking the first tentative steps towards a solution, I learn more about the problem, which can further diminish my concern. This momentum — no matter how small or slowly developing — can help me overcome any problem I face, provided I’m also able to keep my attention open to potential solutions.