Why I was wrong

Or why it's not about uncertainty; it's about connection.

Image: gen AI, prompt by author

Things didn’t go to plan last week. My post on quantum physics, basically a review of Carlo Rovelli's book Helgoland (if you want to be harsh, though I hope at least I may have tempted you to read the book), was supposed to be woven into thoughts on how to get people to buy into you (in a business sense).

‘Why oh why?’ you may ask. Well, it was a half-brained notion that in a time of uncertainty the person who can provide a feeling of certainty and security, of solid ground so to speak, will be attractive. Which is why self-confidence is attractive. The self-confident person bringing an air of certainty in an uncertain world.

But, of course, the world has always been uncertain.

‘Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement’ wrote the great Samuel Johnson in ‘The Idler’ no. 40 published 20 January 1759. (The 18th century!) In the same article he adds, ‘in an advertisement, it is allowed to every man to speak well of himself.’ Both remain essentially true today.

A key thing to note, though, is that the two need to go together. An ad without a promise is just a boast. And no one will want to buy into that.

Is there an equation for it?

Equally, self-confidence without a promise risks descending into arrogance. And no one wants to buy into the person who never stops talking; especially if they never stop talking about themselves.

So self confidence alone is not enough. You also need – joy. It is impossible to be truly joyful if you are not interested in, are not curious about the world around you, if you don’t like other people. You could say cheerfulness or something similar but I think joy gets to the heart of the matter. Being joyful suggests you’re not just a taker; you’re a giver.

[Is this true? Well, I propose so. Agree, or disagree?]

In any case, I’ll hazard an equation:

SC + J = CH

Self confidence + joy = Charisma. And nothing’s more attractive than that. You’re already half way to making the sale.

And so…

My conclusion is that there is no need – in fact, it’s a mistake – to resort to the strangeness of quantum mechanics to discuss or try to explain why certainty may appear attractive in an uncertain world; or any workings of the mind, for that matter. It’s not appropriate and in any case the point lies elsewhere, not with uncertainty but with connection.

Because, from quantum theory, in a beautiful and mysterious way, ity appears that not just human life but everything, down to the smallest particle, is a world of interdependence and contingencies. There is no solid foundation, but a dense web of interactions. Of which we are part.

As Carlo Rovelli concludes:

The interconnectedness of things, the reflection of one in another, shines with a clear light that the coldness of eighteenth century mechanics could not capture.

Even if it leaves us astonished. Even if it leaves us with a profound sense of mystery.