Things in life that we can’t predict

Most people are analytical. Many of us cannot calculate the simplest things. What time do you leave the house to get to a meeting without being late? What things to take with you on vacation or a business trip, and how much time will it take to perform this or that task? The best representatives of the species wait their turn at the cash register in the store and only then begin to choose products. However, you are probably not, so let’s move on to more serious things that are difficult or impossible to foresee.

4 things in life that we can predict

1. What will make us happy

The question “What do you lack for happiness?” seems straightforward. Several images immediately appear in your mind, which make your soul feel warmer—a promotion at work, a girl’s consent to date, a million dollars in the bank account. There may be more modest requests, such as the latest model of a phone, new sneakers, or a cruise vacation.

Anyway, people easily and quite accurately determine what will satisfy them, but they always forget about the so-called hedonic treadmill that turns long-term happiness into short-term joy. After emotional ups (and downs), we get back to baseline pretty quickly. Achievements or new things can’t bring joy forever and soon become routine.

This is reflected in everything – the honeymoon is followed by years of routine, the latest iPhone becomes obsolete after a year, and clothes wear out. By focusing on status, level of affordability, and novelty, people often overlook the truly important aspects. It is only after losing them that one realizes what happiness is all about.

2. Emergency Behavior

It is impossible to predict how you will behave in an emergency. Visit. A F R I N I K. C O M .For the full article. What if you become the perpetrator of a traffic accident, find yourself in a hostage situation, or get on board a faulty airplane? Of course, you want to believe that you will be able to keep your composure, but human reactions to stress are unpredictable.

Suffice it to remember how you shook with adrenaline during the first public appearances in your life, whether it was telling a poem in front of the class or speaking for the university team in a hall full of spectators. There were probably similar moments in your memory when nothing much was at stake, but you were nervous, as if the future of the entire human race depended on your actions.

When analyzing such scenarios, people tend to paint an idealized, almost heroic image of themselves. Later, when the emergency occurs, these same people turn into a veritable herd. Some commit reckless acts, and others, in panicked flight, don’t notice how they knock down others around them. When time is limited for decision-making, and there is no ready pattern of behavior, the brain shuts down, forgets about such a valuable life experience, and gives impulsive commands to the body.

3. Your Future Source

We love making plans, and the further into the future they extend, the better. After all, in 10-15 years, almost any scenario, even the most fantastic one, can be realized. At least, that’s what we want to believe. In reality, people are pretty good at planning the day or the following weekend. The next week, or even more so the next month, is closed by an impenetrable fog. The main problem with predicting the future is the assumption that you will have the same motivation – the same hobbies, goals, and dreams as today.

But as time goes on, your views on your own life and the world around you change. Important things become secondary; something completely different comes to the fore, something not visible from the past, even on the horizon. A small percentage of people become what they dreamed of in childhood or adolescence. The vast majority sooner or later find themselves in a completely unexpected role.

4. Global crises

Throughout its history, humanity has faced numerous crises, none of which were anticipated. We can start from the very ancient times, such as the Bronze Age Collapse, the Great Migration of Peoples, and Justinian’s Plague. Of course, there are numerous more modern examples – the Great Depression, the 2008 crisis, and, finally, the COVID-19 pandemic, which took the world by surprise.

It turned out that we lacked the simplest things, such as gloves, masks, and discipline. Meanwhile, ministries and even supranational organizations within the UN work on predicting such crises. Usually, they are of little use, although some scenarios can be modeled with considerable accuracy.

The point is that it is impossible to prepare for all disasters. So, when one group of scientists is concerned about melting glaciers, another group of economists points to a problem in the banking sector. While they argue and debate over whose problem needs more attention, another revolution or armed conflict erupts in the most unexpected place.