Today, I want to speak about the ability to keep moving and to stay composed when faced with confusion.

I remember learning about John Keats and his perspective on ”Negative Capability” – this being the capacity to remain in uncertainty, doubt, and ambiguity without clutching for immediate answers.

Keats saw this as an essential quality of great thinkers, artists, and individuals who seek deeper truths rather than settling for the comfort of easy conclusions.

An instinct for many is to declare something, anything. Having something to say is often rewarded, even when what’s said is not necessarily true or factual. I seek to develop my ability to sit in lack of knowledge and not feel as if the world is ending.

This being said, as someone with a latent tendency to blame lack of action on perfectionism, I see how most times, the most valuable decision is to choose a route and keep moving.

The fear of making the ‘wrong’ choice can create an illusion that more thinking, more analysing, or more certainty is needed.

Trusting the process of discovery means accepting that clarity often comes through action, not before it. And in this movement—however imperfect—we cultivate resilience, adaptability, and the confidence to navigate the unknown.

Negative Capability teaches us that true strength lies in our ability to remain calm and receptive in the face of confusion. It allows us to take more elements of the scenario into consideration and therefore raise the likelihood of a better judgement being made.

When we accept that not everything needs to be immediately understood, we open ourselves up to deeper insights, creative breakthroughs, and personal transformation.

The joining of negative capability and a proactive mentality are sure to bring about progress towards whatever goals one sets. Due to the willingness to engage with uncertainty, progress can be found.