Embracing Uncertainty: The Value of Trusting Instinct
Created at: June 20, 2025
You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. — Steve Jobs
The Necessity of Trust Amid Uncertainty
Steve Jobs’ counsel to ‘trust in something’ addresses the inescapable uncertainties of life. Whether arising from career choices, relationships, or personal dilemmas, ambiguity often leaves us searching for dependable guides. Jobs suggests that trust—whether vested in intuition, fate, or another force—offers a compass when rational analysis falls short, helping us move forward despite incomplete information.
Instinct Versus Rational Calculation
Transitioning from abstract trust to practical decision-making, consider how intuition and logic often vie for dominance. While evidence-based reasoning carries weight, gut feelings have shaped momentous acts of creativity and innovation. For instance, in Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Blink’ (2005), he documents how expert judgments frequently arise from rapid, unconscious processing, supporting Jobs’ advocacy for trusting one's instincts in pivotal moments.
Trusting in Life’s Flow: Destiny and Karma
Extending beyond individual intuition, Jobs references broader concepts like destiny and karma. These beliefs frame our experiences as parts of interconnected patterns, suggesting that events unfold with deeper significance. In the Hindu concept of karma, actions ripple across lifetimes, encouraging acceptance of outcomes beyond immediate control. Such perspectives, by impelling us to ‘let go’ of rigid planning, align intimately with Jobs’ own narrative of serendipity and resilience.
Historical Precedents in Philosophy and Literature
Throughout history, thinkers have echoed Jobs’ sentiment. In Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations’ (c. 180 AD), the Stoic emperor writes: 'Accept whatever comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny.’ Similarly, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay ‘Self-Reliance’ (1841) champions trusting one’s individual impulses, suggesting that conformity undermines authenticity. Both sources amplify the importance of faith—in oneself, and in the unfolding world.
Cultivating Confidence for Personal Growth
Ultimately, the act of trusting—as Jobs describes—can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. By affirming our internal compass, we nurture resilience and adaptability, enabling growth in the face of risk. Countless innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs report that their biggest breakthroughs arrived when they acted on instinct or surrendered to life's unpredictability. Thus, trusting in ‘something’ becomes less an act of blind faith and more a foundation for navigating the unknown with courage.