Certainty vs. Clarity. Vastly different

I'm not sure I've ever thought of the differenced between these two terms. In hindsight, I think I have often used them interchangeably. But futurist Dr. Bob Johansen makes an important differentiation between these two words, and the necessity for seeking clarity over certainty in an increasingly complex and changing world.

Certainty involves a certain rigidity or adherence to a point of view. It can be expressed through having rigid rules, being stuck to one opinion and not being open to new information that potentially contradicts existing ones. Clarity on the other hand, is being able to see and learn more clearly about what is going on--to be able to see the full dimensions of what is unfolding in front of us. Abandoning certainty and seeking clarity requires a sense of curiosity and here-and-now-humility that Schein & Schein discuss in Humble Inquiry (2019).