”Living with the Unexpected” - Perspectives for a Constructive Dealing with Complexity and Uncertainty

Abstract

Complexity and uncertainty determine the planning and management of our interactions with the environment. Planning and management strategies can therefore only be successful when we accept complexity and uncertainty. This calls for an openness towards new, sudden and unexpected developments just as well as for our readiness to accept variations, chaos and disorder as challenge, enabling us to act in a non-linear world. It is decisive that our awareness, decisions and activities are flexible. We all have to adapt to continuous changes and modifications by constantly changing ourselves. We have to learn to cope with complexity and uncertainty by trying to shape our future according to our (personal) interests and goals. Such an approach requires planning and management methods which guarantee a continuous exchange of information, flexible communication and determination mechanisms, an active observation of the environment and a permanent reflection and modification of our values, objectives and activities.

In order to be safer, we may have to be more willing to acknowledge how unsafe life really is (Parfit).