Unknowing

"It is not knowing that is difficult, but knowing that you do not know." — Laozi

Why Start with Unknowing?

Unknowing is foundational in The Fractured Lens because it forces us to confront the limits of our certainty. Everything we believe, about the world, about ourselves, about what is ‘true’, is built upon assumptions, narratives, and inherited perspectives. To see clearly, we must first acknowledge that our vision is always partial.

Unknowing is not ignorance. Ignorance is not knowing and not caring. Unknowing is recognising that all knowledge is provisional, shaped by power, history, and context. It is the practice of questioning our assumptions rather than defaulting to certainty.

In organisations, leadership, and culture, the refusal to acknowledge unknowing leads to rigidity, dogma, and fragile systems. The willingness to embrace unknowing creates adaptability, curiosity, and true transformation.

So why is it so hard?

Because certainty is comfortable, and ambiguity is terrifying.

The Problem with Certainty

We are wired to seek patterns. Evolution favoured humans who could quickly identify cause and effect, who could make predictions based on past experience. Certainty is not just a cognitive preference; it is an existential need. To feel certain is to feel safe, in control, and prepared.

But reality is not fixed. Meaning shifts. Knowledge evolves. Culture transforms. And power plays a significant role in determining what we accept as ‘true’ at any given moment.

In organisations, certainty manifests as rigid hierarchies, unquestioned best practices, and resistance to change.

In leadership, certainty breeds overconfidence, micromanagement, and a refusal to admit mistakes.

In culture, certainty is what justifies exclusion, the idea that ‘we do things this way’ and anything else is wrong, dangerous, or invalid.

The problem with certainty is that it closes off inquiry. It stops us from seeing alternative perspectives, questioning the status quo, or adapting when conditions change.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Thinkers of Unknowing

The concept of unknowing has deep roots in philosophy, science, and spiritual traditions. Many of history’s greatest thinkers have warned against the dangers of false certainty and the power of embracing the unknown.

Socrates: The Only True Wisdom

Socrates famously declared that his only wisdom was in knowing that he knew nothing. His entire method, the Socratic dialogue, was built on questioning assumptions, exposing contradictions, and forcing people to confront their own blind spots.

Socrates didn’t just challenge individual beliefs; he disrupted power structures. Certainty is comfortable for those who benefit from the existing order. To question what is ‘true’ is to question who gets to decide what truth is.

Buddhism: The Wisdom of Not-Knowing

Buddhist thought, particularly the concept of Śūnyatā (emptiness), aligns closely with unknowing. It teaches that all phenomena, including our ideas and identities, are impermanent, interconnected, and empty of inherent meaning.

This is not nihilism, it is freedom. To let go of rigid certainty is to become more adaptable, open, and present. It is to engage with the world as it is, rather than clinging to how we think it should be.

David Bohm: Thought as a System

Physicist and philosopher David Bohm saw thought not as an individual act but as a collective system. He argued that our assumptions, beliefs, and patterns of thinking are not separate from the world, they shape and are shaped by it.

Bohm’s idea of dialogue, deep listening without attachment to fixed conclusions, is a direct challenge to certainty. In true dialogue, there are no winners or losers, only a shared exploration of meaning.

Postmodernism: Power and Knowledge

Thinkers like Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida examined how knowledge is constructed and maintained through power. Foucault argued that what we consider ‘true’ is often not objective reality, but rather a function of who has the authority to define reality.

To embrace unknowing is to ask deeper questions about where knowledge comes from:

• Who benefits from this version of truth?
• What perspectives are excluded?
• What alternative ways of knowing have been suppressed or ignored?

Unknowing in Leadership and Organisations

Most leadership models glorify confidence, decisiveness, and expertise. The idea of an uncertain leader, one who admits to unknowing, is seen as weak. But in reality, the best leaders are those who question their own assumptions and create space for collective sensemaking.

The Risks of Certainty in Leadership

1. Overconfidence Bias: Leaders who assume they have the answers often make bad decisions because they ignore contradictory evidence.
2. Micromanagement: If certainty is the goal, leaders feel the need to control every aspect of execution, stifling creativity and autonomy.
3. Resistance to Change: Organisations that cannot sit with uncertainty become fragile, unable to pivot, adapt, or innovate.
4. Exclusion: Certainty creates in-groups and out-groups, those who ‘get it’ and those who don’t. This is how cultures become echo chambers.

The Power of Unknowing in Leadership

Instead of seeing not knowing as a weakness, what if we saw it as the core strength of adaptive leadership?

• Leaders who embrace unknowing ask better questions. They create cultures where inquiry is valued over blind execution.
• They build teams that can navigate uncertainty. Instead of relying on top-down control, they encourage collective intelligence.
• They make better decisions. By challenging their own biases, they are more likely to see the full picture.

Unknowing and Organisational Culture

Most organisations claim to value innovation and agility, but true adaptability requires a tolerance for ambiguity. If an organisation’s culture is built on the illusion of certainty, it will struggle to learn, evolve, or respond to crises.

An organisation that embraces unknowing:

• Encourages experimentation over rigid process.
• Values questions as much as answers.
• Sees failure as a necessary part of learning.
• Recognises that culture is always in flux, not something to ‘protect’, but something to engage with and reshape.

Practicing Unknowing: How to Sit with the Uncertain

Unknowing is not just a theory, it is a practice. It is the ability to sit with discomfort, challenge assumptions, and allow a mindset that sees ambiguity as a space of possibility rather than a threat.

How to Develop a Practice of Unknowing:

1. Question Assumptions: Actively seek out perspectives that challenge your worldview.
2. Adopt a Beginner’s Mind: Approach problems as if you are encountering them for the first time.
3. Engage in True Dialogue: Listen without trying to win. Hold space for multiple truths.
4. Embrace Experimentation: See uncertainty as an invitation to test, learn, and adapt.
5. Recognise the Role of Power in Knowledge: Ask who is shaping the narratives you accept as truth.

The Freedom of Unknowing

To see through The Fractured Lens begins with letting go of certainty. It means recognising that what we take as truth is always partial, always evolving, always subject to unseen forces.

Unknowing is not passivity, it is the most radical act of learning. It is an openness to seeing differently, thinking differently, and being transformed in the process.

Once we accept that knowledge is uncertain, we must then ask: How do we construct meaning in a world without fixed truths?