As we get older, decisions get harder and harder to make because of unknowns.  In these times the unknowns have major compounding interactions.

The unknowns are all related to:

• Health uncertainties
• Climate uncertainties
• Pandemic uncertainties
• Political uncertainties
• Economic uncertainties.

The biggest problem is that all of the unknowns are interrelated and the effects from any one of them affects the others.  Most people only consider these factors one at at time and they don’t account for their interrelatedness and compounding of effects.

When you suffer adverse impacts from anyone of the unknowns all of the others will increase in the likelihood of also having an adverse impact.  To take all of this into account we need to do a systems analysis and consider all of the negative and positive feedback loops within our surrounding environment.

Examples are, “do I buy a longer focal length zoom lens?”  My arthritis might flare up so that I can’t carry and use it.  The weather induced by global heating might mean that it needs to be weather resistant.  If the pandemic goes away I might want to get a fast long zoom lens for use during indoor events.  If the economy collapses I might regret having spent the money on a more expensive long lens.  Decisions decisions decisions.  Does anyone have a suitable computer and the knowledge to model all of these conditions and calculate the outcomes for various likelihoods?  I doubt it.