How can we act when we don't have enough information?

Recently, I spent time with two friends from very different chapters of my life. They knew each other, too, but in different contexts. I had no idea what to expect, and at first, our conversation was clunky. We all brought different histories into the room, and we didn't know how they would interact. We acknowledged what was happening, and something shifted. We began to bridge those different chapters and contexts.

There is something tempting about wanting more information before we act. If we could just understand a little better or anticipate one more outcome, perhaps then we could plan a clunky-free chat. In strengthening the disability community, that instinct can come from a good place. We don't want to make assumptions, create new barriers, or speak for people when we could listen. But sometimes, “we don't have enough information” can become a reason not to move.

So this week's challenge is: How can we act when we don't have enough information?

Honest Story

For ten years, Ari Narbe's brother, Ben, communicated primarily through two head movements: left for yes, right for no. His family became skilled at working within that system, but Ari kept wondering whether there might be another way for Ben to communicate. Ben wasn't able to speak, blink rhythmically, or tap, movements that many existing assistive communication devices rely on. So Ari and his family built a communication system using two buttons and AI, experimenting with what Ben could control rather than waiting for a perfect solution. It wasn't always reliable, but it gave Ben something he hadn't had in years: the ability to initiate, choose, joke, and interact with the world on his own terms. What started as a small experiment for Ben eventually became Benny's Hub and the NARBE Foundation, reminding me that sometimes we don't need more information before we act, but instead we can choose to create a small possibility and learn from what happens.

References: NARBE Foundation, @narbehouse

Rigorous Learning

Research on tolerance of ambiguity shows that stress, burnout, and mental health challenges are prevalent among medical students and doctors, with evidence suggesting that lower tolerance of ambiguity is associated with reduced psychological well-being. However, the real question may not be whether we can become comfortable with uncertainty; it’s whether we can stay curious and act responsibly despite it.

In my experience, health professionals often face the same choice I faced with my friends: when we don't know exactly how to navigate a situation, we can either ignore the uncertainty or acknowledge it, stay curious, and figure out what to do next.

That matters in strengthening the disability community, too. Staying curious enough to try something new is important, but so is recognizing when our uncertainty is creating an additional mental load for someone else. We may not have enough information to know exactly what to do, and we may never get it, but we can still choose how we show up in the uncertainty (Hancock & Mattick, 2019).

Work of Art

Amy Sanders de Melo creates ceramic works incorporating Braille, including marks that may be impossible for a sighted viewer to read. Her work asks us to encounter information that is present but not immediately accessible, and to recognize that something is there without pretending we already understand it. 

When we don't have enough information, we often rush to fill the gap: we make an assumption, interpret what we can't see, or decide what someone probably needs. Sanders de Melo's work offers another possibility: notice the gap, resist the urge to fill it, and stay curious about what might become visible if we approach differently. Taking a small risk can be a way of doing exactly that by not claiming to know, but creating a new way to find out.

Practical Experiment

Take a small risk and solicit feedback. Try something before you know exactly how it will work, whether a new meeting format, an unfinished idea, a different way of inviting participation, and then ask, What did we learn? What were we missing? The goal isn't to get it right the first time, but instead to create a small enough possibility to make progress and learn from what happens.

Reflection

What do you understand now that you could only have learned by taking the first step?

Next Week's Challenge

How can we create environments where people feel secure enough to try, fail, and improve?