How to Expect the Unexpected: The Science of Making Predictions and the Art of Knowing When Not To

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Don’t be deceived into this short-sighted thinking. Remember Jesus’s promise: “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). If the path to full joy is sometimes hard, and Jesus tells us it is (John 16:33; Matthew 7:14), that is no reason not to take it! What do you want? Low, shallow, thin joys? No! Go for full joy! And remember what the writer of Hebrews tells us: Unexpected wonders happen, not on schedule, or when you expect or want them to happen, but if you keep hanging around, they do happen. ~ Wendell Berry. Yates’ writing is a beacon of clarity sorely needed in a complicated and confusing world.’ Jim Al Khalili (Author of The Joy of Science )

As a shop owner, he knew that he had to expect the unexpected, especially when it came to five-finger discounts. If you fail to adjust your expectations for the difficulties and the struggles you face on your success journey… All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult while in the theatre. The Royal Institution reserves the right to refuse admission to an unaccompanied child under the age of 13.For me comedy and violence has a lot in common. Just as you expect, comedy always lurks behind the most unexpected of circumstances. ~ Takeshi Kitano.

In "Where Time Began," a 1977 movie, the character Glauben asserts, "Under the earth, you have to expect the unexpected." When you are searching, if you look at only those facts and ideas that fit with what you already know, you'll never find the truth. If, then, faith is nothing else than a preconception of the mind in regard to what is the subject of discourse, and obedience is so called, and understanding and persuasion; no one shall learn aught without faith, since no one [learns aught] without preconception. Consequently there is a more ample demonstration of the complete truth of what was spoken by the prophet, “Unless ye believe, neither will ye understand.”† Paraphrasing this oracle, Heraclitus of Ephesus says, “If a man hope not, he will not find that which is not hoped for, seeing it is inscrutable and inaccessible.”

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In the music sphere, Phish's song "Mike's Groove" includes the lyric, "With Phish, you can always expect the unexpected." If we ask God to help us love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), what should we expect to receive? Answers that force us to give unexpected attention to a neighbor (whom we might not put in that category [Luke 10:29]), which are inconvenient and irritating. If we ask God for his kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10) in our own lives and in the world around us, what should we expect to receive? Answers that reveal our deep spiritual poverty, because the kingdom is given to the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3). The ocean is a supreme metaphor for change. I expect the unexpected but am never fully prepared. ~ Tim Winton. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

Wouldn’t you know, my friend was there waiting for me under the aspens. My unmet expectations turned into one of the most encouraging and refreshing afternoons that I have ever experienced — and was far better than anything I ever expected. Expectation vs. Reality You’ve got to expect things are going to go wrong. And we always need to prepare ourselves for handling the unexpected. ~ Neil Armstrong. Thought-Provoking Expect the Unexpected Quotes Always expect the unexpected. Right around Thanksgiving, when the new Alex Cross will be out. It’s called Four Blind Mice and it’s a pretty amazing story about several murders inside the military. ~ James Patterson. Powerful Expect the Unexpected Quotes It’s often said that the value of a home emergency policy is that it brings extra peace of mind for when the unexpected happens. However, most of the events it covers are likely to happen to someone – and potentially you. In day-to-day life, "expect the unexpected" encourages us to stay ready for any situation. This might involve being prepared for sudden weather changes, or having a plan B in case original plans fall through.

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The premise is that humans are, by nature, not very good at prediction, but can be better (at least sometimes). We have evolved an ad-hoc collection of heuristics that have served us perfectly well up to now, thank-you-very-much — like the linearity bias of thinking things will continue much as they are, the normalcy bias of thinking it’s not worth moving camp just because Ug saw what might have been a tiger in the undergrowth, and the Baader-Meinhof tendency of paying attention to new things. All of us are affected by unintended consequences — either as victims or unwitting perpetrators. To minimize their negative impact, there are two steps that managers can take: Pandemic mathematical biologist, Dr Kit Yates, has launched a new book on the science of making predictions. His book ‘How to Expect the Unexpected: The Science of Making Predictions and the Art of Knowing When Not To’, is published today (Thursday 6 July 2023). Life is a journey, and the road we travel has twists and turns which sometimes lead us to unexpected places and unexpected people. But in turn it always lead us to our destination. ~ Igwe Daniel Kelechi. We also have the opportunity to teach our kids how to roll with the tides by teaching them some words to use when they are thinking about life. For instance, using words like “should” solidifies expectations in our kids’ minds. It sets in concrete the way they believe life should go. For instance, if a child says, “My science fair project shouldwin first prize,” they are going to be sorely disappointed if they take second place. Instead, if we teach our kids to see the world through the lens of things that “could” happen, they set down the expectations and open themselves to seeing different opportunities. For example, “I could be the first chair violin in the orchestra at school, or I could be the second chair and help support the other musicians.” The words we use can have a tremendous impact on our kids’ mindsets and expectations. Moving Forward