The Latin word incertus came to Spanish as uncertain . This adjective is usually used to describe what is unknown or not certain .
For example: "The future of the Colombian footballer is uncertain: while he recovers from an injury, he terminated the contract with his club" , "The vote began a few hours ago but the result is uncertain" , "Given the president's resignation, the outlook It is uncertain."
The term uncertain can also be used with reference to what is not true or certain , according to what is indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary: «The minister's statements are uncertain, since our union was always willing to dialogue» , «It is uncertain that the level of unemployment has decreased: on the contrary, it has increased in recent months» , «Juan said he was going to give me a job in his company, but that was uncertain since he never called me» .
Suppose that a group of doctors subject a patient to an experimental treatment to try to overcome a rare disease that puts his life at risk. Beyond the knowledge of the professionals and the analyzes they carried out, because it is a new type of treatment, its effects are uncertain : they can only be verified once they occur.
In everyday language , in short, what is called uncertain is that which is impossible to determine how it will materialize, what characteristics it will have or how it will develop . If a teenager runs away from home after arguing with his parents, it can be said that he left in an uncertain direction, since no one knows where he went.
In the examples presented in the previous paragraphs we can notice different nuances in the meaning of the term uncertain. On the one hand, there are those situations that depend on chance or the actions of third parties; These are cases in which our own decisions do not count or do so to an insignificant degree when determining the result .
When we find ourselves going through such an uncertain time, therefore, our emotional stability tends to fluctuate and our mood to decline, since it is not pleasant to feel that we have no control over our own lives.
On the other hand, we can observe situations in which the uncertain aspect depends exclusively or largely on us, on our actions and decisions . Despite these distinctions, it is important to note that it is not always easy to know what type of uncertainty we are facing, since there are "gray areas" that can place them in both, depending on the point of view.
If we return to the example of the footballer who suffers an injury, it is correct to say that his professional future is uncertain, since it largely depends on his recovery, which is linked to various factors beyond his control, such as his state of health. , the quality of the treatments you undergo, the intuition of the doctors who treat you, etc. Although your desire to improve and your dedication can have a positive influence, your attitude is not enough.
In this case we see that uncertainty is linked to factors such as health and the actions of doctors, but also to the willpower of the individual, which is why we could not completely place them in one of the groups.
During the time of government elections, it is uncertain which party will win, although chance does not play an important role but rather everything depends on the behavior of each citizen. Of course, unforeseen events can prevent some people from casting their vote, but it would be strange if "the wrong candidate" won by a few votes less.