Confused or uncertain

I was asked in the Synergistic Accounting Class today to distinguish between confusion and uncertainty.

Confusion

From the Etymological Dictionary

Latin confusionem (nominative confusio) “a mingling, mixing, blending; confusion, disorder,” noun of action from past-participle stem of confundere “to pour together

Certain

Latin certus “determined, resolved, fixed, settled.Old French cert, Italian certo, Spanish cierto), originally a variant past participle of cernere “to distinguish, decide,” literally “to sift, separate.” This Latin verb comes from the PIE root *krei- “to sieve,” thus “discriminate, distinguish,

Confusion is a mixing up, disorder. Uncertain is not settled, not sifted, not discriminated.

In confusion I am all mixed up. Being uncertain, I have not sifted or discriminated. 

Confusion begs a question. The question we might dare to ask. It invites emergence through clouds. It may require holding the question and allowing Kairos time.

Uncertainty seeks discrimination between. Not this, not that. Oftentimes we do not know what is until we have gone through the not this, not that. It is the process of sifting. 

Published August 28th 2026. Photo taken August 28th 2026