Tolerance for Ambiguity

Ambiguous situations are those in which the probabilities of possible outcomes are not fully known. Therefore, tolerance for ambiguity means the ability to tolerate situations where we do not have the full knowledge [Page 838]about the odds of consequences of our decisions. Most of the decisions that we make have consequences that are at least partially ambiguous. Many of our political decisions entail some degree of ambiguity. For example, when we vote in presidential elections, we cannot precisely foresee how likely our candidate is to stick to and be successful in implementing her or his program. We also cannot objectively and accurately predict the likelihood of their focusing on any particular social problem once they’ve been elected. Similarly, when we vote in a tax referendum, ...