Uncertainty is the enemy
Steven Worth
Strategy and Operations Executive – Equipping Corporate, Nonprofit and Government Organizations to Profitably Capitalize on Global Market Opportunities ǀ Strategic Planning ǀ Globalization ǀ Innovative Funding
As the joke goes, people fear public speaking more than they fear death itself, so it follows they would rather be the one in the casket than giving the public eulogy! Psychiatrists tell us this same principle holds true for uncertainty, where most people would rather accept the worst case scenario than remain in uncertainty waiting for an answer--even if the answer is positive.
Dale Carnegie counseled people beset with anxiety to think of the worst case scenario and to prepare for that--so that no matter what happens they are prepared and therefore have little to worry about.
This is a good rule of thumb for managers and public leaders of all kinds who must deal with their own anxieties as well as those of their friends and constituents who are attracted to false "leaders" with all the answers.