Opinion: In uncertain times, certainty is over-rewarded 15 Jan, 2021 12:00 AM 4 minutes to read The psychological analogy of the fox and hedgehog offers a valuable lesson in uncertain times. Photo / Getty Images The psychological analogy of the fox and hedgehog offers a valuable lesson in uncertain times. Photo / Getty Images Financial Times By: Jemima Kelly Type the words "kind of", "probably" or "perhaps" into an email in Microsoft Outlook and the program might well tell you to think again. If the artificial intelligence-powered "Microsoft Editor" decides you're not sounding decisive enough, it will warn you: "Words expressing uncertainty lessen your impact." To me, this suggestion encapsulates something we've got wrong in society. Leaving aside the extent to which Big Tech is creeping ever further into our lives, it highlights a broader issue: we live in a world that rewards those who speak with conviction — even when that is misplaced — and gives very little airtime to those who acknowledge doubt.