Uncertainty

I once heard a story about two magician's apprentices that were at the last leg of the training with their master.  The two young men had both undergone identical training under the older and wiser magician's guidance.  When they sensed their training was coming to an end the master magician sat them down and told them that they had but one test to complete.  After this test one of them would become a black magician, and the other, a white magician.  The day of the test the elder magician began them on a journey that would last many days and would lead them to the edge of the world.  When they arrived at the edge of the world both young magicians looked over and saw the ambiguous and infinite abyss that lay before them.  They both recoiled in fear.  The elder magician sat them down and told them that their final test was to jump over this cliff into the unknown.  One apprentice turned tail and sprinted back to his village to become the town magician.  The other held his nose and took the plunge.  The one who jumped became the white magician.