Yay, I love leaving theory at the door....it just mucks everything up!
How 'certain' am I? I am certain that I am not certain I can answer this question adequately, nor do I know what situation to talk about. Everything is highly situational for me, and actually I don't know that I've ever thought about my perceptions in the sense of their being certain/uncertain. Also, in general, I tend to not be 'certain' about much - there are many unknowns/variables, and the bigger/more complex the topic, the more agnostic I might become about said topic.
I do know that I will take every 'data point'/observation/bit of knowledge in, and each little piece will further add to what I know, and what I think, and the piece might further confirm what I had already thought about something, or it will add a snag such that I have to revisit any conclusions (conclusion = 'certainty' as pertaining to this thread?) and maybe alter them. And often times, especially regarding 'bigger' topics, or unknowns, or issues regarding people or relationships, I often view all of it as a work-in-progress...meaning....I'll take the initial data/'perceptions', and form an initial impression of everything. Sort of like a rough draft. Let's say the rough draft is 60% 'accurate', and it will start off with a lot of flexibility built into it, as I'm also aware that I'm not in a position to have all the information at hand initially, and am careful not to jump to faulty conclusions. So it's just a matter of time...it becomes finetuned over time, so that over time, with more data, I have a more complete picture/vision of things, or of people, and my inner certitude increases. It is true that my initial rough draft often-times is accurate and future data simply confirms the initial perception, but I'm not silly enough to think I'm always gonna have it right right from the beginning, as with certain situations/people, more time and input is necessary. And: what you see/initially perceive is not always truthful/accurate, if the deliverer of the info is being deceptive, so I'll always have a time factor to assess whether I'm being given genuine information. And finally, the general truth that things are not always as they might appear at face value.......