French word l ’ avenir ( literally , ‘ to come ’) and which pertains to the possibility of an event that is completely unpredictable - the arrival of an unexpected guest , the other who ' s presence cannot be foreseen and whose arrival remains uncertain . This layer of the future , l ’ avenir , Derrida argues , lies beyond the more common notion of ‘ future ’ ( Kierby and Ziering Kofman , 2002 ). This uncertain future is one that can cause angst and consternation .