All Episodes

February 21, 2025 34 mins

In this episode, I sit down with Maggie Jackson, an award-winning American author and journalist, to explore insights from her latest book, Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure. Jackson challenges our conventional aversion to uncertainty and presents it as a vital skill for creativity, resilience, and adaptability in today's fast-changing world.

We discuss:

  • The nature of uncertainty: The difference between aleatory (external) and epistemic (internal) uncertainty and why embracing doubt is crucial.
  • Cognitive benefits: How uncertainty enhances problem-solving, sharpens attention, and fosters innovation.
  • Leadership and decision-making: Why the best leaders and experts embrace uncertainty rather than fear it.
  • The role of technology: How the internet and social media contribute to an illusion of certainty, undermining deep thinking.
  • Cultural differences: How tolerance for uncertainty varies across societies and workplaces.
  • The psychology of disagreement: Why productive disagreement is key to better decision-making and avoiding groupthink.


Join us for a fascinating discussion on why being unsure isn't a weakness but a strength—one that can unlock deeper learning, better collaboration, and a more open-minded approach to the world around us.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.