Why We Resist Uncertainty and How to Get Better at It

We hear a lot about the growth mindset. This phrase, coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, describes the belief that someone with this mindset can embrace challenges, persist through setbacks, and view failure as an opportunity to grow.

But let’s face it: We humans really like things to be settled, predictable, and stable. As a species, we are not naturally comfortable with uncertainty. The mind clearly prefers coherent narratives, even if they are incorrect, over ambiguity. It’s why most highly praised television shows and films include resolution—closure.

Research on intolerance of uncertainty shows that people who struggle to tolerate ambiguity are more prone to anxiety, rumination, and rigid thinking. As a scientist, I have been trained to accept a lack of complete resolution to a question or idea. I can even embrace the unexpected. That may have more to do with my personality than the fact that I am a scientist. My interview with Ersilia Vaudo revealed how advances in astrophysics required dismantling what people thought they knew in exchange for new, incomplete explanations. It didn’t go smoothly. There was a lot of resistance, including from other scientists.

When we look to neuroscience, imaging studies reveal that uncertainty activates the threat-sensitive regions of our brain. When outcomes are unpredictable, the nervous system prepares us for danger. This makes evolutionary sense; uncertainty can signal risk.

But the same neural systems that respond to threat also respond to novelty and learning. Curiosity appears to recruit overlapping networks, shifting uncertainty from something to avoid into something to explore.

That’s a conundrum. Is it just us? Do other species twitch in response to shifts in their environment? Are we being unreasonable in expecting things to remain safe, static, and controlled?

Source: Paula Zermoglio, CC0

How Animals Deal with Uncertainty

What we know from animal behavior research is that, in the wild, other animals are constantly making decisions with incomplete information, sometimes even under stressful conditions. The decision to disperse from a family unit or social group is a perfect example, since individuals may not know what opportunities or risks lie ahead.

Long-term studies on baboons show that individuals—in this case, males—make calculated guesses under uncertain social conditions. One could interpret that to mean uncertainty leads to re-evaluation and new directions, or even a growth mindset.

Meerkats also respond to uncertainty by making changes. Sometimes a group moves to a new area. What prompts this shift? Precarious conditions around food availability and changes in predator exposure. Initially, individuals adjust vigilance and movement patterns dynamically as environmental information changes, and groups eventually and collectively update their location.

These findings share a common thread: Individuals who navigate social and environmental uncertainty effectively, by switching strategies when appropriate, tend to experience better outcomes.

In humans, entrepreneurship is probably one of the clearest examples of creating and coping with uncertainty in a structured way (as opposed to flailing about randomly). Research shows that entrepreneurs tend to score higher on openness to experience, sense of agency, and tolerance for ambiguity compared to non-entrepreneurs. These traits are associated with adaptive risk assessment and persistence, not with reckless risk-taking, in uncertain environments. Many scientists are entrepreneurs of ideas, so my intuition that I have the personality for carefully calculated risk tolerance in circumstances with incomplete information may not be misplaced.

Similarly, individuals who voluntarily switch jobs or pivot careers often display higher cognitive flexibility and a growth-oriented mindset. Studies in organizational psychology suggest that people high in openness and psychological resilience are more likely to interpret career transitions as opportunities rather than threats.

Humans also show a strong bias favoring loss aversion, meaning potential losses feel larger, psychologically speaking, than potential gains. This bias helps explain why many people remain in unsatisfying jobs or relationships: the known cost feels safer than the unknown risk. We even have an idiom for this: the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

Other animals also exhibit sensitivity to potential losses. In an experiment with capuchin monkeys, individuals were given tokens they could exchange for rewards. When presented with options framed as either “keeping” or “losing,” the monkeys strongly preferred the option framed as keeping, even when the actual value was equal.

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The difference between ourselves and, dare I say, other species, is not comfort with random chaos, but our interpretation or internal experience that unclear outcomes are the same as chaos. Other animals appear to tolerate incomplete information while updating their strategy.

How to Get Better at Facing the Unknown

What are some ways we can cultivate a more balanced approach? Here are three strategies that are especially helpful for people who do not naturally exhibit personality traits favoring curiosity over panic.

1. Gradual exposure. From anxiety research, we know that avoidance reinforces fear. Intolerance of uncertainty is strongly linked to anxiety disorders, and one of the most effective interventions is deliberately entering uncertain situations in manageable doses. In practice, this might look like not over-researching something before making a decision. Start with something small, not completely insignificant, but also not life-altering either. Alternatively, if you are someone who seeks multiple opinions and reassurance, try to refrain from doing so for low-stakes concerns.

2. Information gathering. From cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), we know that how we interpret a lack of clarity changes our physiological stress responses. When uncertainty is framed as a learning opportunity rather than an immediate danger, cortisol responses decrease, and exploratory behavior increases. If you are not in imminent danger, reframing uncertainty as information gathering can make it feel less threatening and more rewarding. Identify what is within your control and respond only to that. Replace “What if this goes wrong?” with “What might I learn?”

3. Balance trade-offs. Both behavioral ecology and cognitive science describe a trade-off between continuing to receive known rewards and exploring new, potentially more profitable options. There is no need to constantly explore in every area of your life. You might keep a major area stable (employment) while pilot-testing new directions before fully committing. This is what many people do when starting a business. They maintain their existing job while building something new. Major changes like a new job, geographic move, or divorce can go more smoothly if you maintain routines or strengthen social support before, during, and after the shift.

Uncertainty tolerance is not reserved for the naturally adventurous. It can be cultivated through gradual exposure, cognitive reframing, and a strategic balance between exploration and stability. The goal is not to eliminate uncertainty, but to increase our capacity to remain engaged when outcomes are unclear.