“The unease of uncertainty is a gift because it’s good stress.” ~ Maggie Jackson

It may be hard to think about “uncertainty” as a good thing right now, but hear me out.

Certain words keep coming up in this curiosity context: exploration, innovation, creativity, trust-building, learning — and uncertainty.

Not the “uncertainty” of the world today–which feels very heavy right now–but the “uncertainty” of allowing room for new thoughts.

And along comes Maggie Jackson, award-winning author and journalist, with a best-selling, thought-provoking and profoundly timely book on the power and potential of our own uncertainty.

Maggie wrote in a New York Times guest essay earlier this year, “We should rethink our outdated notions of not-knowing as weakness, and instead discover this mindset as a strength.”

So, of course, my mind goes to choosing to be curious.

People who are more tolerant of uncertainty are more flexible thinkers; they like surprises. People who are intolerant of uncertainty are more rigid thinkers, who argue to win.

Listen to Choose to Be Curious #256: Curiosity & the Gift of Uncertainty, with Maggie Jackson

Maggie Jackson is known for her prescient writings on social trends and technology’s impact on humanity. Her 2023 book Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure was nominated for a National Book Award, named a Library Journal Best Book of 2023, and a Nautilus Top Ten Summer Read. Her previous book, Distracted: Reclaiming Our Focus in a World of Lost Attention was released to similar acclaim.

Read Maggie’s January 2024 New York Times guest essay: “How to Thrive in an Uncertain World”.

Maggie and I both mention Todd Kashdan in this conversation. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him several times. Check out these C2BC Classics: Capturing the Bandwidth of Curiosity; The Art of Insubordination; and Rethinking Curiosity.

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Uncertain Ground” by Duck Lake, via Blue Dot Sessions.

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