Rowing through the fog: how to increase your tolerance for uncertainty

Here's something that might surprise you — most of us are terrible at handling uncertainty, and that’s making life harder. Simone Stolzoff, writing for The Guardian and author of a new book, points out that in our modern world, not knowing has become especially uncomfortable. According to Stolzoff, our culture rewards certainty, so when we face ambiguity — like choosing a career or dealing with unpredictable changes — it hits us harder than it should. Elle Hunt notes that Stolzoff, who admits he's “naturally uncertain,” finds that leaning into doubt can actually be a strength. The trick isn’t to eliminate uncertainty but to learn how to live with it, to sit with the discomfort instead of dodging it. This shift could be a game-changer, especially for busy professionals, because if we get better at tolerating the fog of not knowing, we’ll make smarter decisions and adapt faster. If this pattern holds, the next wave of successful leaders might just be the ones who embrace uncertainty as a tool, not a threat.