Hooray For Monday March 2, 2026: The Space Between Question and Answer
Mar 2, 2026
Maggie Jackson, award-winning journalist and author focused on attention and uncertainty. She explains why schools should teach how to navigate uncertainty. She distinguishes two kinds of uncertainty and shows how leaders who pause make better decisions. Practical tips for teachers and the power of living in the space between question and answer are highlighted.
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Uncertainty Is A Signal Not A Failure
- Uncertainty is the everyday norm and a learning signal that routine won't be sufficient.
- Maggie Jackson frames uncertainty as two types: unpredictable external flux and our epistemic unsureness that opens inquiry and curiosity.
Two Kinds Of Uncertainty
- Distinguish aleatory uncertainty (external unpredictability) from epistemic unsureness (our response to not knowing).
- Epistemic unsureness invites exploration, curiosity, and expanding options rather than premature conclusions.
Pause To Lead In Novel Crises
- Leaders who pause and 'inhabit the question' perform better in novel crises than those who rush to decisive answers.
- Adaptive experts widen and deepen problem frames, testing multiple hypotheses before acting.
