Why You Hate Uncertainty & The New Science of Living Longer

May 11, 2026

Guest

Florence Comite

Guest

Simone Stolzoff

Dr. Florence Comite, endocrinologist and longevity expert focused on precision medicine and biomarkers. Simone Stolzoff, journalist exploring why we crave answers and how to live with uncertainty. They discuss how stepping back sparks insights. They unpack why uncertainty feels worse than certainty, how to tolerate it, and practical biology-based ways to track and improve health for a longer, healthier life.

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INSIGHT

Phones Raised Uncertainty And Lowered Tolerance

Modern life increases both objective uncertainty and our intolerance for it due to phones and the internet.
Simone Stolzoff cites studies showing the highest measured global uncertainty readings occurred in the last five years.

INSIGHT

Ambiguity Feels Worse Than Certain Harm

Humans often prefer a certain bad outcome over an uncertain possibility because ambiguity triggers stronger stress responses.
Stolzoff references experiments where 50% shock probability caused more anxiety than guaranteed shock.

ANECDOTE

Chinese Farmer Parable About Maybe Yes Maybe No

The Chinese farmer parable illustrates withholding judgment because events can flip between good and bad unexpectedly.
Stolzoff uses the farmer's repeated 'maybe yes, maybe no' to show value in patience and equanimity.

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Have you ever struggled with a problem—only to have the answer suddenly appear when you stopped trying? It feels almost like magic, but it’s actually your brain working in a very specific way when you step back. https://drexel.edu/now/archive/2016/March/Insight_Correctness/

We all want to know what’s going to happen next. But life doesn’t work that way. In fact, the real challenge may not be uncertainty itself—but our growing discomfort with it. Simone Stolzoff, journalist and author of How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers (https://amzn.to/428rpWb), explains why we crave certainty, why that craving can make life harder, and how learning to tolerate—and even embrace—uncertainty can change the way you experience the world.

You’ve probably heard that your health is shaped by both your genes and your lifestyle. But how much control do you really have? Are some outcomes unavoidable—or can your daily choices actually override genetic risk? Dr. Florence Comite, endocrinologist and expert in longevity and precision medicine, has spent decades studying how to optimize health at the individual level. In our conversation, she explains how genes influence your future, where they don’t, and how understanding your personal biology can help you make smarter decisions to improve health and extend lifespan. She is author of Invincible: Defy Your Genetic Destiny to Live Better, Longer (https://amzn.to/3Pir404).

In the middle of a tense conversation, it’s easy for things to escalate quickly. But there’s a simple three-word phrase that can instantly shift the tone—turning conflict into something more productive and less combative. Source: Bill Jensen author of The Simplicity Survival Handbook (https://amzn.to/4thwWEX)

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