--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Neuroscience research is revealing that…" description: "\"“Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not being certain is an extremely uncomfortable place for our brains to live: The greater the unc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg" --- # Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not… ![“Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not being certain is an extremely uncomfortable place for our brains to live: The greater the uncertainty, the worse the discomfort.” quote by David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg) > ““Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not being certain is an extremely uncomfortable place for our brains to live: The greater the uncertainty, the worse the discomfort.”” [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uncertainty causes significant mental discomfort, making it hard for brains to tolerate. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty feels very uncomfortable for the mind. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty to reduce stress. Themes uncertainty discomfort neuroscience Mood analytical reflective Type scientific psychological When to use this quote - making choices - financial planning - health decisions - creative work Key Concepts cognitive bias anxiety decision making Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to unknown outcomes? - What strategies reduce uncertainty stress? A Different Perspective Some uncertainty can foster innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [Where there is no uncertainty, there is no longer the need for leadership. 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I would rather be in an unpleasant, uncomfortable place rather than one just adrift, floating around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/i-loathe-nowheres-airports-and-bland-hotels-i-would-rather-be-in-an/) [Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/) > [“Faith comes in knowing that you don’t know and being comfortably uncomfortable in that place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mininni/faith-comes-in-knowing-that-you-don-t-know-and-being-comfortably/) [Lisa Mininni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mininni/) > [“Darkness is an uncomfortable place, but that is where stars are made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/darkness-is-an-uncomfortable-place-but-that-is-where-stars-are-made/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Prayer for many is like a foreign land. When we go there, we go as tourists. 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Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) ## More by David DiSalvo > [“The flip side of this reality is that our big brains, advanced as they are, come with an array of complex shortcomings and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-flip-side-of-this-reality-is-that-our-big-brains-advanced-as-they/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“Participants who anticipated more rapid feedback scored the highest on the test.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/participants-who-anticipated-more-rapid-feedback-scored-the-highest/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“The best way to think of how our brains frame information is to imagine a picture frame, except unlike a normal frame, this one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-best-way-to-think-of-how-our-brains-frame-information-is-to/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“the amPFC and PCC were shown to play a large role in self-referential thinking and autobiographical memory (essentially, the “me” part of your brain).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-ampfc-and-pcc-were-shown-to-play-a-large-role-in-self-referential/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“those who ask themselves whether they will perform a task generally do better than those who tell themselves that they will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/those-who-ask-themselves-whether-they-will-perform-a-task-generally/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“words, for our brains, reality equals relevance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/words-for-our-brains-reality-equals-relevance/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“In German, bridge (die brucke) is a feminine noun; in Spanish, bridge (el puente) is a masculine noun. Boroditsky found that when asked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/in-german-bridge-die-brucke-is-a-feminine-noun-in-spanish-bridge-el/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“selective attention,” also called “selectivity bias”—the tendency to orient oneself toward and process information from only one part of our environment to the exclusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/selective-attention-also-called-selectivity-bias-the-tendency-to/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“great deal of “green” marketing is predicated on the assumption that people will buy a green product to make themselves feel better about moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/great-deal-of-green-marketing-is-predicated-on-the-assumption-that/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“appears that our first instinct is for idleness, but when given an excuse to be busy (even a meaningless one), we're liable to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/appears-that-our-first-instinct-is-for-idleness-but-when-given-an/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“The reason that persuasive messages are short, pithy, and digestible in seconds is that we process them so quickly that they become familiar without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-reason-that-persuasive-messages-are-short-pithy-and-digestible-in/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“schema (singular form of schemata) is like a mental map of concepts that hangs together by association.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/schema-singular-form-of-schemata-is-like-a-mental-map-of-concepts/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“Specifically, a web of neurons—dubbed the “default network”—spanning three brain regions (the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, and the parietal cortex) are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/specifically-a-web-of-neurons-dubbed-the-default-network-spanning/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“it's always on in the background but only takes first chair in our brains when we're not focused on anything in particular.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/it-s-always-on-in-the-background-but-only-takes-first-chair-in-our/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“Our expectations for what we should be able to recall are hardly in line with what our brains are capable of processing—which, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/our-expectations-for-what-we-should-be-able-to-recall-are-hardly-in/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) [Explore all 125 David DiSalvo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) ## More Discomfort quotes > [A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/a-vacation-is-like-love-anticipated-with-pleasure-experienced-with/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [We are a party of innovation. We do not reject our traditions, but we are willing to adapt to changing circumstances, when change we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/we-are-a-party-of-innovation-we-do-not-reject-our-traditions-but-we/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) > [“You cannot possibly know what gives you discomfort unless you step outside your comfort zone, this where change begins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taskinsoy/you-cannot-possibly-know-what-gives-you-discomfort-unless-you-step/) [JOHN TASKINSOY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taskinsoy/) > [“If you want to achieve your objectives, you have to be prepared for a daily dose of pain or discomfort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-you-want-to-achieve-your-objectives-you-have-to-be-prepared-for-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The purpose of art actually is, in many cases, to make you feel quite uncomfortable. Or at least to go to that place that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/the-purpose-of-art-actually-is-in-many-cases-to-make-you-feel-quite/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [My wife was gone, all other girls failed to cooperate, so I decided to wear a pouch of animal blood myself and test out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunachalam-muruganantham/my-wife-was-gone-all-other-girls-failed-to-cooperate-so-i-decided-to/) [Arunachalam Muruganantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunachalam-muruganantham/) > [“Even discomfort or pain delivers awareness of life, and an opportunity for gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/even-discomfort-or-pain-delivers-awareness-of-life-and-an-opportunity/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [There is not much sense in suffering, since drugs can be given for pain, itching, and other discomforts. The belief has long died that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/there-is-not-much-sense-in-suffering-since-drugs-can-be-given-for/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [“It is very difficult to convince a person to come out of his conservative shell, unless he feels discomfort there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarif-naaz/it-is-very-difficult-to-convince-a-person-to-come-out-of-his/) [Tarif Naaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarif-naaz/) > [Monotony and repetition are characteristic of many parts of life, but these do not become sources of conscious discomfort until novelty and entertainment are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-catherine-bateson/monotony-and-repetition-are-characteristic-of-many-parts-of-life-but/) [Mary Catherine Bateson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-catherine-bateson/) > [You need to understand plant chemistry, be inured to discomfort and awesomely flexible. When something breaks down-the plane, the boat, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/you-need-to-understand-plant-chemistry-be-inured-to-discomfort-and/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [Intuitive guidance means having the self-esteem to recognize that the discomfort or confusion that a person feels is actually directing him to take charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/intuitive-guidance-means-having-the-self-esteem-to-recognize-that-the/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [What separates great athletes from mediocre ones isn't only talent and training - it's also how well they can handle discomfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/what-separates-great-athletes-from-mediocre-ones-isn-t-only-talent/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [Excellence requires discomfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/excellence-requires-discomfort/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [“inescapable physical or mental discomfort is the “first dart” of existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/inescapable-physical-or-mental-discomfort-is-the-first-dart-of/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) [Browse all 510 Discomfort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not being certain is an extremely uncomfortable place for our brains to live: The greater the uncertainty, the worse the discomfort.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David DiSalvo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that-the-state-of-not-being/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discomfort" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that-the-state-of-not-being/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/david-disalvo-3662_doubt_neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that_1582008.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Neuroscience research is revealing that the state of not being certain is an extremely uncomfortable place…” — David DiSalvo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David DiSalvo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Neuroscience research is revealing that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that-the-state-of-not-being/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/neuroscience-research-is-revealing-that-the-state-of-not-being/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```