Doubt Leads to Better Decisions: Bobby Parmar Explains on Hidden Brain

What if doubt is actually a strength?

University of Virginia Darden School of Business professor Bobby Parmer joined Shankar Vedantam on the hit podcast Hidden Brain to help conclude a series on the value of doubt and uncertainty.

In their conversation, Parmar shares his expertise on leadership and key points from his most recent book, “Radical Doubt: Turning Uncertainty into Surefire Success.” According to Parmar, avoiding uncertainty robs us of important opportunities for growth.

Parmar begins with an example from his own life, when his discomfort with the uncertainty of navigating on a group hike led him to rush a decision on which direction to go, resulting on the group having to backtrack for a couple of hours. “It was easier to keep moving than it was to admit that I was wrong,” he said.

He used the story to delve into the neuroscience of decision-making, and why it feels so hard to sit with uncertainty. Parmar describes three systems in the brain:

• The “pursue” system, which drives action toward rewards
• The “protect” system, which helps us avoid threats
• The “pause and piece together” system, which engages when we feel doubt and need to analyze a situation more carefully.

This third system is crucial for thoughtful decision-making, but it requires time and mental effort. Under stress, however, the brain often defaults to quicker, more reactive systems, making it harder to engage in the careful reflection that leads to the best decisions.

He also discusses social pressures that affect our ability to engage productively with uncertainty, such as avoiding blame, confirmation bias, and common perceptions like being a leader means always being decisive, or being smart means always having the right answer first. “When we feel threatened, when we anticipate blame, it’s so easy for doubt to lead to confirmation of our beliefs, not conversation.”

He observes that people who have learned to engage productively with doubt and uncertainty have a different mindset: “People who are experienced when it comes to dealing with uncertainty and doubt are more sensitive to their surroundings,” he says, “and they’re investing in learning. They’re not investing in trying to get to a right answer quickly.”

Listen to the full episode for more insights on why doubt is such a challenge, and practical ways to deal with uncertainty better in life and at work (plus, Bobby’s hiking redemption in Patagonia).