“I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important. Better a stable world that's familiar, in which I'm doing pretty poorly, than dealing with all the ambiguity of a changing world.”

American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist

Robert Morris Sapolsky is an American academic, neuroscientist, and primatologist. He is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor at Stanford University and a professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery. His work focuses on neuroendocrinology, especially the biology of stress. He is also a research associate with the National Museums of Kenya, reflecting a career that links laboratory science with long-term study of primates and their behavior.