Think Again 

If you have read any of my other posts, you have probably seen the importance of our beliefs and the role they play in our reality. (If not, hit the Menu at the top and click on “Blog“) But even with this knowledge, sometimes it is difficult to change our beliefs and opinions even when they don’t serve us any longer. As Adam Grant points out in “Think Again,” we will redecorate our homes but hold on to our knowledge and beliefs no matter what. Why is it so difficult to rethink and/or unlearn?

Many people favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt.

Adam Grant says that most of us have the mindset of a preacher, prosecutor, or politician. For example, if our beliefs are being questioned we tend to go into preacher mode. If we see any flaws in other people’s reasoning, we will turn into the prosecutor. But if we are trying to win over opinions, we will turn into the politician. These mindsets have the downside of trying to prove that we are right rather than rethinking our views. 

A great way to overcome these limitations is to think more like a scientist. Conduct experiments and rethink what you think you know. We should be curious about what we don’t know, which will help us update our views based on new information. The most important thing is to seek out the truth, not necessarily what we want to be true or have previously believed to be true.

Our current knowledge can sometimes close our minds to the things that we do not know. 

Where is the progress in that?

Furthermore, Adam Grant points out that we all have areas in our knowledge or opinions that can be considered blind spots. 

We don’t know what we don’t know. And this could lead to overconfidence in our judgment. 

The reverse of this would be under-confidence. He is pointing out that we should have some confidence in our current knowledge and competence. I have struggled with imposter syndrome for years, so I am grateful that he pointed this out. If you currently struggle with this, maybe it is time to rethink?

Having confidence in our ability to achieve a goal is great, but humility leads us to question whether we have the right tools in the present for that goal. We want to avoid becoming arrogant and convinced of our strengths and our strategies. He says that confident humility is having faith in our capability but understanding that we may not have the right solution or method yet. This is where rethinking our current knowledge comes in.

Many people define their identity based on their opinions, but we should define our identity in terms of our values. This can help us avoid becoming too attached to past beliefs and making them part of our current self-image. 

Before this blog becomes a small book, I just want to close out by saying this book has changed so much about my thought process. It is definitely in my top two most intriguing and impactful book list.

Thank you so much for reading today, and feel free to drop a line below!