How often do you rethink your beliefs, goals, and decisions? Can you remember the last time you admitted being wrong and revised your opinion accordingly? I hope you got the idea of what this book conveys.
Everyone agrees that thinking and learning are crucial to thriving. However, the ability to rethink and unlearn is also important. We see what we want or expect to see. We often prefer the ease of hanging on to old views over the difficulty of grappling with new ones. Because of the fear of losing our identity, a part of ourselves, we tend to stick with the old opinions.
A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of the most cherished parts of your identity.
Think like a scientist
We recognize when others need to think again. When it comes to our own knowledge and decisions, we often favor feeling right over being right. It’s dumb that people want to prove what they’re saying is right, get support from others who have the same opinion, and then feel satisfied. To be honest, so do I. Although I try to fill my knowledge with evidence-based information, I still have fallacies. We should abstain from the desire of feeling right and think like scientists, who are open-minded, search for reasons why they might be wrong, and revise their views based on what they learn. Furthermore, you should be aware of areas where you are ignorant.
Doubt what you know. Be curious about what you don’t know.
We all have blind spots in our knowledge and opinions. They can leave us blind to our blindness, which gives us false confidence in our judgment and prevents us from rethinking.
Scientific thinking favors humility over pride, doubt over certainty, curiosity over closure.
The less intelligent we are in a particular domain, the more we seem to overestimate our actual intelligence in that domain. If you think you know more about science than most people, chances are you know less than you think. A bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
The joy of being wrong
When you’re wrong, it’s not something to be depressed about. Try to feel joy by discovering you were wrong because you learned something and you are now less wrong than before. It’s a display of honesty and a willingness to learn.
If you don’t look back at yourself and think, “Wow, how stupid I was a year ago”, then you must not have learned much in the last year.
Convincing others to think again
It’s not just about making a good argument, it’s about establishing that we have the right motives in doing so. We are scientists trying to get to the truth.
Quality over quantity
If you have too many arguments, you will dilute the power of each one. Two strong points are more impactful than many weak points. The most convincing source is often the one closest to your audience.
Listen and ask questions
Listening starts with showing more interest in other people rather than trying to judge them. When we ask genuine questions, we leave them intrigued to learn more.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
It’s the worst question to ask children, but unfortunately, almost all adults do. This question makes kids think that they have to choose one career path and stick with that for their whole life. In a real-life, an average person ends up holding many jobs. There are a lot of people who chose a career they didn't really like and strived for years without rethinking it. Isn’t it regrettable?
The idea I liked the most about this book is that passions are often developed, not discovered. I struggled for so long about my major. When people give advice on choosing a profession, they say that I have to find my passion. I bet many students don’t know their so-called passion. Cultivating a passion makes sense instead of discovering it.
To sum up
We weren’t born with our opinions. We have full control over what we believe. No matter if it is a part of your identity or how long have you been holding a particular belief, you can revise it anytime.
Acknowledge that you don’t know everything, don’t believe every piece of information that comes to your mind, and never lose your holy curiosity. Humility, doubt, and curiosity help you be wise and live with fewer regrets.
22.05.07
