Think Again

“The hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools — and some of the most cherished parts of your identity.”(Grant, p.12)

It can be hard to feel like you are changing your mind on things that you have held as part of who you are. There are thoughts and beliefs we all have in which we struggle to even think about changing. Changing in general is one of the more difficult things for us to do as humans.Our mind is something in which we don’t like to change and being someone working to change someone else’s mind is often a tricky if not somewhat impossible task it seems at times. For all of us there are foundational truths in which we will not steer away from or consider changing in any way. This means we have things when the topic arises and there is someone with a different viewpoint we don’t and most likely won’t want to consider their viewpoint. In this book Adam Grant works to persuade us to think about things again. Not that we have to change our minds or give up part of ourselves but rather change ourselves into thinkers and those who are able to consider other points of view. “Rethinking is a skill set , but it’s also a mindset . We already have many of the mental tools we need.”(Grant, p.16) There are skills that need to be had when we are rethinking but as Grant says here it seems to me the more important thing is to develop the mindset for rethinking.

“Unfortunately , when it comes to our own knowledge and opinions , we often favor feeling right over being right . In everyday life , we make many diagnoses of our own , ranging from whom we hire to whom we marry . We need to develop the habit of forming our own second opinions.” (Grant, p.18) We live in a world that is full of the viewpoint of being comfortable. We work very hard to make ourselves comfortable. We try really hard to make sure that whatever we are facing we are going through some level of comfort. If you are pushing your learning and if you are truly pushing and challenging to move forward there will be a level of discomfort. Instead of worrying so much with feeling right it makes more sense to push ourselves to think again as Grant states in this book and make the uncomfortable comfortable. In the public educational setting in which I work it is through thinking through things and pushing thinking that drives true learning. The scientific evidence behind the most influential learning is getting to the point of productive struggle. It is in those moments in which the work and thought process is difficult but not so difficult that it feels impossible. “We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy : we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals . We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people’s reasoning : we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case . We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience : we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents . The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we’re right , prosecuting others who are wrong , and politicking for support that we don’t bother to rethink our own views.” (Grant, p.18)?

“Thinking like a scientist involves more than just reacting with an open mind . It means being actively open - minded . It requires searching for reasons why we might be wrong — not for reasons why we must be right — and revising our views based on what we learn.” (Grant, p.25) Changing our thinking is sometimes the most difficult thing to do and in the current world in which we live I think we see this being even more challenging. Grant is challenging us here to think about how we can be open minded to all our thinking. Changing from looking for the reasons we are right and thinking more about reasons we may be wrong forces us to rethink and force growth in decision making. Some of the best thinkers in the world and of all time were the ones who were able to persevere through being wrong to find a way to be right and some of the greatest things invented actually came from looking for ways it may be wrong versus finding the right answer. As educators we work hard to get students to think for themselves. We don’t worry as much about the regurgitation of facts that we are feeding them, but more about having them know how to make the meal themselves. In this current information age we should be pushing students to think about how to solve problems and while doing so we should challenge them to explain themselves. Asking students the why behind their answers and decisions is some of the most critical thinking we can ask them to do. The easy way out is to just ask students to repeat facts we are giving them but the most challenging and fruitful ways to approach education is through the challenge of explanation of those thoughts and decisions.

“What set great presidents apart was their intellectual curiosity and openness . They read widely and were as eager to learn about developments in biology , philosophy , architecture , and music as in domestic and foreign affairs.” (Grant, p.27) I think Grant could argue this is what sets all people apart in how they impact others and their industry. Regardless of the industry or organization in which you work I think you should have a level of curiosity and openness. I also think overall we don’t have people who read enough. There is so much to gain from reading more and it helps to challenge your thinking and pushes your thinking. In your graduate level classes this is why there is such a push to read a larger number of books in a short amount of time. You are pushed to read more and you should be pushed to read more. The more you read the more I think you also learn about yourself in terms of what you enjoy and what you find to be interesting. When this happens you will find yourself expanding into other industries and learning more about those areas. Research has shown some of the best innovators we have seen are able to expand learning across skills and industries and then make connections to create new things and new perspectives.

“When our impostor fears crop up , the usual advice is to ignore them — give ourselves the benefit of the doubt . Instead , we might be better off embracing those fears , because they can give us three benefits of doubt.” (Grant, p.51) Leaning into the imposter syndrome we probably have all faced at some point in our life makes complete sense. We don’t allow the fear to drive us but we do get into that same car and use it to our advantage pushing us to learn more and challenge our thinking. When we are leaning into that fear we have that doubt but it is forcing us to think about the ways in which we may be doing something wrong. This is a driving factor to find pathways of thinking we may not have thought about if we were living in comfort.

“Let’s start with detaching your present from your past . In psychology , one way of measuring the similarity between the person you are right now and your former self is to ask : which pair of circles best describes how you see yourself?” (Grant, p.62) I think this is a mindset that at times can get the best of us all. We can easily get caught up in our past and allow that to be the main foundation to our thinking and therefore not wanting to change. We cannot allow our past and those thoughts that may have been great at the time be the deterrent to creating new thoughts and pathways in our thinking. Sometimes those thoughts are attached to not only our past but specifically to emotions and even people we care about. We all have those beliefs that are attached to the past and the past of others and those are sometimes the ones that we feel cannot be changed. It isn’t always logical to think like that but it is something that happens to us all. This is what I think is meant when Grant says we need to detach from our past and allow our current self to be a free and scientific thinker. “Who you are should be a question of what you value , not what you believe . Values are your core principles in life — they might be excellence and generosity , freedom and fairness , or security and integrity . Basing your identity on these kinds of principles enables you to remain open - minded about the best ways to advance them.” (Grant, p.64) We should make sure we are rethinking our identity and who we are at different points in our life. I think it is important to think about who we are and also important who we want to be. Are we thinking and then actively seeking ways to get ourselves to the point of who we are and who we want to be in alignment? Much of who we are is not only what we think about and do but it is related to the culture in which we are engrained and living. “Psychologists find that many of our beliefs are cultural truisms: widely shared, but rarely questioned. If we take a closer look at them, we often discover that they rest on shaky foundations.” (Grant, p.138)?

“People who are right a lot listen a lot , and they change their mind a lot , ” Jeff Bezos says . “ If you don’t change your mind frequently , you’re going to be wrong a lot.” (Grant, p.72)

We get so caught up in getting our point across sometimes that we lose focus on trying to listen to the thoughts of others. Even if you don’t agree with the thoughts of others and sometimes you realize that in the early parts of what they are saying we should take time to listen. If we don’t we miss out on truly trying to understand what they are saying, but we also miss an opportunity to continue that conversation which may lead to some of the most fruitful parts of discourse. If you aren’t willing to listen you really aren't allowing yourself the chance to change your mind and think differently. Staying on the same course and not listening to others will stifle your personal and professional growth along with creating a culture of stifling attitudes for those in leadership positions.\

“What matters is how respectfully parents argue , not how frequently . Kids whose parents clash constructively feel more emotionally safe in elementary school , and over the next few years they actually demonstrate more helpfulness and compassion toward their classmates.” (Grant, p.80) We sometimes get too caught up in avoiding arguments. We don’t like conflict or confrontation. A common saying among people is to say they don’t like conflict or confrontation, but I don’t think anyone truly likes confrontation. I don’t think anyone likes this but what many have learned is how to have conflict or confrontation without getting disrespectful. Confrontation doesn't have to be full of disrespect. “It’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable. Although I’m terrified of hurting other people’s feelings, when it comes to challenging their thoughts, I have no fear. In fact, when I argue with someone , it’s not a display of disrespect — it’s a sign of respect. It means I value their views enough to contest them. If their opinions didn’t matter to me, I wouldn’t bother.” (Grant, p.89)

“Rethinking depends on a different kind of network : a challenge network , a group of people we trust to point out our blind spots and help us overcome our weaknesses.” (Grant, p.83) I think one of the most important lessons in life is being willing to surround yourself with not those who always agree with you, but those who care enough to disagree with you. If you aren’t surrounding yourself with people who are willing to disagree with you it won’t lead to rethinking anything in your life. We all have blind spots and if you think for a moment you don’t have any of those blind spots then there is your blind spot. As I stated before no one likes confrontation, but when it comes to friends and family and truly caring for them we aren’t doing that if we aren’t willing to help them see those weaknesses or blind spots. We should love others enough that we want them to be successful. If we want them to succeed we need to be willing to call others out sometimes when it is needed. It doesn’t need to be done disrespectfully but it needs to be done at times. “Experiments show that simply framing a dispute as a debate rather than as a disagreement signals that you’re receptive to considering dissenting opinions and changing your mind , which in turn motivates the other person to share more information with you.” (Grant, p.91)

“Psychologists have long found that the person most likely to persuade you to change your mind is you . You get to pick the reasons you find most compelling , and you come away with a real sense of ownership over them.” (Grant, p.112) We cannot be afraid to challenge our own thinking. We cannot steer away from admitting to ourselves when we are wrong. Admitting you don’t know something or admitting you are wrong is sometimes the most difficult thing to do, but done so appropriately it can also be the most fruitful thing we can do. If you think about it, ultimately we are the ones who are going to have to persuade ourselves to change our mind. We listen to others and we listen to those sharing differing opinions and then ultimately we are the ones who have to decide to change or not.

“If you get people to pause and reflect , they might decide that the very notion of applying group stereotypes to individuals is absurd. Research suggests that there are more similarities between groups than we recognize. And there’s typically more variety within groups than between them.”(Grant, p.139)

I think overall if we all thought about how much we are all similar more than focusing so much on our differences we could really attain some significant and positive change. Large groups of people as Grant states here are not varying as much as we would think, but within the groups looking at individuals we find more variance. To me this research speaks to the level to which we dig into our beliefs and thinking. Beliefs, values, and our thinking are not linear in nature and they also not simplistic in nature. There are layers to each of these things within us which is what makes us so different individually. I think what probably matters in the research on the group versus individual difference is the questions being asked. Are we working to dig deep into finding those layers or more on the surface in those questions being asked? The more surface level you ask questions the more you may find similarities and the more you dig deep the more you will find even the slightest of differences. This is where it is important to have conversations that challenge and deepen our beliefs and thinking. If you want to build a foundation it should be on thinking again and doing so repeatedly so you can deepen your understanding. “When we try to convince people to think again , our first instinct is usually to start talking . Yet the most effective way to help others open their minds is often to listen.” (Grant, p.151) We should focus on discussion but not so much on talking but more on listening. The more we are able to listen the more we can then allow ourselves to think. When we do this we are allowing ourselves to develop those layers of beliefs and values I was referring to earlier. What I would add to this which is key to listening is asking questions. When we are listening we shouldn’t be just waiting for our turn to talk but more listening and thinning and then digging deeper through questions. “Great listeners are more interested in making their audiences feel smart.” (Grant, p.158) When we dig into asking questions to others we are allowing them to think through their own thoughts and develop their thoughts in a way to explain them while simultaneously developing our own thinking. “That’s what good scientists do : instead of drawing conclusions about people based on minimal clues , they test their hypotheses by striking up conversations.” (Grant, p.178)

“In fact , every time we try to help someone think again , we’re doing a kind of education . Whether we do our instruction in a classroom or in a boardroom , in an office or at our kitchen table , there are ways to make rethinking central to what — and how — we teach.” (Grant, p.187)

One of the best methods in education and teaching is to get to the point of challenging the thinking or more importantly create opportunities for others to think again and challenge their own thoughts. Learning happens when being able to think again. We are challenging others to think about something in which they may not have thought about much. We are creating new pathways to those beliefs and those can lead to other pathways in other beliefs. Thinking again is repeated and can therefore build on itself. Once you build the momentum of helping others to think again it will continue into other parts of their life. “Ultimately , education is more than the information we accumulate in our heads . It’s the habits we develop as we keep revising our drafts and the skills we build to keep learning.” (Grant, p.203) We are working on developing habits when you really breakdown what we try and do in education. We all learn differently and we all have ways of learning but the challenge for us in education is finding the pathway for each of those students. When we are working to develop pathways it comes down to developing positive habits that lead to moving learning forward. “Kids might be better off learning about careers as actions to take rather than as identities to claim . When they see work as what they do rather than who they are , they become more open to exploring different possibilities.” (Grant, p.230) We do a disservice to students when we attach their identity to their work. Educators sometimes can fall into the trap themselves in thinking of teaching as part of their identity. It is so personal so it can be hard not to think this way, but that takes them away from the focus of why they got into education. They are educators which isn’t their identity but rather their identity should be more tied to the why they got into education. For most it goes back to wanting to help others and the drive to help others to be successful. These are more traits of an identity of those in education.

“Our identities are open systems , and so are our lives . We don’t have to stay tethered to old images of where we want to go or who we want to be . The simplest way to start rethinking our options is to question what we do daily.” (Grant, p.243) Questioning and reflection is important in our daily life. We should be taking the time for reflection and questions and when we do so we will find ourselves more naturally thinking again. If you think about it the main point in reflection is to do just that. You are working on thinking again about things you did, said, or think. We should want to take intentional steps to create more productive habits of thinking again and in the midst of doing so we will find ourselves more fulfilled with the actions that follow. The identities we create and the lives we live will be more fulfilled if we take the time to think again and more importantly develop the habit of thinking again. As Grant compels us to do if we think again you will see it flow into all parts of your life and help with decision making, who you are, and positively impact the lives of those around you.

Reference

Grant, Adam. Think Again. Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.?