we often prefer the ease of hanging on to old views over the difficulty of grappling with new ones. Yet there are also deeper forces behind our resistance to rethinking. Questioning ourselves makes the world more unpredictable. It requires us to admit that the facts may have changed, that what was once right may now be wrong. Reconsidering... See more

We often run into a lot of problems, when we start believing that our truth is THE TRUTH; when we start mistaking our beliefs for reality.

That moment—when “my truth” becomes the truth —is often when curiosity dies and conflict begins.

It’s subtle, too. We don’t usually notice it happening.

One day we’re exploring, the next we’re defending a fixed... See more

One last thing. When I took this topic on, I decided to do my best to force humility and open-mindedness on myself, even in places we’re all terrible at being humble, like politics. It’s amazing how much intellectual progress you can make when that’s your starting point, and working on this post has felt like an awakening in more than one area. So... See more

1. Don’t get attached to beliefs . Everything is probabilistic, everything is a best guess until proven otherwise. New information should make you update, even if just a little. It’s easier to have blind spots when you deal in absolutes and are inflexible.


2. Keep sending the signal to the people around you that you welcome constructive criticism and

... See more