Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard.

After all, the purpose of learning isn’t to affirm our beliefs; it’s to evolve our beliefs

Intelligence is traditionally viewed as the ability to think and learn. Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.

Research reveals that the higher you score on an IQ test, the more likely you are to fall for stereotypes, because you’re faster at recognizing patterns. And recent experiments suggest that the smarter you are, the more you might struggle to update your beliefs.

We laugh at people who still use Windows 95, yet we still cling to opinions that we formed in 1995.

We favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt.

It’s a sign of wisdom to avoid believing every thought that enters your mind. It’s a mark of emotional intelligence to avoid internalizing every feeling that enters your heart.

A mark of lifelong learners is recognizing that they can learn something from everyone they meet