Me when reading the book.
I just finished Adam Grant’s newest book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t.
In it, Adam masterfully proves the beauty of being willing to rethink one’s stance. People who are eager to change their minds are more successful and fulfilled in what they do.
It got me thinking about where I’ve changed my mind lately. Here are just a few examples…
1) Pop music is awesome.
I used to think pop was garbage and not real music. It took me a while to realize that I only thought that because it felt cool to be part of the “counter culture.” If a song makes us feel something and we enjoy it, that’s enough.
Justin Bieber is my savior.
2) Conservatives are actually humans too. Yes, even that one guy.
I was a card-carrying liberal in college. I only talked politics within my bubble of people I agreed with and was shocked when I met my first Trump supporter in 2016. It was like meeting an alien.
They really exist??…I thought. Needless to say, it was an incredibly unproductive way to approach another human being.
I can still give 3-hour rants about the Trump presidency…but once I left school and began listening and exposing myself to more conservative views, I realized that conservatives were not the racist, apathetic, and heartless creatures I once thought they were.
Turns out they’re also made of bones and organs and they have the same rights as I have. What a concept.
3) I don’t have to read anything I don’t want to read.
This might sound simple to most. But I love reading and for years I assumed I had to read all the classics.
After trudging through several “must-reads before you die,” I had to come to grips with the fact that when it comes to reading…I’m a basic bitch.
I need action. I need easy-to-read. I don’t give a shit about challenging myself with dense or complicated texts. Give me teenage wizards please.
It was a relief when I let go of this invisible pressure to read books I didn’t like.
Conclusion
I highly recommend Think Again. It was a lovely and informative read.
The best question to ask ourselves or someone we’re arguing with is: What evidence would change your mind?
If the answer is “nothing,” then the conversation is a dead end.
What have you rethought recently?