Think Again Summary

Every individual possesses cognitive tools and accumulated knowledge that they regularly rely upon. But we rarely question or consider this knowledge which includes beliefs, assumptions, opinions, and prejudices. One of the solutions to this is what Adam Grant tells in this book as "rethinking". Rethinking is the process of doubting what you know, being curious about what you don’t know, and updating your thinking based on new evidence.

Conventional view: intelligence is the ability to think and learn.

Alternative view: intelligence is the ability to rethink and unlearn.

Grant argues these cognitive skills are essential in a turbulent and changing world.

For anyone interested in working on your rethinking skills, here are the top 30 practical takeaways from the book - Think again by Adam Grant

A. Develop the Habit of Thinking Again

1. Think like a scientist. When you start forming an opinion, resist the temptation to preach, prosecute, or politick. Treat your emerging view as a hunch or a hypothesis and test it with data.

2. Define your identity in terms of values, not opinions. It’s easier to avoid getting stuck to your past beliefs if you don’t become attached to them as part of your present self-concept. See yourself as someone who values curiosity, learning, mental flexibility, and searching for knowledge. As you form opinions, keep a list of factors that would change your mind.

When were trying to persuade people, we frequently take an adversarial approach. Instead of opening their minds, we effectively shut them down or rile them up.

They play a defense by putting up a shield, play offense by preaching their perspectives and prosecuting ours, or play politics by telling us what we want to hear without changing what they actually think.

I want too explore a collaborative approach in which we show more humility and curiosity and invite others to think like scientists.

It's more like a dance that hasn't been choreographed, negotiated with a partner who has a different set of steps in mind.

I'd you try too hard to lead, your partner will resist. If your adapt your moves to hers, and get her to do the same, you're more likely to end up in rythm.

If you have too many arguments, you'll dilute the power of each and every one.

They are going to be less explained and i don't know if any of them will land enough.

The audience will not believe them important enough.

Most top debaters aren't citing information.

In life, instead of being a preacher, prosecutor, or politician, it's best to adopt a scientist mindset. This means constantly challenging your beliefs, looking for proof, and staying open-minded to changing perspectives.

Here are some pointers on how to embrace the scientist mindset:

• Question your beliefs
• Seek evidence to support or challenge your beliefs
• Stay open to updating your views when new information is presented

Confident Humility: Striking a balance between self-belief and admitting mistakes is crucial for personal growth. Here are some tips:

• Know your strengths and weaknesses
• Accept feedback graciously
• Learn from mistakes
• Be confident yet humble

This mindset promotes growth and strengthens relationships.

The concept of embracing mistakes as a means of growth is key to personal and professional progress.

Benefits:

Encourages continuous learning and improvement

Reduces fear of failure

Promotes creative problem-solving

The world changes constantly, so the best way to adapt to an ever-changing environment is to embrace rethinking.

Every time we think or talk, we tend to fall into the role of one of these characters:

1. a preacher, who is only interested in expressing himself
2. a prosecutor, whose goal is to win
3. a politician, a people pleaser
4. a scientist, who knows what they don't know and is willing to unlearn and rethink

• The world keeps changing, so we need to keep updating our thinking

• Smart people don’t always have the right answers

• Being open to change helps you grow

• Many people hold on to their old beliefs just to feel smart

• It’s okay to say “I was wrong”

• Real learning begins when you let go of being too sure

• Test your ideas like scientists do

• Look for proof, not just what feels right

• Be ready to change your mind when new facts come

• Approach everything like a scientist -- let the data speak, not your opinions and assumptions. Run experiments to find what really works.
• Flexibility outperforms consistency when the world is in motion. Master the art of rethinking, and you'll adapt to changes much better than trying to hold back the tide of change.

When your wardrobe is out of style, you would replace old items with new fashion. You would mock people who still used Windows 95, while holding onto beliefs developed from 1995.

The boiling frog problem tends to teach people about how incrementally implementing changes would be unnoticeable - when in fact the frogs would not stand a chance when chugged into actual boiling hot water in the first place.

Asking a firefighter to surrender their firefighting tools in a wildfire goes against their habits, their training, and most importantly - a part of their identity.

Ironically, it is the exact same set of tools that weigh them down in a wildfire. The added weight slows their way down towards safety and the lack of flexibility in the mind is the deal-breaker to surviving the fire.

the instinct to change your initial way of thinking has higher probability of success. Sample case : Students answering multiple-choice exams who opt not to change the answers to questions they’re not really sure of. Only 25% who do change it, shift to wrong answer.

• We often prefer the ease of hanging on to old views over the difficulty of grappling new ones.
• Questioning ourselves makes the world more unpredictable
• Reconsidering something we believe deeply can threaten our identities, make it feel as if we’re losing a part of ourselves.

- We risk missing out on happiness if we focus too much on pursuing it. 💔 Instead, we should focus on finding meaning and purpose in our lives. 🌟

Potential reasons for this include:

1. Being too busy evaluating our happiness instead of experiencing it 🤔
2. Spend too much time striving for peak happiness while overlooking the fact that happiness depends more on the frequency of positive emotions 😊
3. Overemphasizing pleasure at the expense of purpose 🚫
4. Western individualistic views leaving us lonely 😞

🔑 The key to happiness is finding meaning and purpose, rather than solely chasing pleasure.

1. Point out that there are areas where we agree and acknowledge (encourage them to follow).

2. Support our argument with a small number of reasons (encourage them to start doubting their own opinions).

3. Ask genuine questions (leave them intrigued and wanting to learn more).