I have been traveling quite a bit the last couple of weeks (which might explain why my pace of writing has somewhat slowed down). During my most recent trip, I had dinner with one of our fellow Heretics who remarked on my post “On Being Right,” mentioning that it is often hard for people to change their mind, especially if the new insight comes from someone other than themselves.
I always wondered why people tend to be so attached to their opinions (after all – they are often just that: opinions and not truths).
As someone much smarter than I once said: I urge you to be curious enough, to want to understand how the people who see things differently from you came to see them that way.
I wholeheartedly believe in this notion. In today’s times, where everything changes at an exponentially accelerating rate, we can not afford to cling to our believes but must be able to continually evaluate new information and insights and allow ourselves to change our minds on a moments notice.
That does not mean that you become aimless – but rather establish your North Star and allow for flexibility in how to reach your goals.
As a personal hack, I try to catch myself when I find myself in an inner monologue defending my position against something someone else said. Instead of protecting my point I start asking questions – becoming curious about the insights the other person had which led to her perspective. Moreover, more often than not I learn something incredibly valuable.