Too Short for a Blog Post, Too Long for a Tweet 266

 

 

Here are a couple of excerpts from a book I recently read, "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know," by Adam Grant.

Two decades ago my colleague Phil Tetlock discovered something peculiar.  As we think and talk, we often slip into the mindsets of three different professions: preachers, prosecutors, and politicians. In each of these modes, we take on a particular identity and use a distinct set of tools.  We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals.  We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people's reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case.  We shift into politician mode when we're seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents.  The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we're right, prosecuting others who are wrong, and politicking for support that we don't bother to rethink our own views...But being a scientist is not just a profession. It’s a frame of mind—a mode of thinking that differs from preaching, prosecuting, and politicking. We move into scientist mode when we’re searching for the truth: we run experiments to test hypotheses and discover knowledge. Scientific tools aren’t reserved for people with white coats and beakers, and using them doesn’t require toiling away for years with a microscope and a petri dish. Hypotheses have as much of a place in our lives as they do in the lab. Experiments can inform our daily decisions. That makes me wonder: is it possible to train people in other fields to think more like scientists, and if so, do they end up making smarter choices?

When we pursue happiness, we often start by changing our surroundings. We expect to find bliss in a warmer climate or a friendlier dorm, but any joy that those choices bring about is typically temporary.  In a series of studies, students who changed their environments by adjusting their living arrangements or course schedules quickly returned to their baseline levels of happiness.  As Ernest Hemingway wrote, "Yo can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another."  Meanwhile, students who changed their actions by joining a new club, adjusting their study habits, or starting a new project experienced lasting gains in happiness.  Our happiness often depends more on what we do than where we are.  It's our actions - not our surroundings - that bring us meaning and belonging.