Social psychologist Adam Grant believes that the most powerful thing we can do to improve our thinking is to change the way we approach thinking. In Think Again Grant argues that the unmovable beliefs we have are potentially the most dangerous and probably the most likely to be wrong. By cultivating a curious mindset that sees re-learning, re-thinking, and re-assessing beliefs as a positive experience, we can improve as thinkers and human beings.
Grant introduces four types: the preacher, prosecutor, politician, and scientist. The preacher is convinced they are right and tries to convince others they are right. The prosecutor tries to convince someone else they’re wrong. The politician tries to win the audience. The scientist looks at the data and constantly re-evaluates their beliefs.
As a preacher I don’t love the names of the types :)… but I appreciate the basic insight. Grant urges the reader to “favor humility over pride and curiosity over conviction.” When we act as scientists, “You look for reasons why you might be wrong, not just reasons why you must be right.”
I resonate with the need to grow in this area. I love the idea of getting a rush from discovering I am wrong about something and experiencing joy in being corrected. The more we can embrace the unknown, the more our curiosity and humility will grow. The challenge is that “We favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt,” Grant says.
Grant points out that intelligence and even expertise can backfire. He says that, “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.” Our strongest weapon for intellectual growth—our brains—can actually be our greatest foes.
Organizationally we can help reinforce the conjoined attributes of humility and curiosity by creating feedback loops, demonstrating these traits as leaders, and modeling that learning, feedback, and admitting when we are wrong are all positive traits. I loved how Grant modeled this himself at the end of the book by asking questions about what he got wrong in the book and sharing what he is currently re-thinking.
Only two aspects detracted from Think Again for me. First was Grant’s model of four types, which caricatured the worst of the preacher, politician, and prosecutor while caricaturing the best of the scientist. It’s a helpful model, but one that I think reifies some unhelpful cultural stereotypes. The second aspect was was some of the studies that Grant pulled in later in the book that felt a little more tangential. That said, this is a great book for anyone to read. It’s an easy read that will nudge you toward humility and curiosity–who doesn’t need more of those in their life?
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