Think Again Summary 2023 - Deepstash

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Think Again Summary

About Think Again Book

#1 New York Times Bestseller

“THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more—it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.”
—Brené Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead

The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life


Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval--and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people's minds--and our own. As Wharton's top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he's right but listen like he's wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You'll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom.

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Think Again by Adam Grant

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What are the aspects of your life that need rethinking?

Summary

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.

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Conventional vs. new views of intelligence:

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.

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“Questioning ourselves makes the world more unpredictable. It requires us to admit that the facts may have changed, that what was once right may now be wrong.”

ADAM GRANT

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This special book examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life. Awesome read!

<p>For anyone interested in wo...

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

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I. INDIVIDUAL RETHINKING

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.

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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.

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Convincing others to rethink

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.

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A good debate is not a war

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.

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Too many arguments

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.

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Check out these important #ideas from my favourite book: Think Again!

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

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Progress is impossible without change.

Progress is impossible without change.

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

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To embrace a growth mindset, think like a scientist.

To embrace a growth mindset, think like a scientist.

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

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Humans have a tendency to suffer from "tunnel vision" — we assume the first idea that comes to mind will be correct, thanks to our natural intelligence. However, in a turbulent world, having the ability to unlearn and rethink is in fact far more powerful. Rethinking is the business superpower of the 21st century.

ADAM GRANT

An invitation to let go of knowledge and opinions that are no longer serving you well, to anchor your sense of self in flexibility rather than consistency.

If you can master the art of rethinking, I believe you'll be better positioned for success at work and happiness in life. Thinking again can help you generate new solutions to old problems and revisit old solutions to new problems. It's a path to learning more from the people around you and living with fewer regrets.

ADAM GRANT

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ADAM GRANT

 A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it's time to abandon some of your most treasured tools — and some of the most cherished parts of your identity.

ADAM GRANT

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • 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.

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In a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.

ADAM GRANT

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First Instinct Fallacy

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.

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Cognitive Laziness

  • 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.

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How to make right decisions

How to make right decisions

Invision the best and worst case scenario of your plan if you are ready for worst results then you can take actions

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Thinking like a scientist has made problem solving easy for me !

Think Like A Scientist

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. Like the entrepreneurs who learned to approach their business strategies as experiments, you’ll maintain the agility to pivot.

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ADAM GRANT

If you want to convince someone in an argument, then make other people think about their argument instead of making your point right

ADAM GRANT

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The Most Annoying Things People Say Instead Of Rethinking

The Most Annoying Things People Say Instead Of Rethinking

Intelligence is traditionally viewed as the ability to think and learn. Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.

1

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