Ways people manipulate you
People love to be right. Research indicates that we hate being wrong more so; but in a similar manner, we generally love to be right. But, being right is not, and shouldn’t be, the primary focus of critical thinking; rather, we use critical thinking to decide what to believe and what to do. However, critically thinking for the purpose of being right can be a positive thing, particularly in educational settings; that is, for educating others.
Whether or not we like to admit it, each and every one of us is liable to exhibit confirmation bias. That is, we are more likely to seek people and information that appear to agree with our own beliefs.
In part, this explains why debates can be so stressful and often unrewarding: individuals are usually more inclined to stick to their own ideas, sometimes even when faced with solid evidence against them.
The researchers illustrate this point with a couple of hypothetical examples: “All else being equal, if an eye witness is confident she observed Jim stabbing George, the jury would treat such testimony as strong evidence that Jim is guilty and would be more likely to convict Jim than if the eye witness was unsure it was Jim they observed. If a doctor is confident in her diagnosis, the patient is more likely to follow the recommended treatment.”
However, they go on to add, in many cases, people refuse to believe the ideas put forth by others, regardless of who they are and how strong — and evidence-based — they are.
“For instance,” the researchers note, “over the last decade climate scientists have expressed greater confidence that climate change is man-made. Yet, the percentage of the population that believes this notion to be true has dropped over the same period of time.”
Let me begin by suggesting that changing one’s mind isn’t necessarily the same thing as being wishy-washy. The difference is found in the motivation underpinning the change. If your opinions change with the wind based on little more than the court of public opinion, you’re not a leader but just someone else trying to fit in with the cool kids. There is a big difference between taking a principled stand and trying to be liked. There’s also a big difference between standing on conviction vs. just wanting to win an argument. When evaluating your position on any given topic are you trying to learn something, or are you just trying to justify your opinion? Having strong convictions is a healthy thing so long as you’re convicted by the truth and not your pride or your ego.
Here’s the thing — no one has all the answers, so why even attempt to pretend that you do? Show me a person that never changes their mind and I’ll show you a static thinker who has sentenced their mind to a prison of mediocrity and wasted potential. If the world is constantly changing if the marketplace is always evolving if the minds of others are continuously developing, how can you attempt to be unchanging and still be relevant? The smartest people I know are the most willing to change their minds. They don’t want to be right, they want the right outcome — they want to learn, grow, develop, and mature. Think about it like this — it takes no effort to cling to your current thinking, however, to change your mind requires you to challenge your mind. I’ve believed for quite some time the most profound and commonly overlooked aspect of learning is recognizing the necessity of unlearning.
Smart leaders don’t tell people what they should think, they surround themselves with great thinkers and then consistently seek their insights, observations, and opinions.
Subjecting yourself to dissenting opinion allows you to refine your good ideas, weed-out the bad ideas, and acquire new ideas. Moreover, it’s the ability to evolve and nuance thinking that leads to the change and innovation your organization needs to survive.
A leader’s ability to change their mind demonstrates humility, confidence, and maturity. It makes them approachable, and it makes them human. People are looking for authentic, transparent leaders willing to sacrifice their ego in favor of right thinking. Bottom line — when you fear being wrong more than being proven wrong you have arrived as a leader.
Now it’s your turn — I’m interested in ways you’ve found to become more open-minded, examples of how changing your mind improved your circumstances, and yes, even those dissenting opinions on why you’re not buying the thinking espoused above
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