3 Steps Toward ReThinking
By K. Allen McNamara
Reading gives us a chance to learn about the things/places/people we thought we knew about or maybe heard about or knew nothing about. But more importantly, reading allows us to learn to think again.
Learning to think again often requires us to unlearn what we once believed to be accurate. This lesson is a complex undertaking; fortunately, there’s a book explaining this process. Think Again–the Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, by Adam Grant.
Adam Grant is a top-rated professor of Organizational Psychology at Wharton and the author of five books, many featured on the NY Times bestseller list. His most recent book, Think Again, examines the art of rethinking, of learning to question your deeply held opinions and open the minds of yourself and others through such reexamination.
Per Grant:
“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. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: there’s evidence that being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.” adamgrant.net
Grant’s book is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read. (The audio version is also enjoyable). Grant also has several TED Talks and a podcast where he discusses the principles of learning to think again. He has been a guest on Debbie Milliman’s podcast: Why Design Matters. (This is where I first encountered Grant’s idea of learning to think again). I encourage those interested in this intriguing concept of critical thinking to listen to Milliman’s interview with Grant because this interview will give you the gist of Grant’s book and should inspire you to pick up a copy of your own.
1. How to engage in Rethinking:
One pursuit that encourages and promotes learning to think again is the activity of reading. Studies have shown that reading fiction and creative nonfiction can elicit altruistic and empathetic responses. The more swept away in the plight of a character or the narrative, the more significant the increase in empathy and altruism in test subjects after reading. One could argue that reading can make us rethink or think again about a previously held position or belief in a particular dogma or trope by letting us word-walk in another’s shoes.
2. Other means of Rethinking:
Travel can also encourage one to open up their belief systems through exposure to new places, tastes, smells, and cultural nuances. Travel enriches life.
And if we combine the two? What would be the result if we combined Travel and Reading by reading books set in different cultures, countries, and even states within the US? One can only hope a greater tolerance, more insight, and perhaps a rethinking would result.
3. Where to Begin: How about in our own backyard?
How about crossing state borders without leaving your lounge chair? Beach blanket or camping fire? There’s a list for that. All 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico submitted books they felt told the story of their state. The submitters: poet laureates and librarians for the most part.
Compiled by NPR: Traveling this summer? Here are book picks for all 50 states (and then some) provides an interactive listing of the books. Type in the name of the state you’d like to visit by literature, and you are brought directly to the state. Some are books of poetry, others novels, and others are historical tomes. Sometimes there are many for one state, other times a solitary one. Many are by BIPOC authors. If you plan to visit Hawai’i, why not read about the state in the words of its last queen? Do you know all there is to know about Texas? Have you put all Texans into pigeon holes? There are four books to choose from: East Texas, West Texas, North-Central, and Juneteenth to experience. Or how about Minnesota? Missouri? Or Kentucky–there’s more to it than the Kentucky Derby and the mint julep.
Reading is an escape, but reading is also a practice that shakes up some of our long-held beliefs, that may challenge us to think of another because they immerse us in the lives of others. Learning to think again is a necessary skill set.
From Adam Grant:
“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, humility, and curiosity over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.” adamgrant.net
Pick up a book today that is out of your comfort zone or out of your usual genre: maybe one written by a female when you’ve typically only read male authors, perhaps a book by a BIPOC author, by an LGBTQ+ author. Take a chance at learning to think again by reading the same way you decided to try an air fryer, drink more water, or take up yoga; the result could be life-changing.
Bonus: Other reading lists to help you on your way:
7 Books by LGBTQ+ Authors to Read for Pride Month includes one translated by Molly Ringwald (yes, the 1980s film star)
115 of the Best LGBTQ+ Books Ever, According to LGBTQ+ Authors
