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The truth

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doesn’t cost you anything,

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but a lie could cost you everything.

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- Unknown.

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What do we mean when we talk about

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clear thinking?

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Given a minute or two to consider that

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question,

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most of us could come up with a

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definition related to intelligence.

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Usually,

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it depends on our goals at the moment.

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Some might mix it up with fast

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thinking—where that happens

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automatically and often outside of our

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consciousness.

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Speed is prized over accuracy.

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They see a certain object or situation,

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and immediately draw a conclusion based

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on their own past experience out of

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urgency.

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Others might confuse it with

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reactionary thinking,

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which sounds like “my instincts are

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telling me this."

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It’s establishing a belief based on

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an emotional hunch,

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which isn’t thinking at all.

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Or possibly,

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clear thinking is mixed up with simple

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thinking.

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Here,

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concepts that are easy to grasp are

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closer to the truth than more

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complicated ideas.

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This might happen because a clear

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solution is desired,

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and too much information can muddy the

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waters.

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On the other hand,

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the opposite confusion can hold true

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where clear thinking is seen as

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complicated thinking - analyzing every

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single bit of information,

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supporting and opposing,

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no matter how insignificant or

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questionable their sources may be.

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All of us have practiced those kinds of

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thinking in the past and may have had

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confidence in our convictions based on

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them.

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Maybe even once or twice we’ve been

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right when using them.

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(Although it’s probably the real life

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equivalent of a stopped clock being

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correct twice a day.)

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Fast and reactionary thinking will help

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you when a car is hurtling your way and

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you aren’t sure which way to leap;

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any direction is fine as long as it’s

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safe.

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Simple thinking will help you when

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certainty is more valued than accuracy.

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Complicated thinking will help you when

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pedantry and accuracy are valued more

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than speed.

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But none of those mental models will

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reliably help you understand,

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learn about,

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and determine the truth of what’s

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right in front of you.

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Clear thinking is reasoning,

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determination based on evidence,

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critical analysis,

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and simply following the trail of

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cookie crumbs where it leads,

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not where you want it to lead or where

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you think it should lead.

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It emphasizes trying to find the

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objective truth and not being led

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astray by what we see at first glance.

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It is the magnifying glass that shows

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the important details that make all the

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difference,

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while tuning out those that are red

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herrings.

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Adapting to clear thinking on a

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regular,

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practiced basis will help you become

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more understanding,

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perceptive,

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and insightful.

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Committing yourself to a deliberate and

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unbiased way of thinking is not

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necessarily about doing better in

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school or at your job—though it

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certainly aids those pursuits.

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It’s mostly about viewing the world

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for what it is and being able to

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discern the naked truth of what you see.

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There are elements of thinking like a

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scientist,

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gaining self-awareness of your own

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biases,

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and learning to be strict with yourself.

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It can be difficult,

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but you just may realize how flawed

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your thinking has been in the past.

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Not everybody is comes out of the womb

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thinking with crystal clarity,

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but everybody has the capacity to gain

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it as a habit.

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This book intends to offer a set of

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principles and practices that will help

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you think more honestly and rationally.

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I hope to present clear thinking as a

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core component of your life that you

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need to instill;

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it’s a skill that will reward you in

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virtually all aspects of your waking

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life.

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It’s how you solve for actual

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solutions to your problems,

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instead of hoping that the clock

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happens to be right.

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The first aspect of crystal-clear

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thinking is intellectual honesty,

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which is when you’re honest with

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yourself and others,

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and your first obligation is to the

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pursuit of truth rather than any other

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motive.

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We frequently lie to others when we

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want to protect ourselves from their

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judgment.

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For instance,

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if someone makes fun of your writing

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skills,

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you’ll utter an excuse about how you

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were distracted,

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lazy,

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and not putting in your full effort.

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Also,

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your computer was on the fritz that

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day,

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so you couldn’t perform any editing.

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Sure.

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This type of reaction is not

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intellectually honest,

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but it’s understandable and natural.

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But what happens when you begin to tell

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the same lies to yourself,

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and you are unable to tell where the

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truth begins or ends?

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What if you start to believe that

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you’re an undiscovered Ernest

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Hemingway,

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but for your laziness and broken

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keyboard?

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That is the true risk with a lack of

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intellectual honesty,

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and it presents a huge obstacle to

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clarity of thought and staying rooted

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in reality.

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The Armored Ego... As you just saw with

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the example about your writing prowess,

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protecting yourself from others is

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often the reason we are intellectually

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dishonest.

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In fact,

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the first barrier in almost any kind of

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self-improvement comes from the ego’s

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need to protect itself.

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Sometimes our thinking is erroneous

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because we don’t see all the factors

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involved in a situation,

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or we are too hasty to jump to a

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conclusion.

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Those are errors in observation or

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perception.

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But those reasons pale in comparison to

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the ego’s power to distort your

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thinking.

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Someone who’s underperforming at work

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might feel the need to protect their

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perceived skills and talent by

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deflecting responsibility to “The

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boss has always had it in for me.

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And who trained me?

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Him!

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It’s all his fault one way or

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another."

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Someone who trips and falls yet fancies

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themselves graceful will blame the fact

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that it rained six days ago,

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their shoes have no grip,

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and who put that rock there anyway!?

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Someone who fails to make the school

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basketball team will grumble that the

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coach hated them,

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they weren’t used to that particular

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style of play,

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and they didn’t really want to make

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the team anyway.

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This is what it sounds like when the

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ego steps in to protect itself.

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There’s so much justification and

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deflecting going on that it’s

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difficult to know what is real and what

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is not.

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Clear thinking becomes impossible.

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This all stems from the universal truth

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that nobody likes to be wrong or to

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fail.

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It’s embarrassing and confirms all of

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our worst anxieties about ourselves.

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Instead of accepting being wrong as a

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teachable moment or lesson,

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our first instinct is to run from our

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shame and cower in the corner.

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This is the same reason we will persist

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in an argument to the death,

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even if we know we are 100% wrong.

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If the ego had a physical

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manifestation,

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it would be sizable,

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sensitive,

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and heavily armored (to the point of

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going on the offensive)—essentially a

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giant porcupine.

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When the ego senses danger,

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it has no interest or time to consider

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the facts.

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Instead it seeks to alleviate your

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discomfort in the quickest way possible.

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And that means you lie to yourself so

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you can keep the ego safe and sound.

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We try to cover up the truth,

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deflect attention from it,

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or develop an alternative version that

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makes the actual truth seem less

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hurtful.

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And it’s right in that moment that

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intellectual dishonesty is born.

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Are any of those convoluted theories

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likely to withstand any amount of

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scrutiny?

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Probably not,

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but the problem is that the ego

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doesn’t allow for acknowledgment and

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analysis of what really happened.

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It blinds you.

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Let’s be clear - These aren’t lies

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that you dream up or concoct in advance.

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You do not intend to lie to yourself.

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You don’t even feel they’re lies.

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You may not even know you’re doing

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it,

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as sometimes these defense mechanisms

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can occur unconsciously.

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They’re not explicitly intellectually

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dishonest because you want to delude

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yourself.

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Rather,

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they’re automatic strategies that the

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constantly neurotic ego puts into

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action because it’s terrified of

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looking foolish or wrong.

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Unfortunately,

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that’s the worst zone to be in,

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as it means you don’t know what you

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don’t know.

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Over time these ego-driven errors in

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thinking inform your entire belief

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system and give you rationalized

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justifications for almost everything.

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You never make any sports team because

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the coaches always hate you,

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and you keep failing the driving test

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because your hand-eye coordination is

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uniquely special.

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These lies become your entire reality,

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and you rely on them to get yourself

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through problematic situations or to

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dismiss efforts to find the truth.

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We’re not talking about just giving

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excuses for why you aren’t a violin

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virtuoso;

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this manner of thinking can become the

290
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:13,680
factors that drive your decisions,

291
00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:14,480
thinking,

292
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,640
and evaluations of anything and anyone.

293
00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,080
Let’s take Fred.

294
00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,640
Fred was an ardent fan of a pop star

295
00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:23,840
his whole life.

296
00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:25,920
He grew up listening to their music and

297
00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,440
formed a lot of his identity around his

298
00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:29,240
admiration for him.

299
00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,560
We’re talking an entire bedroom wall

300
00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,120
filled with posters of this star,

301
00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,240
and outfits that were replicas of this

302
00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,240
star’s clothes hanging in his closet.

303
00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,320
Late in his career this pop star was

304
00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,240
put on trial for a serious crime.

305
00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,680
Fred steadfastly stood by his pop star

306
00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:47,080
idol,

307
00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,240
even as lurid details of his case were

308
00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:50,920
reported by courtroom reporters to the

309
00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:51,400
press.

310
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,440
“Nobody I admire this way would ever

311
00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,160
be guilty of this,” Fred said.

312
00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,320
“It’s all just a conspiracy put

313
00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,080
together by the people who resent him

314
00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:01,120
for whatever reason."

315
00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,200
The pop star was ultimately found

316
00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,480
guilty and sentenced to multiple years

317
00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:06,880
of prison.

318
00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,480
Fred had showed up outside the

319
00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:10,840
courthouse bearing a sign that

320
00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:12,640
protested his star’s innocence.

321
00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,160
Even as compelling evidence was

322
00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:16,480
eventually released to the press,

323
00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,800
Fred maintained that the pop star was

324
00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:19,920
absolutely innocent,

325
00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,240
dismissing all of the victims’ claims

326
00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:23,640
by protesting that they were

327
00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,680
“jealous” and “just trying to get

328
00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:27,040
the spotlight themselves."

329
00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,200
Why would Fred continue to insist,

330
00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,680
against all reasonable and provable

331
00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:33,520
evidence,

332
00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:34,600
that his idol was innocent?

333
00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,200
Because his ego was so wrapped up in

334
00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,360
his worship of the pop star that it was

335
00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,520
predisposed to consider him blameless.

336
00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,120
For him to believe the truth would have

337
00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,040
meant a devastating blow to almost

338
00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,800
everything he believed in (I worship a

339
00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:50,240
criminal?

340
00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:51,840
What does that say about me?),

341
00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,680
and the ego wasn’t going to let that

342
00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,760
happen for a minute—even if it meant

343
00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:58,600
making him deny what was fairly

344
00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,480
compelling and unshakable proof that

345
00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:01,840
the star was guilty.

346
00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,160
In your pursuit of truth and clear

347
00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:05,520
thought,

348
00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,160
your ego will rear its ugly head like

349
00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:09,320
the enraged porcupine.

350
00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,160
It has set up a series of tactical

351
00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:13,680
barriers to keep you from learning

352
00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:15,240
something that might upset your belief

353
00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:15,840
system,

354
00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,400
and it is only after you can reign in

355
00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,000
your ego that you are open to learning.

356
00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,120
After all,

357
00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,840
you can’t defend yourself and listen

358
00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:24,560
at the same time.

359
00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:28,080
Defense mechanisms are the specific

360
00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:29,800
ways we protect our ego,

361
00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:30,880
pride,

362
00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:31,680
and self-esteem.

363
00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:34,480
These methods keep us whole when times

364
00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:34,800
are tough.

365
00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,440
The origin of the term comes from

366
00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:38,360
Sigmund Freud.

367
00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,480
You just might recognize these two

368
00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,520
defense mechanisms put forth by his

369
00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:42,920
daughter,

370
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,400
Anna Freud - denial and rationalization.

371
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,640
Denial is one of the most classic

372
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,680
defense mechanisms because it is easy

373
00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:52,320
to use.

374
00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,120
Suppose you discovered that you were

375
00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:55,600
performing poorly at your job.

376
00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,000
“No,

377
00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,720
I don’t believe that report ranking

378
00:11:58,720 --> 00:11:59,680
all of the employees.

379
00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:01,360
There’s no way I can be last.

380
00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:02,520
Not in this world.

381
00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:04,320
The computer added up the scores

382
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:04,840
incorrectly."

383
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,240
What is true is simply claimed to be

384
00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:08,680
false,

385
00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:10,960
as if that makes everything go away.

386
00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,800
You are acting as if a negative fact

387
00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:14,600
doesn’t exist.

388
00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,800
Sometimes we don’t realize when we do

389
00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:17,280
this,

390
00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,520
especially in situations that are so

391
00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,840
dire they actually appear fantastical

392
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:22,240
to us.

393
00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,960
All you have to do is say “no”

394
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:26,480
often enough and you might begin to

395
00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:27,160
believe yourself,

396
00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,440
and that’s where the appeal of denial

397
00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:29,920
lies.

398
00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,480
You are actually changing your reality,

399
00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,280
where other defense mechanisms merely

400
00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:36,600
spin it to be more acceptable.

401
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,280
This is actually the most dangerous

402
00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:40,120
defense mechanism,

403
00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,080
because even if there is a dire

404
00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:42,520
problem,

405
00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,960
it is ignored and never fixed.

406
00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,840
If someone continued to persist in the

407
00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,520
belief they were an excellent driver,

408
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,640
despite a string of accidents in the

409
00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:52,160
past year,

410
00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,640
it’s unlikely they would ever seek to

411
00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,040
practice their driving skills.

412
00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,600
Rationalization is when you explain

413
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:00,800
away something negative.

414
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,880
It is the art of making excuses.

415
00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,400
The bad behavior or fact still remains,

416
00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,040
but it is turned into something

417
00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,040
unavoidable because of circumstances

418
00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:10,960
out of your control.

419
00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,800
The bottom line is anything negative is

420
00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:15,080
not your fault and you shouldn’t be

421
00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:16,280
held accountable for it.

422
00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,760
It’s never a besmirching of your

423
00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:19,280
abilities.

424
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:21,320
It’s extremely convenient,

425
00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,840
and you are only limited by your

426
00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:23,560
imagination.

427
00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:26,520
Building on the same prior example of

428
00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:27,600
poor job performance,

429
00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,960
this is easily explained away by the

430
00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,200
following - your boss secretly hating

431
00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:33,760
you,

432
00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:35,400
your co-workers plotting against you,

433
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,720
the computer being biased against your

434
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:38,600
soft skills,

435
00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,000
unpredictable traffic affecting your

436
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:41,400
commute,

437
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,360
and having two jobs at once.

438
00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,600
These flimsy excuses are what your ego

439
00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:47,840
needs to protect itself.

440
00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,320
Rationalization is the embodiment of

441
00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,760
the sour grapes fable - A fox wanted to

442
00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:56,480
reach some grapes at the top of a bush,

443
00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:57,760
but he couldn’t leap high enough.

444
00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,600
To make himself feel better about his

445
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:01,560
lack of leaping ability,

446
00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:03,720
and to comfort himself about his lack

447
00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:04,040
of grapes,

448
00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,480
he told himself the grapes looked sour

449
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:06,960
anyway,

450
00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,160
so he wasn’t missing out on anything.

451
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,920
He was still hungry,

452
00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,040
but he’d rather be hungry than admit

453
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:13,520
his failure.

454
00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,440
Rationalization can also help us feel

455
00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,080
at peace with poor decisions we’ve

456
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:20,440
made with phrases such as,

457
00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,080
“It was going to happen at some point

458
00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:22,760
anyway."

459
00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,040
Rationalization ensures you never have

460
00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:27,000
to face failure,

461
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:27,800
rejection,

462
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:28,800
or negativity.

463
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,160
It’s always someone else’s fault!

464
00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:32,960
While comforting,

465
00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,760
where do reality and truth go amidst

466
00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:36,440
all of this?

467
00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:37,560
Out the window,

468
00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:38,000
mostly.

469
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,760
Intellectual honesty requires you to

470
00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:42,880
first defeat your natural tendencies to

471
00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:43,760
be dishonest.

472
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,960
Thoughts dictated by self-protection

473
00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:48,480
don’t overlap with clear,

474
00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:49,440
objective thoughts.

475
00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,800
What Is Intellectual Honesty (and

476
00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:54,520
Dishonesty)?

477
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,320
With our biggest obstacle addressed,

478
00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,840
it’s time to examine the traits of

479
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,840
the honest thinking we want to seek out.

480
00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,440
And what are the traits of dishonest

481
00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:05,760
thinking that we want to avoid?

482
00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,480
It’s time to spell out how to embody

483
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,520
our goals of seeing the world as

484
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,400
objectively as humanly possible.

485
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,720
Intellectual honesty is a commitment to

486
00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:16,880
finding the truth,

487
00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:17,600
wholly,

488
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:18,920
unconditionally,

489
00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:20,720
no matter what it might cost.

490
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,440
It’s seeking out facts and reality,

491
00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,160
regardless of how uneasy,

492
00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,040
inopportune or distasteful that truth

493
00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:28,800
makes us feel.

494
00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,440
Often it involves what our ego would

495
00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,160
rather pretend doesn’t exist.

496
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,280
It is the understanding that speed and

497
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:37,960
certainty are completely unimportant

498
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,560
when compared to accuracy.

499
00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,560
The intellectually honest person is

500
00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,360
tireless about learning from all

501
00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:45,080
perspectives.

502
00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,680
They accept viewpoints that might

503
00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:48,560
differ from their own.

504
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,400
They understand that reasonable people

505
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:52,480
can hold opposing ideas.

506
00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,120
They’re swift in respecting the good

507
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:56,560
points their opponents might bring up,

508
00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:58,400
and they’re not afraid to admit when

509
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,720
their own argument might contain flaws

510
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:01,320
or faults.

511
00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,760
They’re quick to concede when their

512
00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:04,400
own biases,

513
00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:06,360
prejudices or emotions might be

514
00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:07,320
informing their thinking.

515
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,760
Someone who’s committed to

516
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:11,480
intellectual honesty is committed to

517
00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,360
the absolute facts of a matter and

518
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,280
allows those facts alone to form their

519
00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:16,800
judgment.

520
00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,200
They don’t exaggerate or overstate

521
00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:19,680
arguments,

522
00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,400
and they don’t deliberately

523
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,560
misconstrue what evidence presents them.

524
00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,920
They don’t make the truth adapt to

525
00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:26,680
their thinking.

526
00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,960
There is no circuitous logic or

527
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:30,320
circular arguments,

528
00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,760
and questions are answered directly and

529
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,200
without ulterior motive.

530
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,560
If the ego senses danger,

531
00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,000
it acts swiftly to make most people

532
00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:39,920
spout an excuse,

533
00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,160
but the intellectually honest will

534
00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,280
throw themselves under the bus if that

535
00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,000
accurately reflects what happened.

536
00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,840
The intellectually honest person

537
00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:50,760
remains modest and neutral when

538
00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:51,680
they’re pursuing the truth.

539
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,080
They reject double standards and

540
00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:54,520
hypocrisy,

541
00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,680
and they don’t pretend to be experts

542
00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,240
on things they don’t know anything

543
00:16:58,240 --> 00:16:58,600
about.

544
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,040
For example,

545
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,720
a courtroom judge is expected to ignore

546
00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:04,040
their own personal beliefs,

547
00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:05,960
withstand outside pressure,

548
00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,600
and make an unbiased decision on cases

549
00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,440
or procedures completely adherent to

550
00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:11,240
the rule of law.

551
00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,760
The evidence will tell a story,

552
00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:15,880
and the judge removes their own

553
00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:16,360
opinions,

554
00:17:16,360 --> 00:17:18,720
gives each side the same opportunity,

555
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,480
and simply uncovers that story instead

556
00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,200
of seeking to write it themselves.

557
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,440
An insurance adjustor investigating an

558
00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:27,080
accident,

559
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,280
theoretically speaking,

560
00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,560
needs to block out both his company’s

561
00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,440
bottom line and their customer’s

562
00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:33,280
adverse situation,

563
00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,680
examine all the facts and events of the

564
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:36,320
accident,

565
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,800
and make their best judgment as to how

566
00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,280
it happened and which party is

567
00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:40,800
responsible.

568
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,640
He is to assess according to the

569
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,160
guidelines he is bound by,

570
00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,400
nothing more and nothing less.

571
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,280
He cannot skip analyzing something

572
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:51,720
because it is damaging to his

573
00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:52,760
company’s bottom line,

574
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:54,920
and he must give the same weight to

575
00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:56,480
every factor he finds.

576
00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,480
There is an element of scientific

577
00:17:59,480 --> 00:17:59,760
thinking,

578
00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,040
where a hypothesis or assumption is

579
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:03,800
something that is meant to be tested,

580
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,320
and is certainly never confused with a

581
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:07,440
conclusion or argument.

582
00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,200
“I don’t know” is a perfectly

583
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:11,240
acceptable answer,

584
00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,360
and so is “You’re right,

585
00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:14,160
I am wrong."

586
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,400
Each option is equally comfortable and

587
00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:17,920
easy to speak.

588
00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,800
An intellectually dishonest person,

589
00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:21,440
on the other hand,

590
00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,000
is often easily identified by how they

591
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,640
react to anything that doesn’t

592
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:26,160
support them.

593
00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,040
They either don’t accept hostile to

594
00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:30,840
opposing opinions through denial or

595
00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:31,760
rationalization,

596
00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,600
or are downright hostile and demeaning.

597
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,120
You just get the sense that there is

598
00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:38,680
something to be protected or hidden.

599
00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,920
They evade questions like they are

600
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:41,760
playing dodge ball,

601
00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,440
and they come up with roundabout

602
00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,480
answers to direct inquiries.

603
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,360
Thoughts focused on being right don’t

604
00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:50,440
always overlap with reality or the

605
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:50,880
truth.

606
00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,440
When it comes to reinforcing their own

607
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:53,800
beliefs,

608
00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,240
the intellectually dishonest person

609
00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:57,960
stops their research the minute they

610
00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,440
find something that supports their

611
00:18:59,440 --> 00:18:59,960
assertion.

612
00:18:59,960 --> 00:19:02,600
They’ll cherry-pick evidence they

613
00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,880
agree with and completely omit proof

614
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:05,480
that they’re wrong.

615
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,960
They’ll mangle the truth until it

616
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:09,920
suits them by making bad analogies,

617
00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,800
taking quotes out of context,

618
00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,360
and equivocating or minimizing key

619
00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:14,880
points.

620
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,200
They’ll go off on tangents to

621
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,320
misrepresent the facts of a situation,

622
00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,160
in some cases simply making stuff up to

623
00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:23,520
support their statements.

624
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,280
Using straw man arguments is a favorite

625
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,960
- these are fallacies in which one

626
00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:31,760
arguer exaggerates what their opponent

627
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,440
said to the point of ludicrous,

628
00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,920
when in actuality that opponent said

629
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:37,080
nothing of the sort.

630
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,160
Innocent statement - “Maybe we should

631
00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:42,440
trust our government more."

632
00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,080
Straw man argument - “Oh,

633
00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,080
so you’re saying you want a fascist

634
00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:48,600
government and our very own Hitler to

635
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:49,400
go along with?!"

636
00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:50,760
“…No,

637
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:52,640
that’s not what I said at all."

638
00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,520
When they sense their argument is

639
00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:56,160
disbelieved,

640
00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,400
the intellectually dishonest person

641
00:19:58,400 --> 00:19:59,640
often resorts to panic,

642
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:00,720
distortion,

643
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:01,600
or deflection.

644
00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,360
The discussion becomes something to

645
00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:05,280
win,

646
00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,040
and they do it by any means possible.

647
00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:08,600
They’ll exaggerate,

648
00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:09,400
misinterpret,

649
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,440
cry false equivalencies,

650
00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,280
or simply change the subject.

651
00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,040
Defense becomes the name of the game.

652
00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,000
There is an inability to answer yes or

653
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,960
no questions without having to justify;

654
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,560
there is never a straightforward answer

655
00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:23,920
given.

656
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,440
Over time,

657
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,720
an intellectually dishonest person can

658
00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,840
lob so many of these defenses and

659
00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,680
tactics so often and repetitively that

660
00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,480
they even talk themselves into

661
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,000
believing something they used to know

662
00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,240
wasn’t entirely on solid ground to

663
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:38,760
begin with.

664
00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,960
Like abiding by the ego,

665
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,160
the most dangerous side effect of

666
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,000
intellectual dishonesty is the

667
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,920
potential to warp reality on a mass

668
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:49,240
scale.

669
00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,120
As mentioned earlier,

670
00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:54,120
we engage in self-deceptions out of

671
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:54,800
self-defense.

672
00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:55,880
But furthermore,

673
00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,280
nothing is quite as narcotic as the

674
00:20:58,280 --> 00:20:59,040
need to be right;

675
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:00,520
and to maintain that feeling,

676
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,440
we lie to ourselves.

677
00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,480
Switching from a track of intellectual

678
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,360
dishonesty to one of clear thinking

679
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:08,400
isn’t a cakewalk.

680
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,080
It requires leaving behind established

681
00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,040
beliefs and biases that are difficult

682
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:13,760
to let go of.

683
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:15,280
In the process,

684
00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,960
you leave yourself feeling vulnerable

685
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:18,960
and inadequate.

686
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:19,560
Uttering,

687
00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,800
“I don’t know” or “I was

688
00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,280
wrong” for the first time can be

689
00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:23,800
painful.

690
00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,680
But consider that the bravado and

691
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,000
bluster you showcase in intellectual

692
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,880
dishonesty paints a far worse picture

693
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:32,120
of you.

694
00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:36,800
Obstacles To Honest Thought.

695
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,920
Our egos play a large part in obscuring

696
00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:41,960
clear and critical thought,

697
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,240
but even if you are able to quash it

698
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:45,840
and eventually separate your thinking

699
00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:46,800
processes from it,

700
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,080
there are still many habits that cloud

701
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:49,600
our thinking.

702
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,960
Just like dealing with the ego,

703
00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,920
they might be so habitual and heavily

704
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,360
ingrained that you can’t find the

705
00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:57,480
truth with a compass.

706
00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,120
The three common obstacles are

707
00:22:00,120 --> 00:22:01,240
intellectual laziness,

708
00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:02,760
willful ignorance,

709
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,040
and adherence to sacred cows.

710
00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,760
They each impact our ability to see

711
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,040
truth in different ways.

712
00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,120
Intellectual laziness.

713
00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:14,760
Especially in today’s

714
00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,960
technology-driven society where answers

715
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,840
are easier and quicker to obtain than

716
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:19,320
ever before,

717
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,560
we tend to expend very little energy

718
00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,080
into intellectual pursuits.

719
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,040
Our brains seek the fastest of

720
00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:28,800
superficial confirmations of facts and

721
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,160
then head straight for the beach for a

722
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:31,800
few hours.

723
00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,880
The goal is ease and certainty rather

724
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:35,960
than accuracy.

725
00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,120
It’s easy and it feels like you’ve

726
00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:39,480
done what you’re supposed to.

727
00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,520
This in itself leads to chronic jumping

728
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:43,400
to conclusions.

729
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,880
But there’s more to an intellectually

730
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,760
lazy person than just seeking comfort.

731
00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,560
They prefer that other people do the

732
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:51,440
thinking for them.

733
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,280
They’ll happily defer to the beliefs

734
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:54,760
of a friend,

735
00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:56,320
social media memes,

736
00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,600
or dubious experts to define their

737
00:22:58,600 --> 00:22:59,360
convictions.

738
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,000
They outsource their critical thinking

739
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:03,720
and seek to substitute it with apparent

740
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:04,400
authority figures,

741
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,240
which inevitably leave large gaps of

742
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:07,880
understanding.

743
00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,040
You have to wonder at what point they

744
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,160
are creating their own opinions instead

745
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:14,480
of parroting what they have heard from

746
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,040
often-questionable sources.

747
00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,080
Aside from not being discerning with

748
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:19,600
sources,

749
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:21,480
the intellectually lazy person also

750
00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:22,920
doesn’t want to take the effort to

751
00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:23,720
change their mind,

752
00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,960
and they’ll pursue that stasis to the

753
00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:27,000
ends of the earth.

754
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,320
In the pursuit of maintaining

755
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,080
consistency over seeking truth,

756
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,520
they’ll only consider information

757
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,000
that will back up what they want to

758
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:36,360
believe,

759
00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:38,920
whether it’s debunked science or a

760
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:40,560
far-flung conspiracy theory.

761
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,560
Even if they’re presented with clear

762
00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:44,680
evidence and reasoning,

763
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,760
they’ll refuse to consider any of it,

764
00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,960
or reject it out of hand without

765
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,400
understanding a single part of it.

766
00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,760
They seek the path of least resistance.

767
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:54,280
As such,

768
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,480
they over-value stability,

769
00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,080
and are resistant to change.

770
00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:00,960
Saying “I don’t know” is not

771
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,920
preferred because it requires extra

772
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,160
work to juggle multiple

773
00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,720
perspectives—it’s not an easy,

774
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:07,920
comfortable state.

775
00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,320
It’s much easier to be able to latch

776
00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,240
onto one opinion or perspective.

777
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,720
When an intellectually lazy person does

778
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:17,360
take the mantle and try to do their own

779
00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:17,640
research,

780
00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:20,240
they’ll often stop after a cursory

781
00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:21,680
glance—and even then,

782
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,400
they’ll probably only look at

783
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,960
material that supports their own

784
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:25,440
beliefs.

785
00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,240
They seek to oversimplify and remove

786
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,000
nuance from complex issues.

787
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:30,960
After all,

788
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:32,680
it’s more effort to have to

789
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,600
understand your errors and change your

790
00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:35,240
perspective.

791
00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,960
If they get backed into a corner by

792
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,680
someone rationally challenging their

793
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:39,960
views,

794
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:42,720
you just might see the ego start to

795
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:43,840
rear its ugly head.

796
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,640
Like all the other aspects of clear

797
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:46,960
thinking,

798
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,920
avoiding intellectual laziness becomes

799
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,000
an exercise in building habits of

800
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:53,000
self-awareness and

801
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,360
metacognition—thinking about your own

802
00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:55,800
thinking.

803
00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,000
Ask yourself if you are merely seeking

804
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:00,560
an answer or if you are actually

805
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:01,520
seeking the truth.

806
00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,600
These different paths prescribe

807
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:06,400
incredibly different courses of action.

808
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,040
To see truth,

809
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,200
you don’t stop researching something

810
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:11,920
the minute you find your viewpoints (or

811
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:12,880
their opposites)

812
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:13,480
validated.

813
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,600
You seek information from as many sides

814
00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,040
and sources as you can and accept that

815
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:20,960
some real evidence you come across

816
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:22,240
might make you uncomfortable.

817
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,720
You would engage in this search

818
00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:25,040
firsthand,

819
00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:26,920
as opposed to listening to other

820
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:28,160
people’s anecdotes.

821
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,480
You would seek to discover nuance and

822
00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:32,800
not settle at the first explanation

823
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:33,880
that seems plausible.

824
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,480
You would treat your assumptions as

825
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:37,000
just that,

826
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,640
assumptions and not fact or truth.

827
00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:41,520
It sounds exhausting,

828
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,400
but the more you use these muscles,

829
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:44,600
the easier it gets.

830
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,320
Willful ignorance.

831
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,280
It’s one thing to be intellectually

832
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,240
dishonest through mental laziness and

833
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:53,640
prioritizing your comfort over the

834
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:53,920
truth,

835
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:55,880
but it’s quite another thing to know

836
00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,680
you’re relying on faulty information,

837
00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:58,960
mislead others,

838
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,800
but keep on doing it anyway.

839
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,160
This is called willful ignorance,

840
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,560
and it’s worse than mere intellectual

841
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:06,080
laziness.

842
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,800
Willful ignorance is making a

843
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:10,720
deliberate choice to disregard the

844
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:11,120
truth.

845
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:13,760
Examples include the conspiracy

846
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:15,360
theorist who won’t consider any

847
00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:17,240
information that exposes the holes in

848
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:17,680
their argument,

849
00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,960
like people in the ‘60s who thought

850
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:20,920
Paul McCartney was dead,

851
00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,400
and rejected clear evidence like his

852
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:24,760
giving new television interviews

853
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:26,760
frequently (“It was an imposter!”)

854
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,480
and releasing new music (“It was the

855
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,400
same imposter!”).

856
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,360
But willful ignorance happens in less

857
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:36,440
fringe situations as well - In the

858
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:37,240
1990s,

859
00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,280
when tobacco companies knew that

860
00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,320
science had proven their product was

861
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:41,600
harmful,

862
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,320
they fought to suppress the data and

863
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,320
deny its authority by claiming it was

864
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:47,320
“inconclusive."

865
00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,200
If you assume that tobacco companies

866
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,960
weren’t knowingly poisoning their

867
00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:52,440
customers,

868
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,000
they turned a blind eye to compelling

869
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:56,760
evidence simply because they wanted to

870
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:57,840
believe it so badly.

871
00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,800
It’s the equivalent of plugging your

872
00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:00,920
ears,

873
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:02,080
covering your eyes,

874
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,640
and loudly screaming

875
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,560
“LA-LA-LA-LA-LA” to deny something.

876
00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,680
There’s more than innocent ignorance

877
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:11,680
behind those that practice willful

878
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,200
ignorance - They consciously opt to

879
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:15,040
spurn the truth,

880
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,080
with statements ranging from the

881
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,280
relatively benign (“It’s none of my

882
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:19,720
business”)

883
00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:24,080
to the dismissive (“I don’t want to

884
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:24,200
know”).

885
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,400
Such brazen refusal is usually a sign

886
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:27,360
that the speaker knows there’s

887
00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:29,360
something wrong with their position and

888
00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:31,200
merely wants to escape the proceedings.

889
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,480
Several reasons might be at play when

890
00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,480
someone displays willful ignorance.

891
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:37,400
Remember,

892
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,160
denial typically serves the ego.

893
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,160
They could just be insecure about their

894
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,120
beliefs and want to avoid information

895
00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:46,160
that would conflict with them.

896
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,200
They may want to escape the

897
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,200
responsibility to change that comes

898
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,600
with new knowledge—to paraphrase the

899
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:53,800
Jack Nicholson movie quote,

900
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,160
they “can’t handle the truth!"

901
00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:57,640
Alternately,

902
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,240
they may simply perceive ignorance as

903
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,120
the psychologically healthier option -

904
00:28:02,120 --> 00:28:05,280
They prefer to “stay positive” and

905
00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,280
preserve the relative tranquility of

906
00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:07,880
“not knowing."

907
00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,520
This harms you because without the

908
00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:11,080
truth,

909
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,360
and without acknowledging your possible

910
00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:13,800
role in it,

911
00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,800
improvement is impossible.

912
00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,360
It’s like when the “Check Engine”

913
00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:19,760
light goes on in one’s car.

914
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,520
They can rationalize it away by saying,

915
00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:22,680
“Oh,

916
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,480
that light goes on all the time.

917
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:25,280
It’s irrelevant."

918
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,120
Then they continue to ignore it,

919
00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:29,600
until one night they try to start the

920
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,120
car and it won’t turn over.

921
00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:32,960
More personally,

922
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,240
we see willful ignorance when someone

923
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:37,280
refuses to acknowledge hard evidence

924
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:38,840
that their partner might not be totally

925
00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:39,560
truthful with them,

926
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,320
continuing to stick silently by their

927
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,320
side thinking things will get better by

928
00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:45,920
just pretending nothing’s wrong.

929
00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,040
Knowing that your beliefs or facts

930
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,040
don’t align with reality is important.

931
00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,160
Willful ignorance is short-circuited by

932
00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,200
making the simple yet tough decision to

933
00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,240
start with facts and then find a

934
00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:58,760
conclusion,

935
00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:00,960
instead of starting with the conclusion

936
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:02,640
and then finding the facts to support

937
00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:02,800
it.

938
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,280
Some reading this will find the risks

939
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,400
of losing willful ignorance too much to

940
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:08,760
endure.

941
00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,400
Still others will say there’s nothing

942
00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,400
wrong with being willfully ignorant if

943
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:14,080
it makes them happy.

944
00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,120
But don’t confuse this comfort zone

945
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,040
for clear thinking.

946
00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:21,560
Adherence to sacred cows.

947
00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,920
Certain subjects,

948
00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:24,560
ideas,

949
00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:26,920
people or groups are considered by some

950
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,520
to be off-limits when it comes to

951
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:30,680
criticism or even critical analysis.

952
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,960
These items are called “sacred

953
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,840
cows,” in reference to the Hindu

954
00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,120
belief that the cow is a holy animal

955
00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:39,200
that must not be eaten or disrespected.

956
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,640
Discussing sacred cows can be extremely

957
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:43,280
problematic,

958
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,160
because they speak directly to

959
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,360
people’s core of faith,

960
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:47,920
belief and identity.

961
00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:49,440
For our purposes,

962
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,920
sacred cows can include anything from

963
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:53,800
long-established cultural traditions,

964
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,160
religious practices,

965
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:56,480
political beliefs,

966
00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,360
and even industry practices.

967
00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,320
Anything that is held out to be the

968
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:02,560
unquestionable truth,

969
00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,000
or above truth itself,

970
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,480
is a sacred cow.

971
00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,200
In everyday terms,

972
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:08,960
they are “touchy subjects."

973
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,320
To say anything critical of those

974
00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:13,240
hallowed institutions and figures is

975
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:15,520
considered blasphemy by those who

976
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:16,120
follow them.

977
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,120
But are they accurate,

978
00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:18,800
truthful,

979
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,520
and deserving of such a label?

980
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,640
What gives them their status,

981
00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:24,480
and what makes them more correct than

982
00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:25,000
anything else?

983
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,720
Is it simply a result of “doing

984
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,360
things for the sake of doing them as

985
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:30,280
they have always been done”?

986
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,000
To be clear,

987
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,480
this is not a point about discussing

988
00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,080
the merits of the Hindu belief

989
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:36,880
regarding the cow.

990
00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,240
This is a point about questioning your

991
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:41,280
beliefs and separating long-held

992
00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:42,440
assumption from fact.

993
00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,600
Intellectually honesty dictates that no

994
00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:46,360
subject,

995
00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:47,000
belief,

996
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,160
or person should be free from critical

997
00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:50,000
thinking or questioning.

998
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,960
If you honestly engage in this process,

999
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,200
sooner or later you’re going to step

1000
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,000
directly onto someone’s sacred cow,

1001
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:58,240
even your own.

1002
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,120
This is when you encounter something

1003
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:02,280
that you believed to be

1004
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:03,680
incontrovertible truth,

1005
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,840
and when you come into conflict with

1006
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:06,000
that,

1007
00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,600
how will you react?

1008
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,120
Will you be able to follow the evidence

1009
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:10,640
where it leads,

1010
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,160
or ignore it by deferring to your

1011
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:14,040
sacred cow?

1012
00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,880
But it’s a dangerous discussion.

1013
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,520
It sparks intense defensiveness.

1014
00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:22,440
Centuries of chaos and bloodshed have

1015
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:23,840
resulted from these attitudes.

1016
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,960
You might have your own internal

1017
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:27,000
battles on the matter.

1018
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,720
As with many things in life,

1019
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,280
discomfort here is a sign of something

1020
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:32,680
significant occurring.

1021
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,600
There is no tenet or belief that should

1022
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:37,760
be accepted completely on blind faith.

1023
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,520
Every single one of them should be open

1024
00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,360
to scrutiny and investigation.

1025
00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,480
The best ideas and principles will

1026
00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,280
stand up to such inquiry—the truth

1027
00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:49,840
will always be defensible.

1028
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,080
Only beliefs that rely on falsehoods,

1029
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,440
outdated thought or misinformation will

1030
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:55,840
lose out.

1031
00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,200
Imagine that you (after having traveled

1032
00:31:59,200 --> 00:31:59,720
through time)

1033
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,520
are working diligently to construct a

1034
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,160
theory on whether or not the planets

1035
00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:04,640
orbit the sun,

1036
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,000
or everything orbits the Earth.

1037
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,680
You may recognize this as the debate

1038
00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,040
between heliocentrism and geocentrism,

1039
00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,040
respectively.

1040
00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,160
Geocentrism was indeed considered a

1041
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:17,000
sacred cow.

1042
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,000
Where would we be if it wasn’t taken

1043
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,440
off its pedestal and intensely

1044
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,440
questioned and ultimately proven

1045
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,160
incorrect by Nicolaus Copernicus?

1046
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,040
If you have a sacred cow,

1047
00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,400
the biggest step is to at least

1048
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,680
recognize and admit that it is a sacred

1049
00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:33,920
cow rather than a fact.

1050
00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:35,960
People are free to believe what they

1051
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:36,160
want,

1052
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,640
but they are not free to present what

1053
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:40,120
they want as truth or fact.

1054
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,240
This idea is behind the famous Zen

1055
00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,360
teaching of Linji Yixuan - “If you

1056
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:47,440
meet the Buddha on the road,

1057
00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:48,720
kill him."

1058
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:51,440
This means that one shouldn’t be so

1059
00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,200
beholden to knowledge of a certain

1060
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:54,280
person or belief system,

1061
00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,080
and if they have the opportunity,

1062
00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:59,120
to destroy it or them to gain clarity

1063
00:32:59,120 --> 00:32:59,440
of thought.

1064
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,240
What are your sacred cows?

1065
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,280
Why do you consider them sacrosanct and

1066
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,040
beyond reproach?

1067
00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:09,040
•What beliefs or subjects are

1068
00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:09,960
off-limits with you?

1069
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,280
•What are you unwilling to be

1070
00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:13,800
critical of or criticize?

1071
00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,480
•What are you unwilling to discuss

1072
00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:18,360
honestly without growing defensive?

1073
00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:21,320
•What do you feel must not be

1074
00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:21,800
questioned?

1075
00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,840
Take time to question and at least

1076
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:25,680
identify them.

1077
00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:27,800
The goal isn’t to change your mind

1078
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:28,440
about your beliefs,

1079
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,720
it’s just to gain a better

1080
00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,800
understanding of what your beliefs are

1081
00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:32,400
built upon.

1082
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,000
That actually may strengthen your

1083
00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:35,400
beliefs.

1084
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,760
But don’t be afraid or panicked if

1085
00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,400
doubt creeps in—investigate that too.

1086
00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,080
You’re not betraying yourself if you

1087
00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:43,360
do that;

1088
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,280
you’re using your brain for its

1089
00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:46,120
intended purpose.

1090
00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,040
Questioning your sacred cows isn’t

1091
00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:50,760
about being disrespectful or rude,

1092
00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,080
it’s about knowing that the truth

1093
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:54,320
fears no questions,

1094
00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:56,960
nor does it need you to defend it any

1095
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:58,280
more than gravity,

1096
00:33:58,280 --> 00:33:59,040
logic,

1097
00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,960
or mathematics needs you to defend them.

1098
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:07,120
On Forming Opinions... “Opinions are

1099
00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:07,760
like mouths,

1100
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:09,000
everyone has one."

1101
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:10,760
Have you ever heard this phrase,

1102
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:12,680
or a more vulgar version?

1103
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,320
It means that opinions are natural to

1104
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:16,720
have and inescapable.

1105
00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:17,360
However,

1106
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,360
this doesn’t say anything about their

1107
00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:21,920
accuracy or the unfortunate consequence

1108
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,720
that many people like to substitute

1109
00:34:23,720 --> 00:34:24,880
their opinions for fact.

1110
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,800
Sound opinions can only come from

1111
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:28,920
intellectual honesty.

1112
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,360
Especially in the times we live,

1113
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:33,240
when it seems like it’s more

1114
00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:34,600
important to have loud and

1115
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:35,760
quickly-delivered beliefs,

1116
00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:37,960
going out of your way to take

1117
00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:39,920
deliberate steps in establishing your

1118
00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,080
views is vital.

1119
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,600
Philosopher Bertrand Russell identified

1120
00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,560
some of the pitfalls of making hasty

1121
00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:47,040
opinions,

1122
00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:49,520
as outlined in one of the essays that

1123
00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:51,800
comprised his anthology The Basic

1124
00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:53,320
Writings of Bertrand Russell.

1125
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,880
He may not have known it at the time,

1126
00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,080
but he was one of intellectual

1127
00:34:58,080 --> 00:34:59,720
honesty’s first proponents.

1128
00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:02,240
His approach was to ensure that they

1129
00:35:02,240 --> 00:35:03,720
aren’t clouded by sentiment,

1130
00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:04,360
bias,

1131
00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:05,720
or corrupt thinking.

1132
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:07,000
Accordingly,

1133
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,520
one of Russell’s lasting legacies is

1134
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:11,040
the work he did in the philosophy of

1135
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:11,240
logic,

1136
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:13,560
which first started with Aristotle.

1137
00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,080
“If the matter is one that can be

1138
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:17,320
settled by observation,

1139
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,240
make the observation yourself."

1140
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:22,840
It’s one thing to believe facts and

1141
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:24,080
opinions that you’ve read or heard

1142
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:24,560
about,

1143
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:26,400
and there are some that you can even

1144
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:27,240
take for granted.

1145
00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:29,960
You’re secure in believing that bears

1146
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:30,720
hibernate in winter,

1147
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:32,320
even if you’ve never personally

1148
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,040
tracked a bear as he’s preparing to

1149
00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:35,280
pack it in for the season.

1150
00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,960
Is it possible for you to observe them

1151
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:38,520
yourself?

1152
00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,240
Other people have,

1153
00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,720
and it might be safe to take their word

1154
00:35:42,720 --> 00:35:44,360
on it for this one if you trust them.

1155
00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,080
When you can—especially when it comes

1156
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,160
to opinions—you should try out your

1157
00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:50,160
beliefs yourself.

1158
00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,480
If you believe that a new shopping

1159
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:53,880
center near your kid’s school is

1160
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:55,840
creating heavy and unsafe traffic when

1161
00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:56,440
school lets out,

1162
00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:59,280
take a day or two to actually watch and

1163
00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,120
measure the traffic on the street to

1164
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:02,120
back up your opinion.

1165
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,000
Can it truly be your opinion if you

1166
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:05,920
don’t have a basis for it?

1167
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,280
Don’t just take others’ opinions

1168
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:08,880
for your own,

1169
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:11,480
no matter how persuasive your sources.

1170
00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,920
It’s a mistake to assert that you

1171
00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:15,640
know something when you don’t.

1172
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:17,760
The more strongly you believe

1173
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:18,320
something,

1174
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,480
the higher the risk that you’re being

1175
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,040
swayed by personal bias.

1176
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,640
If you have a chance to test your

1177
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:25,000
beliefs,

1178
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:25,920
take it.

1179
00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:29,440
“If a contrary opinion makes you

1180
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:29,680
angry,

1181
00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:32,080
you might subconsciously know you have

1182
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:33,920
no good reason for your thinking."

1183
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:37,280
The most volatile blow-ups we have in

1184
00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:38,840
intellectual discourse occur when

1185
00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:40,040
we’re discussing matters that are,

1186
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:40,720
at heart,

1187
00:36:40,720 --> 00:36:41,840
unprovable.

1188
00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,720
We don’t get angry when we hear a

1189
00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:45,400
math equation;

1190
00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,400
“2 plus 2 equals 4” will not make

1191
00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:51,000
someone fly into a vicious rage unless

1192
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,200
they’re extremely unstable.

1193
00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:55,680
It’s subjective matters of the spirit

1194
00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:56,840
that people clash over,

1195
00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:58,080
be it theology,

1196
00:36:58,080 --> 00:36:59,680
favorite music styles,

1197
00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:02,320
or whether their favorite sports team

1198
00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:03,080
“sucks."

1199
00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,200
If you find yourself getting

1200
00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,040
increasingly angry when you’re in a

1201
00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:07,800
debate with someone,

1202
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:10,560
stop and think why you’re getting

1203
00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:10,960
incensed.

1204
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,600
Russell suggests that you may

1205
00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:15,520
subliminally know that your viewpoint

1206
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,440
isn’t necessarily backed up by the

1207
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:18,080
strongest proof,

1208
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,240
and you are dreading the inevitable

1209
00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:21,320
feeling of being wrong.

1210
00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,360
The more agitated and hotter you are

1211
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:25,560
about defending yourself,

1212
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,440
the higher the chance that you’re

1213
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:29,920
standing on shaky intellectual ground.

1214
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,680
If the ego is awakening,

1215
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:34,960
there just might be a reason.

1216
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,680
“Become aware of opinions outside

1217
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:40,200
your social circle."

1218
00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:40,840
In fact,

1219
00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,040
seek them out.

1220
00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:45,200
Many times we adopt certain beliefs

1221
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,000
because our friends and family believe

1222
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:47,160
them.

1223
00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:49,360
For all intents and purposes,

1224
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,160
those opinions become our reality.

1225
00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:52,360
Then,

1226
00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,400
we fear being ostracized or rejected by

1227
00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,440
the social circles we’re in if we

1228
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,600
dare express a countering viewpoint.

1229
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,720
Other times we may sincerely hold those

1230
00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:05,480
opinions but have no visibility into

1231
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,000
what a counterpoint might look or sound

1232
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:08,280
like.

1233
00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,800
Echo chambers are where strict,

1234
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,240
dictatorial stances are left free to

1235
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:16,200
develop and turn into ruthless dogma.

1236
00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,440
Seek out the viewpoints of people far

1237
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:21,720
outside your immediate group of friends.

1238
00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:24,760
Don’t argue against them or refute

1239
00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:25,000
them.

1240
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:25,760
Listen.

1241
00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,560
Read or watch the news sources of the

1242
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:30,080
opponent if you can’t get out and

1243
00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:31,120
talk to them personally.

1244
00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,640
Understand that people live in

1245
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:34,320
different worlds,

1246
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,800
despite walking or sitting right next

1247
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:37,720
to you on the subway.

1248
00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:40,400
In many cases you’ll find they might

1249
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:41,360
have some good points.

1250
00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:43,080
And if you still find their views

1251
00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:44,480
repugnant or unhealthy—well,

1252
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:46,680
that’s how they feel about you.

1253
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,960
As unlikely as it seems,

1254
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:51,600
exposure to the opposition is the best

1255
00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:52,960
way to find common ground,

1256
00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:54,520
decrease intolerance,

1257
00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:56,360
and balance your own opinions.

1258
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,160
On a related note,

1259
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,480
after gaining a bit of understanding of

1260
00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:00,880
other people,

1261
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:03,720
try engaging in the thought exercise of

1262
00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:05,360
how someone with an alternate

1263
00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:06,880
perspective might respond to your

1264
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:07,440
opinions.

1265
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,160
There may be zero chance that you

1266
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,800
actually change your mind on certain

1267
00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:11,960
things,

1268
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:13,240
but at least you’ve gained

1269
00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:15,120
perspective and hopefully empathy.

1270
00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:19,880
“Be wary of opinions that flatter

1271
00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:21,160
your self-esteem."

1272
00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,600
Any politician will tell you that the

1273
00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:26,600
best way to instill a belief in a

1274
00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:28,080
certain individual is to appeal to

1275
00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:28,560
their ego.

1276
00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:31,840
They win over crowds by complimenting

1277
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:32,560
their patriotism,

1278
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:34,200
emotions and overall profile.

1279
00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:37,480
This should be self-evident—people

1280
00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:39,480
don’t get insulted into believing a

1281
00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:40,040
certain way,

1282
00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,240
but they can be cajoled and seduced

1283
00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:42,600
into it.

1284
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,120
But just because a vendor calls you

1285
00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:47,080
beautiful or handsome doesn’t mean

1286
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:48,760
the price of that jacket will fit your

1287
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:49,400
bank account.

1288
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:52,160
Beware when you’re hearing an opinion

1289
00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:53,520
from someone that makes you feel

1290
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:55,360
validated and righteous all over.

1291
00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:56,680
Is it honest,

1292
00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,560
or is it pandering and flattering for

1293
00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:01,080
the purpose of gaining compliance?

1294
00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,800
There’s a chance it’s formed and

1295
00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:05,280
delivered in such a way that you

1296
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:06,720
can’t help but be manipulated or

1297
00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:08,160
charmed into believing it.

1298
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,600
No matter how sound or rational the

1299
00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:12,280
opinion might be,

1300
00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,200
check to make sure it’s as appealing

1301
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,040
to your intellect more than your sense

1302
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:16,520
of pride.

1303
00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,480
Thinking clearly means going more

1304
00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:21,560
deeply than your emotional reactions.

1305
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:22,800
For Russell,

1306
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,560
forming opinions is not something to be

1307
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:26,000
taken lightly,

1308
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:28,280
and a certain amount of responsibility

1309
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:28,760
comes with it.

1310
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,400
Others may not engage in this process,

1311
00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,600
but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

1312
00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:35,480
Charlie Munger,

1313
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,640
the businessman and philanthropist who

1314
00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:39,320
is best known as financial partner to

1315
00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:39,840
Warren Buffett,

1316
00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:40,360
once said,

1317
00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,080
“I never allow myself to have an

1318
00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:44,920
opinion on anything that I don’t know

1319
00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:47,040
the other side’s argument better than

1320
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:47,560
they do."

1321
00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:50,560
That view goes hand in hand with

1322
00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:52,680
Russell’s directives above to seek

1323
00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:55,360
ideas outside your social circle and

1324
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,600
imagine how someone would argue back to

1325
00:40:57,600 --> 00:40:57,880
you.

1326
00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,680
Don’t just come up with a bullet list

1327
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,000
of counteracting opinions—go deeply

1328
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:04,960
into the opposition’s point of view.

1329
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,720
You should become your own toughest and

1330
00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:09,360
most articulate critic.

1331
00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:11,960
We’re not programmed to do this

1332
00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:12,680
instinctively.

1333
00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:15,400
The brain has a strong inclination to

1334
00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:16,280
confirmation bias,

1335
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:18,800
the tendency to only hear opinions that

1336
00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:20,680
support our own viewpoints that we’ll

1337
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:21,360
explore later.

1338
00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,600
But ours is a brain that is programmed

1339
00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:25,560
for a combination of speed and

1340
00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:26,280
certainty,

1341
00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:27,920
not accuracy.

1342
00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:30,840
Acting decisively in the face of a

1343
00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:32,320
speeding truck can save your life,

1344
00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,640
while trying to determine truth can

1345
00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:36,360
leave you a splatter on the road.

1346
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:39,000
But that’s not the situation we are

1347
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:39,400
dealing with,

1348
00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:39,640
is it?

1349
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,240
In the absence of threats to your life,

1350
00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:44,440
truth should always be the end goal,

1351
00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,440
and opinions should be formed only

1352
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:48,760
after making an honest effort to pursue

1353
00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:49,000
it.

1354
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:53,000
“Strong opinions which are lightly

1355
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:54,680
held” is a helpful rule of thumb.

1356
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,880
Have certainty in what you know,

1357
00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,400
but also be open to what you don’t

1358
00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:01,440
know and how it impacts your current

1359
00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:01,920
opinion.

1360
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,720
Make your opinion a reflection of what

1361
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:05,320
you currently know,

1362
00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:07,320
and keep updating it to adapt.

1363
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,200
When you don’t attach to a particular

1364
00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:10,440
opinion,

1365
00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:12,680
you’ll find that truth becomes easier

1366
00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:15,040
and easier to see as well as find.

1367
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:17,240
If you do feel an attachment,

1368
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:19,360
it’s probably a sign that you are not

1369
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:21,440
being guided by intellectual honesty.

1370
00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:24,560
Takeaways -

1371
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,480
•If you reflect for a second,

1372
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:29,760
clear thinking is not usually the goal

1373
00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:30,640
we have in mind.

1374
00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:33,200
We are usually after a combination of

1375
00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:33,440
quick,

1376
00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:33,840
simple,

1377
00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:35,280
or easy thinking.

1378
00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:35,560
However,

1379
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,240
none of those things are particularly

1380
00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:40,000
accurate and won’t lead you to the

1381
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:40,840
answers you seek.

1382
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:42,160
Unfortunately,

1383
00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:43,880
it’s what we are wired to do,

1384
00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,000
and it takes conscious effort to slow

1385
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,160
down and be thorough.

1386
00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:48,920
Most of the time,

1387
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,160
we also want to quell our sense of

1388
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:51,680
uncertainty,

1389
00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:53,600
which leads us to conclusions that,

1390
00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:54,320
while speedy,

1391
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,560
are not focused on accuracy.

1392
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,920
Intellectual honesty is about seeking

1393
00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:01,960
plain and unadulterated truth.

1394
00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:05,480
•One of clear thinking’s biggest

1395
00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:06,600
opponents is the ego.

1396
00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:08,400
This is when an argument,

1397
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:08,920
stance,

1398
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:10,720
or opinion is supported not by

1399
00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:10,960
evidence,

1400
00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:11,800
but by pride,

1401
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:13,040
the need to be right,

1402
00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:15,280
and the desire to avoid shame and

1403
00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:15,880
embarrassment.

1404
00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:19,520
Ego keeps us deaf and blind if we allow

1405
00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:19,960
it to.

1406
00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:21,520
It serves a purpose,

1407
00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:24,040
but very quickly becomes detrimental to

1408
00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:25,360
your evaluation of the world,

1409
00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,160
as it has the power to warp reality

1410
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:28,720
around you.

1411
00:43:28,720 --> 00:43:31,880
The most prominent defense mechanisms

1412
00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:33,720
we use are rationalization and plain

1413
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:34,560
old denial.

1414
00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:37,000
•Along with the ego,

1415
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,680
there are a few notable obstacles to

1416
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:41,560
pursuing truth and clarity of thought.

1417
00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:44,280
They are intellectual laziness (I

1418
00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,160
can’t be bothered to understand or

1419
00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:46,640
research this,

1420
00:43:46,640 --> 00:43:47,760
so I will accept anything),

1421
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:51,920
willful ignorance (I reject and deny

1422
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:53,240
that there is something further to

1423
00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:53,640
understand),

1424
00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:56,800
and adherence to sacred cows (that

1425
00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,520
topic or stance is simply irrefutable

1426
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:00,040
truth;

1427
00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:01,640
I refuse to question it).

1428
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:05,640
•It’s easy to tell someone who is

1429
00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:07,800
intellectually honest versus dishonest.

1430
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:10,440
It’s all about how arguments contrary

1431
00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:11,880
to their view are processed.

1432
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,920
The intellectually honest focus on

1433
00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:16,640
understanding and following the

1434
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:17,600
evidence where it leads.

1435
00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:20,680
The intellectually dishonest focus on a

1436
00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:22,320
narrative that they want to preserve,

1437
00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,600
and become defensive and sometimes

1438
00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:25,480
outright hostile.

1439
00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:28,480
The intellectually honest are able to

1440
00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:30,360
answer questions directly and without

1441
00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:31,120
justification;

1442
00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,960
the intellectually dishonest must

1443
00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:35,040
provide explanations,

1444
00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:35,760
roundabouts,

1445
00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:36,680
and deflections.

1446
00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:37,000
Usually,

1447
00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,600
it’s clear that there is something

1448
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:41,560
being substituted for evidence that

1449
00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:42,320
shouldn’t be.

1450
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:46,240
•Having an opinion is something we

1451
00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:46,880
all do,

1452
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:49,480
but we must recognize that we often do

1453
00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:51,400
it based on insufficient information

1454
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:52,560
and questionable evidence.

1455
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:54,280
An opinion is one thing,

1456
00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:56,440
while forming a well-founded and

1457
00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:58,360
defensible opinion is quite another.

1458
00:44:58,360 --> 00:44:58,680
The latter,

1459
00:44:58,680 --> 00:45:01,080
as Bertrand Russell writes,

1460
00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:03,920
requires that you be wary of opinions

1461
00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:05,240
which flatter your self-esteem.

1462
00:45:05,240 --> 00:45:08,480
Imagine different biases and

1463
00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:09,120
perspectives,

1464
00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:11,360
look outside your immediate social

1465
00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:11,560
circle,

1466
00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:14,360
and question why an opposing opinion

1467
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:16,360
might make you react emotionally.

1468
00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:19,440
It can be summed up with “Strong

1469
00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,720
opinions which are lightly held.”

1470
00:45:21,720 --> 00:45:26,240
This has been

1471
00:45:26,240 --> 00:45:28,160
The Art of Clear Thinking:

1472
00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:30,160
Mental Models for Better Reasoning,

1473
00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:31,040
Judgment,

1474
00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:31,840
Analysis,

1475
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:42,200
and Learning. Upgrade Your Intellectual Toolkit.  By Patrick King

1476
00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:48,880
Narrated by Russell Newton.