The willingness to admit ignorance has made modern science more dynamic, supple and inquisitive than any previous tradition of knowledge. -Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
How do you feel about not knowing the answer to something?
How often do you think that you truly approach an issue with an inquisitive and open mind?
If you’re anything like me, the answer to that first question is uncomfortable but accepting. The answer to that second question is, honestly, almost never.
I’d love to be able to tell you that I’m incredibly open-minded. I’d love to tell you that I’m accepting of all views even those I disagree with, but all I can tell you is that I’m working on it. The truth is that, as I sit comfortably in my middle age, I have a lot of beliefs that are deeply ingrained in my way of thinking. Those beliefs are very comforting as they set order for my world. They are also incredibly limiting.
I will pause for a second to remind you, dear reader, that, when I talk about a belief, I’m talking about a thought that you have repeated in your head so many times that you believe it to be true.
What’s wrong with beliefs? Nothing, if they serve you. The problem with many of our beliefs is that we believe them so fervently that we are unable to see when they may no longer be helping us and, in fact, they might even be holding us back.
You may remember, for example, that humanity used to believe that the sun revolved around the earth. While to most of us this seems ridiculous today, scientists at the time were sentenced to death for even daring to challenge this long held truth.
What if something that you believe today is actually an example of the sun revolving around the earth? What if there was a belief that you could change that would take your life to a whole new level?
The only way you’ll ever know is to cultivate the “dynamic, supple and inquisitive mind” that Prof. Harari is talking about.
How do you do that?
I like to play a little game with myself. It’s called “what if I’m wrong about that?” I take a belief that I hold and I begin to question it. I imagine rolling it around in my mind like clay in a potter’s hands. I imagine it softening and, as it does, I try to convince myself that the opposite belief may in fact be true.
This activity has rarely led to actually believing that opposite thing, but the exercise challenges my brain to try to understand another viewpoint.
This can be incredibly powerful when you turn it on your belief about yourself. Every way in which you describe or define yourself is nothing more than a belief.
It can also be incredibly powerful when you turn it on a political or social belief that you hold that you use to categorize people in your life. So much of the division we are currently experiencing around us comes from an unwillingness to embrace that dynamic, supple, and inquisitive way of thinking when it comes to the things about which we feel passionate.
We instead put our energy into working against each other to prove we’re right and we miss the opportunity to think creatively and find a completely new and possibly equally appealing solution to the issue at hand.
My challenge to you this week is to try this little game for yourself. Like most games, I do not recommend starting with the expert level and picking a highly charged political issue unless you like a challenge and you’re truly willing to entertain the opinions and views of the other side. I recommend my clients start with more casual beliefs like people shouldn’t drive slowly in the left lane or you shouldn’t wear every metallic accessory you own when you know you need to go through airport security.
You can up the ante from there. If you’d like help with this, I’d love to work with you. You can start by signing up for one of my free offerings found below, or you can email me directly at hello@unicorndoctor.com.
Free Mini Course:
How To Feel Better On Your Next Shift
(geared toward emergency medicine professionals, but the lessons apply universally)
Free Printable Guide:
7 Steps For Getting Your Priorities Straight
(a straightforward process to help your calendar align with your priorities in life)
