Think Again

At the heart of individual rethinking lies an uncomfortable truth: we love our own ideas more than we love truth itself. Our minds have defense mechanisms—habitual identities, confirmation biases, and emotional attachments—that make us resistant to change. In *Think Again*, I explore these tendencies and introduce four distinct mental characters that shape our reasoning: the preacher, the prosecutor, the politician, and the scientist.

The preacher mindset emerges when we feel our beliefs are sacred. We defend them zealously and seek converts rather than challengers. The prosecutor mindset appears when we debate—we marshal evidence not to uncover truth but to win arguments. Then comes the politician, who tailors opinions to gain approval and maintain alliances. Each mindset serves a social function, but together they trap us in intellectual overconfidence. The missing character—the scientist—represents the attitude of humility and inquiry. The scientist doesn’t preach, prosecute, or campaign; they hypothesize, test, and update. They see being wrong not as defeat but as discovery.

In our everyday thinking, we oscillate between these roles. What I advocate is bringing the scientist forward more often. This isn’t merely about fact-checking; it’s about cultivating intellectual humility—the recognition that what we believe may be provisional. It’s a stance that allows experience, evidence, and dialogue to reshape our views.

One vivid example comes from Daryl Davis, a Black musician who befriended members of the Ku Klux Klan. Through genuine curiosity rather than confrontation, Davis inspired over two hundred men to relinquish their robes. His approach was scientific in spirit: open, patient, evidence-driven through lived dialogue. He didn’t preach tolerance or prosecute racism; he tested understanding through empathy. This is what rethinking looks like at its most humane.

To adopt this mindset, you must learn to separate your beliefs from your identity. I express this contrast as a question: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to get it right?” Intellectual humility doesn’t mean self-doubt—it means self-awareness. It means realizing that opinions are temporary hypotheses awaiting new data.

People often worry that too much rethinking leads to indecision. Yet the opposite is true. When you detach conviction from ego, you gain flexibility without losing direction. You become more confident because your confidence now rests on the ability to change your mind wisely. Learning to think like a scientist empowers you to upgrade beliefs rather than defend them—a process of evolution that continuously refines your accuracy and resilience.

If individual rethinking begins with humility, it flourishes through the joy of being wrong. The phrase may sound paradoxical, but being wrong is one of the most liberating experiences we can have. In my research, I’ve seen that those who take pleasure in discovering their mistakes tend to learn faster, innovate more effectively, and build stronger relationships. Why? Because they see error not as a personal flaw but as a source of information.

Most of us are taught to associate mistakes with shame. But mistakes are evidence of exploration. They are proof that you tried something unfamiliar, which is the only path to growth. I share the story of Mike Lazaridis, founder of BlackBerry, who initially dismissed the smartphone revolution. His attachment to existing ideas blinded him to change. By contrast, scientists and entrepreneurs who celebrate intellectual humility—people like Jeff Bezos and Kathryn Schulz—recognize that being wrong simply means that reality has taught you something new.

The emotional shift from fear to curiosity is transformative. When being wrong no longer threatens your identity, you become free to engage with dissent, to ask questions without defensiveness, and to pursue truth for its own sake. In classrooms, I’ve seen how students who are praised for revising answers, not just for getting them right the first time, develop greater resilience and creativity.

An essential part of this practice is what psychologists call counterfactual thinking—imagining alternative scenarios. Instead of clinging to hindsight or regret, counterfactual thinkers explore what could have been and why. This helps them recalibrate their decisions rather than justify them. Failure, in this framework, becomes data—a signal for refinement, not self-punishment.

Being wrong also deepens relationships. When you can admit error to others, you earn trust. Vulnerability invites cooperation because it signals authenticity. I often point out that leaders who publicize their learning mistakes cultivate more adaptive teams; their honesty makes it safe for others to rethink, too.

So yes, there is genuine joy in being wrong. It’s the joy of discovery—of rejoining the truth without ego. It’s the joy of growth—of knowing that the next version of your thinking will be sharper, kinder, and more accurate. And it’s the joy of knowing that in every correction lies a new opening toward wisdom.