March 21, 2022

How ‘what you know’ can hurt you

car exterior mirror showing blind spot

Mark Twain said “It is not what we don’t know that gets us into trouble. It is what we think we know for sure.”

What we think we know for sure becomes a blind spot because we stop examining it, and we all have these blind spots. Many of them.

One way to help uncover your blind spots is to ask others their opinion, especially others who see the world a bit differently to you. That means they have valuable information for you, if only you are prepared to listen with the goal of understanding. To listen with curiosity rather than judgment.

Value and use the diversity of thinking that is around you rather than simply dismiss others as people who simply can’t or won’t understand that what you know is ‘right’ and what they know is ‘wrong’.

Ask “What are we each assuming that is different, so we get different answers?”

You may still disagree with them, but you do now have more insight. That will make you much more flexible in your ability to solve problems and then communicate those solutions to others.

My best wishes, Paul

Paul Matthews

CEO and Founder of People Alchemy

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