What You Don’t Know
By
Adam Grant
Reviewed by
Geoffrey W. Sutton
Think Again works.
Throughout the book, I found myself rethinking some of my assumptions and
learning new applications of familiar and new psychological findings. In many
ways, Adam Grant challenges us to rethink what we are doing at work, school,
and even in relationships. It’s a book that deserves a place in any syllabus
challenging students to think and rethink their assumptions and to develop
confident humility. But Think Again also belongs in discussion
groups in the workplace.
On a
technical note, Grant divides the book into four parts followed by an Epilogue,
and a more or less set of summary statements presented as Actions for Impact. The
chapters are introduced with a poignant story. As the theme of a chapter
unfolds, we encounter more stories and illustrations that help us appreciate
the author’s point. You’ll find it’s like taking a course from a master
lecturer with the added bonus that you can pause and think about the points. The
notes are extensive and the index, comprehensive. Including the end matter, it’s
only 307 pages but the conclusion ends on page 243.
A Brief
Summary
There’s a
lot to unpack in this book. I’ve focused on some of the salient points.
Part 1:
Individual Rethinking
We learn
about three roles we may take in arguing our opinions; however, Grant wants us
to think like scientists, which is a theme repeated throughout the text. When
we adopt the scientist role, we begin with doubt but have hypotheses. We
collect data from experiments, which enables us to discover usable knowledge.
Now about those other roles. As preachers we present our ideas as gospel and
argue against different views by calling them heresies. As politicians, we are
swayed by popular opinion instead of facts. As prosecutors, we are passionate
about destroying other ideas instead of discovering truth. Throughout part 1 we
learn to appreciate conflict as long as we are focused on information about how
to improve our work on the tasks at hand rather than defending against
interpersonal threats.
Part 2: Interpersonal
Rethinking
Here the
focus changes on how we can interact with others in a positive manner by
framing disagreements as debates and discovering ways to influence people who
resist new and effective ways to solve problems. People are not easily persuaded
by logical arguments with a long list of reasons why we should support a particular
opinion. Researchers find that the weaker reasons gain the focus of those who
want to reject the main idea. Thus, presenting a few strong reasons is often the
best approach.
Also, it
turns out that presenting two sides of an argument is not the best way to help
others rethink a strongly held position. What works? Sometimes, the best method
is to present several alternatives—that is, move from simplicity to complexity.
Catchy
quote: “What doesn’t sway us can make our beliefs stronger.”
Part 3:
Collective Rethinking
Grant
encourages us to think about out community and promote lifelong learning. We
learn how to promote rethinking at work by creating a psychologically safe
setting where conflicting opinions can be offered without fear of reprisal. We find
an example of a teacher who encourages children to rework their original projects
based on peer and expert feedback. And we are reminded of the importance of
rewriting drafts.
Part 4: Conclusion
Grant encourages
us to rethink our careers and plans rather than pursuing a vocation or life
choice that isn’t working out. The problem with persistence in a failed
enterprise is known as the “escalation of commitment.”
Comments
I began
this post by recommending the book for students and people in the workplace. I
can easily recommend it to retirees like myself. It’s rarely too late to rethink
a course of action by examining the data of our lives and making new plans. As
I write, the pandemic of 2019 as thwarted a number of plans. I’ve made plans
based on what I know at this time. Flexibility is built into offers of
wonderful adventures I can book. What strikes me is the importance of flexibility
when pursuing a course of action.
I strongly
affirm Adam’s theme of learning to think like a scientist. In graduate school,
we were to be scientists first before applying scientific knowledge to helping
people. The culmination of our work was to be an original experiment following
strict rules of protocol. As a clinician, I encouraged patients to think about
their beliefs, assumptions, and how they could rethink the troubling events in
their lives. After years as a clinician, I taught research and statistics to
undergraduate and graduate students. Many were fearful of statistics. Yet, many
developed a sense of pride when it came to presenting their end of semester
projects—they had learned how to discover knowledge rather than rely on mere
opinion.
It may be
an oversimplification of dealing with information by considering four roles (scientist,
preacher, prosecutor, and politician), but I see his point and find myself in
agreement. There is a nuance. In some settings, preaching and prosecuting may
make sense. We live in a time when scientific knowledge presented by scientists
is treated with cynicism rather than skepticism. My skepticism probably began
with my father who was highly critical of opinions other than his own. Philosophy
courses helped me develop more cogent arguments as I learned to identify
weaknesses in my own opinions. I value skepticism but not cynicism. It’s good
to analyze news reports, advertisements, educational theories, politician’s
promises, history books, and medical advice. However, rejection of expert views
in favor of opinions by those lacking expertise can lead to disasters in
relationships, health, and governance.
The Epilogue could use some rethinking. Perhaps a few questions could send us on our way.
Quotes and Highlights
"We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 4).
"This book is an invitation to let go of knowledge and opinions that are no longer serving you well, and to anchor your sense of self in flexibility rather than consistency." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 12).
"A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools—and some of the most cherished parts of your identity." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 12).
"Unfortunately, when it comes to our own knowledge and opinions, we often favor feeling right over being right." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 18).
"We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 18).
"We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people’s reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 18).
"We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents." Grant, Adam. Think Again (pp. 18-19).
"We move into scientist mode when we’re searching for the truth: we run experiments to test hypotheses and discover knowledge." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 20).
"Scientists morph into preachers when they present their pet theories as gospel and treat thoughtful critiques as sacrilege. They veer into politician terrain when they allow their views to be swayed by popularity rather than accuracy. They enter prosecutor mode when they’re hell-bent on debunking and discrediting rather than discovering." Grant, Adam. Think Again (p. 22).
About
the author
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton. He earned his PhD from the
University of Michigan.
About
the reviewer
Geoffrey W. Sutton is a
retired psychologist and professor of psychology who continues to write about
psychology. He earned his PhD from the University of Missouri.
Book
Reference
Grant, A. (2021).
Think again: the power of knowing what you don’t know. New York: Penguin Random
House.
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