Think Again: Adam Grant, the bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.
Core Idea:
We often overestimate what we know and underestimate what we don’t.
To be successful and happy, we need to embrace rethinking: questioning our assumptions, being open to new ideas, and changing our minds when necessary.
Key Summary Points:
Embrace doubt and the unknown: We tend to think we’re right, even when we’re not.
Example: Imagine you’re a scientist who believes they’ve discovered a cure for cancer. You might be hesitant to consider any evidence that contradicts your findings, even if it could save lives.
Challenge your blind spots: Our biases and preconceived notions can limit our perspective.
Example: A hiring manager might subconsciously favor candidates who went to the same school as them, even if there are equally qualified candidates from other schools.
Rethink success: Success isn’t just about winning or being right. It’s also about learning, growing, and making a positive impact.
Example: A company that focuses on short-term profits might be more successful in the immediate term, but a company that invests in research and development is more likely to be successful in the long run.
Become a better persuader: To influence others, ask good questions, listen actively, and acknowledge their concerns.
Example: A teacher who wants to motivate their students to learn might be more successful if they ask them what they’re interested in and tailor their lessons accordingly, rather than simply lecturing them.
Foster a “rethink” culture: Create environments where questioning and rethinking are encouraged.
Example: A company that holds regular brainstorming sessions and encourages employees to share their ideas is more likely to be innovative and successful than a company that stifles creativity.
“Think Again” is a call to action for individuals and organizations to embrace a more flexible and open-minded approach to thinking. By learning to rethink, we can make better decisions, solve problems more effectively, and live more fulfilling lives.
You can buy the book here.
Praise for Think Again:
“Adam Grant’s latest book pushes us to reconsider, rethink, reevaluate and reimagine our beliefs, thoughts, and identities and get to the core of why we believe what we do, why it is so important to us, and why we are steadfast to hold on to those ideas and beliefs. . . . It teaches us to stop digging our heels and doubling down and consider other people’s points of view so that we may grow our own. Once again, Adam Grant succeeded in turning our very way of thinking upside down as he pushes us to examine the obvious.”
—Forbes
“This book blends psychology and self-help to prove how doubt, failing, and rethinking are instrumental to improving ourselves and our world. . . . In three sections, he outlines why we struggle to embrace feedback, how we can help others rethink effectively, and how our communities can shift to encourage rethinking.”
—Business Insider
“Grant is a born communicator—engaging and impossibly articulate. . . . Think Again . . . digs into the synaptic weirdness of why we think how we do and how we know what (we think) we know. The bottom line: In a world that’s constantly changing, we could all benefit from deliberately reassessing our cherished opinions.”
—Goodreads user
“Adam Grant believes that keeping an open mind is a teachable skill. And no one could teach this hugely valuable skill better than he does in this wonderful read. The striking insights of this brilliant book are guaranteed to make you rethink your opinions and your most important decisions.”
—Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in economics and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow
“THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more – it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.”
—Brené Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead
“Adam Grant makes a captivating argument that if we have the humility and curiosity to reconsider our beliefs, we can always reinvent ourselves. Think Again helped me learn about how great thinkers and achievers don’t let expertise or experience stand in the way of being perpetual students.”
—M. Night Shyamalan, director of The Sixth Sense and Split