Hey there,
So when you talk to someone whose thinking is so faulty it could hardly be called thinking, you just nod, excuse yourself, and find another conversation.

But once you reach this point, you realize, people have been doing the same thing to you.

This is a paradox of intelligence: Smart people are too smart to tell you you’re dumb. They know they can’t change your mind, and they’re smart enough to save their energy.

You might think that’s not fair. They should tell you if they disagree. But they’ll only do that if you signal to them it’s worth the effort.

You could prescribe how to send that signal, with phrases such as “if I remember correctly,” “I might be wrong,” or, “I’m 80% certain...”, but those will come naturally, so long you’re smart enough to assume you’re wrong, and that others might have something to teach you.

Aphorism: “Little emotions are the great captains of our lives, and we obey them without knowing it.” —Vincent van Gogh

Book: The Hedgehog and the Fox is Isaiah Berlin's famous essay, actually about Tolstoy's worldview.

Best,
David
P.S. Thank you to Saira Mueller at Wired, for interviewing me on how to break bad habits.

P.P.S. Thank you to David Decelle for having me on the Model FA podcast.