Question Popular Thinking

Question Popular Thinking

1. WHY YOU SHOULD QUESTION THE ACCEPTANCE OF POPULAR THINKING

   • 1. Popular Thinking Sometimes Means Not Thinking
     • “The problem with popular thinking is that it doesn’t require you to think at all.” Good thinking is hard work. If it were easy, everybody would be a good thinker. Unfortunately, many people try to live life the easy way. They don’t want to do the hard work of thinking or pay the price of success. I
   • 2. Popular Thinking Offers False hope
     • Many people look for safety and security in popular thinking. They figure that if a lot of people are doing something, then it must be right. It must be a good idea. If most people accept it, then it probably represents fairness, equality, compassion, and sensitivity, right? Not necessarily.
   • 3. Popular Thinking Is Slow to Embrace Change
     • Popular thinking loves the status quo. It puts its confidence in the idea of the moment, and holds on to it with all its might. As a result, it resists change and dampens innovation.
   • 4. Popular Thinking Brings Only Average Results
     • It’s the least of the best and the best of the least. We limit our success when we adopt popular thinking. It represents putting in the least energy to just get by. You must reject common thinking if you want to accomplish uncommon results.

2. HOW TO QUESTION THE ACCEPTANCE OF POPULAR THINKING

   • 1. Think Before You Follow
     • Many individuals follow others almost automatically. Sometimes they do so because they desire to take the path of least resistance. Other times they fear rejection. Or they believe there’s wisdom in doing what everyone else does.
   • 2. Appreciate Thinking Different from Your Own
     • One of the ways to embrace innovation and change is to learn to appreciate how others think. To do that, you must continually expose yourself to people different from yourself.
   • 3. Continually Question Your Own Thinking
     • Let’s face it, any time we find a way of thinking that works, one of our greatest temptations is to go back to it repeatedly, even if it no longer works wel
   • 4. Try New Things in New Ways
     • When was the last time you did something for the first time? Do you avoid taking risks or trying new things? One of the best ways to get out of the rut of your own thinking is to innovate. You can do that in little, everyday ways: drive to work a different way from normal.
   • 5. Get Used to Being Uncomfortable
     • When it comes right down to it, popular thinking is comfortable. It’s like an old recliner adjusted to all the owner’s idiosyncrasies. The problem with most old recliners is that no one has looked at them lately. If so, they’d agree that it’s time to get a new one!