Everyone wants to be right all the time. We have so many preconceived notions running through our heads at all times, and we always think that we’re the ones standing on the right side of history. What if that train of thought was secretly pushing you to failure, or even death? Adam Grant argues this point in his book Think Again.
Adam hypothesizes that the main reason so many businesses, relationships, and experiments fail is because those in them tend to be locked in on one view. How many times have you been in a fight with your partner where you realize you may be wrong, but also realize it would be worse to back down from your original stance?
This is how businesses like Blockbuster and Blackberry slowly faded away while the likes of Apple and Microsoft flourished. Adam talks through some of the best (and worst) moments in business history when companies thought they were too big to fall. The same goes for political candidates, social movements, and almost any other type of human-to-human interaction. The one way you can be sure you’re coming out with the right conclusion? Think like a scientist!Â