Think Again Quotes

“pride in false knowledge fuels conviction,”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Psychologists find that people will ignore or even deny the existence of a problem if they’re not fond of the solution.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“For those on the fence, when forced to choose a side, the emotional, political, and economic pressures tilt in favor of disengaging or dismissing the problem.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Presenting two extremes isn’t the solution; it’s part of the polarization problem.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“The power of listening doesn’t lie just in giving people the space to reflect on their views. It’s a display of respect and an expression of care. When Arnaud took the time to understand Marie-Hélène’s concerns instead of dismissing them, he was showing a sincere interest in her well-being and that of her son.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“We’re all vulnerable to the “righting reflex,” as Miller and Rollnick describe it—the desire to fix problems and offer answers. A skilled motivational interviewer resists the righting reflex—although people want a doctor to fix their broken bones, when it comes to the problems in their heads, they often want sympathy rather than solutions.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“The objective is not to be a leader or a follower, but a guide. Miller and Rollnick liken it to hiring a tour guide in a foreign country: we don’t want her to order us around, but we don’t want her to follow us around, either.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“A few weeks later, Jeff stood up at an executive off-site to deliver his first-ever vision speech. When I heard about it, I was beaming with pride: I had conquered my inner logic bully and led him to find his own motivation.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“When people ignore advice, it isn’t always because they disagree with it. Sometimes they’re resisting the sense of pressure and the feeling that someone else is controlling their decision.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Motivational interviewing has been the subject of more than a thousand controlled trials; a bibliography that simply lists them runs sixty-seven pages. It’s been used effectively by health professionals to help people stop smoking, abusing drugs and alcohol, gambling, and having unsafe sex, as well as to improve their diets and exercise habits, overcome eating disorders, and lose weight.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Before Marie-Hélène left the hospital, she had Tobie vaccinated. A key turning point, she recalls, was when Arnaud “told me that whether I chose to vaccinate or not, he respected my decision as someone who wanted the best for my kids. Just that sentence—to me, it was worth all the gold in the world.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“As a general rule, it’s those with greater power who need to do more of the rethinking, both because they’re more likely to privilege their own perspectives and because their perspectives are more likely to go unquestioned.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“For over half a century, social scientists have tested the effects of intergroup contact. In a meta-analysis of over five hundred studies with over 250,000 participants, interacting with members of another group reduced prejudice in 94 percent of the cases.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Psychologists find that many of our beliefs are cultural truisms: widely shared, but rarely questioned. If we take a closer look at them, we often discover that they rest on shaky foundations. Stereotypes don’t have the structural integrity of a carefully built ship.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Our identities are open systems, and so are our lives. We don’t have to stay tethered to old images of where we want to go or who we want to be. The simplest way to start rethinking our options is to question what we do daily.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“As we work toward systemic change, Daryl urges us not to overlook the power of conversation. When we choose not to engage with people because of their stereotypes or prejudice, we give up on opening their minds.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“This success isn’t unique to her: there’s evidence that people are more interested in hiring candidates who acknowledge legitimate weaknesses as opposed to bragging or humblebragging.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“In a heated argument, you can always stop and ask, “What evidence would change your mind?” If the answer is “nothing,” then there’s no point in continuing the debate. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“When someone becomes hostile, if you respond by viewing the argument as a war, you can either attack or retreat. If instead you treat it as a dance, you have another option—you can sidestep.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“We don’t have to convince them that we’re right—we just need to open their minds to the possibility that they might be wrong. Their natural curiosity might do the rest.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Convincing other people to think again isn’t just about making a good argument—it’s about establishing that we have the right motives in doing so.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“The harder I attacked, though, the harder my opponents fought back. I was laser-focused on convincing them to accept my views and rethink theirs, but I was coming across like a preacher and a prosecutor. Although those mindsets sometimes motivated me to persist in making my points, I often ended up alienating my audience. I was not winning.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“It’s common for people who lack power or status to shift into politician mode, suppressing their dissenting views in favor of conforming to the HIPPO—the HIghest Paid Person’s Opinion. Sometimes they have no other choice if they want to survive.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“club. The first rule: avoiding an argument is bad manners. Silence disrespects the value of your views and our ability to have a civil disagreement.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Research reveals that when their firms perform poorly, CEOs who indulge flattery and conformity become overconfident. They stick to their existing strategic plans instead of changing course—which sets them on a collision course with failure.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“We’re more likely to have a good fight if we argue about how.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Disagreeable people don’t just challenge us to think again. They also make agreeable people comfortable arguing, too. Instead of fleeing from friction, our grumpy colleagues engage it directly. By making it clear that they can handle a tussle, they create a norm for the rest of us to follow.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“suppressing their dissenting views in favor of conforming to the HIPPO—the HIghest Paid Person’s Opinion. Sometimes they have no other choice if they want to survive.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Psychologists find that admitting we were wrong doesn’t make us look less competent. It’s a display of honesty and a willingness to learn.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

“Attachment. That’s what keeps us from recognizing when our opinions are off the mark and rethinking them. To unlock the joy of being wrong, we need to detach. I’ve learned that two kinds of detachment are especially useful: detaching your present from your past and detaching your opinions from your identity.”
― Adam M. Grant, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know