Thinking inefficiently is a trait of loserthink. You can engage in loserthink even if you are intelligent and well-informed. The book outlines the numerous ways that loserthink can appear and produce less-than-ideal results.
How to stop being embarrassed
Regularly put yourself in situations that could be embarrassing for practice. Watch how you are still alive a year from now if you are embarrassed as you had intended. You may even have a funny story to tell as a result of it.
Keep in mind that when you are an observer, other people’s embarrassments have little meaning for you. Your embarrassments mean nothing to them, that is how little.
The world is perpetually in disarray
You can easily begin to believe that the world is collapsing in a number of fatal ways when you combine a human brain that is wired to notice problems with a press that is motivated to present stories involving huge problems. And that worldview might make it harder for you to appreciate all the good things in life.
How to assess the quality of your plan
You are not participating in a rational conversation if you have a strong opinion about a proposed plan but have not compared it to the next best alternative.
Even if you believe you have a fantastic plan, you must compare it to the next best alternative. You must also consider the disadvantages and costs in comparison to other plans.
How to Pick Projects
It’s important to find ways to explore new topics and interests in order to learn and develop. When you do this, organize your strategy so that you’ll succeed in all important respects.
That means pursuing projects that will teach you useful skills, help you make valuable contacts, or help you see the world in a new light.
To manipulate people’s minds, the press uses its raw power
Political warming is the inevitable result of the press having a business model that rewards brainwashing over accuracy.
One should expect the public to be in a constant state of flight-or-fight anxiety as the press becomes more adept at activating the emotional centers in our brains.
A perpetual state of anxiety
At least since World War II, we’re more terrified and incensed than ever. And that means there will be more intense storms in the form of demonstrations and division.
Be aware of how the press’s incentives impact the news and information they publish.
Our ego believes that we are always correct.
Making errors occasionally is not a problem. Your inability to even consider that you might be mistaken is the problem. How could you—you’re so knowledgeable, considerate, experienced—and naive!
It’s worth considering the possibility of being incorrect before placing such a high value on your opinion.
Incentives influence outcomes
It is illogical to assume that you will see objective research and results when factors like money, reputation, power, ego, and complexity enter any field.
Given that these dynamics exist, it’s critical to consider how they affect the way the subject is investigated, debated, and managed.
A productive system for judging others
People are judged based on how they respond to their mistakes. A good response includes accepting responsibility for the error, making an honest apology, making amends (if possible), and not repeating the error.
Mental Prisons
Mental prisons are manifestations of loserthink (unproductive thinking), which restrict your capacity for clear-sightedness. You won’t be able to make intelligent decisions if you can’t see the world clearly.
Bad at pattern recognition
We believe that pattern recognition is a useful tool for understanding the world and other people. The problem is that humans are bad at pattern recognition. Although we believe we are adept at it, in actuality we are unable to distinguish between a pattern that foretells an outcome and a pattern that is merely a recollection and has no significance.
Systems Vs Goals
It makes sense to prioritize systems over goals whenever possible in your personal, professional, and political beliefs. A system can reveal numerous winning paths, some of which you never could have imagined, as opposed to a goal, which only offers you one way to succeed.
You’ve got no idea what people are thinking.
If your complaint about another person involves your conviction that you can infer what they are internally thinking, you might be in a mental prison. We humans think we are good judges of what others are thinking. No, we’re not. We are actually awful at it. But because we’re all human, we typically think we’re good at it while also thinking everyone else isn’t.
Being Wrong and Being Right
Being completely accurate and being utterly incorrect experience the same emotions.
We all go about believing that our opinions of life, people, and the state of the world are well-informed and accurate. This is a deluded viewpoint. You and I are both walking around with incorrect ideas about the world.
Coincidences
Coincidences can occasionally provide useful information. But 90 percent of the time, they mislead you. Never put too much faith in a conclusion that is based solely on how you choose to interpret a coincidence.
Coincidences generally don’t reveal much about the world. However, we identify with them and frequently mistakenly give significance to unimportant events.
How to be less susceptible to biases
Always consider whether the converse of your theory might be true. As you wait to learn the truth, doing so keeps you humble and less prone to bias.
Sincere consideration of the opposing viewpoint will help you avoid some biases and blind spots that could steer you in less advantageous directions.
Being Persuasive: Pacing
Pacing entails matching the person you hope to persuade by agreeing with as much of their position as you can without lying in order to build rapport and trust before confronting the disagreements.
To set the tone and establish yourself as a reasonable voice, always begin by discussing the points on which you agree. Once you have established that high-ground truth, you have set the table for persuasion.
