Next

Adam Grant’s central argument in Think Again is that loyalty to preconceived assumptions and opinions can be limiting and rethinking is a crucial life skill. Rethinking is especially necessary, Grant argues, in the highly polarized, post-pandemic world.

Read an important quote about the benefits of amending one’s preconceived notions and ideas. 

In the Prologue, Grant suggests that the ability to rethink can literally make the difference between life and death. As proof, he shares the story of firefighter Wagner Dodge in Mann Gulch, Montana, in 1949. Faced with an out-of-control fire, Dodge sets fire to the grass in front of him, and then lies down in the charred area. The original wildfire passes by, leaving Dodge unharmed, while most of the other firefighters lose their lives. Dodge survives because he overrode his learned responses in order to rethink and relearn. The same is true in less high-stakes environments. Test-takers who question their automatic responses to multiple choice questions, for example, usually improve their scores. However, Grant observes that most people hesitate to rethink. Although the pandemic forced many to rethink their lives, Grant notes that the modern world is increasingly divided, and people resist reconsidering their positions on most issues. He illustrates how to foster open-mindedness in oneself, in others, and in communities through the skill of rethinking.

Read an important quote about the importance of being open-minded.

Next section Part 1: Chapters 1-4

Take a Study Break