Page 189 - Ray Dalio - Principles

that is inconsistent with what they have already concluded. When I ask
why, a common answer is: “I want to make up my own mind.” These
people seem to think that considering opposing views will somehow
threaten their ability to decide what they want to do. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Taking in others’ perspectives in order to consider
them in no way reduces your freedom to think independently and make
your own decisions. It will just broaden your perspective as you make
them.

c. Don’t worry about looking good; worry about achieving your goal.
People typically try to prove that they have the answer even when they
don’t. Why do they behave in this unproductive way? It’s generally
because they believe the senseless but common view that great people
have all the answers and don’t have any weaknesses. Not only does this
view not square with reality, it stands in the way of their progress.
People interested in making the best possible decisions are rarely
confident that they have the best answers. They recognize that they have
weaknesses and blind spots, and they always seek to learn more so that
they can get around them.

d. Realize that you can’t put out without taking in. Most people seem much more
eager to put out (convey their thinking and be productive) than to take in
(learn). That’s a mistake even if one’s primary goal is to put out, because
what one puts out won’t be good unless one takes in as well.

e. Recognize that to gain the perspective that comes from seeing things through another’s
eyes, you must suspend judgment for a time—only by empathizing can you properly
evaluate another point of view. Open-mindedness doesn’t mean going along
with what you don’t believe in; it means considering the reasoning of
others instead of stubbornly and illogically holding on to your own point
of view. To be radically open-minded, you need to be so open to the
possibility that you could be wrong that you encourage others to tell you
so.

f. Remember that you’re looking for the best answer, not simply the best answer that you
can come up with yourself. The answer doesn’t have to be in your head; you
can look outside yourself. If you’re truly looking at things objectively,
you must recognize that the probability of you always having the best
answer is small and that, even if you have it, you can’t be confident that
you do before others test you. So it is invaluable to know what you don’t
know. Ask yourself: Am I seeing this just through my own eyes? If so,
then you should know that you’re terribly handicapped.

g. Be clear on whether you are arguing or seeking to understand, and think about which is
most appropriate based on your and others’ believability. If both parties are peers,
it’s appropriate to argue. But if one person is clearly more
knowledgeable than the other, it is preferable for the less knowledgeable
person to approach the more knowledgeable one as a student and for the