What we’re reading: “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know”

If you think the world is spinning so rapidly you can’t keep up, you need to read Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant.

Grant, an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, encourages readers to be humble and curious, lifelong learners able to adapt to changing times.

“I can’t think of a more vital time for rethinking,” Grant writes. “As the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, many leaders around the world were slow to rethink their assumptions – first that the virus wouldn’t affect their countries, next that it would be no deadlier than the flu, and then that it could only be transmitted by people with visible symptoms. The cost in human life is still being tallied.

“In the past year we’ve all had to put our mental pliability to the test. We’ve been forced to question assumptions that we had long taken for granted: That it’s safe to go to the hospital, eat in a restaurant, and hug our parents or grandparents. That live sports will always be on TV and most of us will never have to work remotely or homeschool our kids. That we can get toilet paper or hand sanitizer whenever we need them.”

Of course, Grant believes, we don’t need to rethink everything. For Christians, God remains the ultimate source of wisdom.

Why Christians should read this book

Although biblical truth doesn’t change, everything else in our world does. Think Again will open your mind and help you adjust to new circumstances.

The big takeaway

With America so divided and people set in their ways, we need to consider different ideas while remaining firmly rooted in biblical principles.

In their own words

“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”

“Most of us take pride in our knowledge and expertise, and in staying true to our beliefs and opinions. That makes sense in a stable world, where we get rewarded for having conviction in our ideas. The problem is that we live in a rapidly changing world, where we need to spend as much time rethinking as we do thinking.”

“Embrace the joy of being wrong. When you find out you’ve made a mistake, take it as a sign that you’ve just discovered something new. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. It helps you focus less on proving yourself – and more on improving yourself.”

Read the first chapter