Success? Tips for Knowing Nothing and Being Wise!

Death of Socrates

Socrates was deemed by the Oracle at Delphi to be the wisest man on earth! He claimed no knowledge nor that he knew anything. He only sported a methodology for understanding the shifting internal and external worlds by using reason and argument to ferret out truth.  That wisdom still applies to our decisions in life, education, business, or investing.

People who enter into a situation with pre-existing beliefs end up biasing the information they see and understand. Their very perception filters what is noticeable to them and what is not. Preconceived notions make them blind to all of the truths and alternative views.

The problem is that when we have already made a conclusion about a topic we begin to mentally filter out competing information. We see this occur when people argue a topic but fail to acknowledge any good alternative points.

To be wise means to listen first, make a conclusion second, and speak third. We must understand the nature of the topic and explore possibilities before we come to a final conclusion. Being open-minded and actively listening provides us the opportunity to understand ideas before they are solidified into a conclusion.

Tips for Knowing Nothing:

1.) Don't go in with any assumptions or conclusions.
2.) Listen intently.
3.) Ask questions.
4.) Understand all sides of an argument.
5.) Let information and data support your conclusions.
6.) Be open to the possibility that your wrong.