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Imposter syndrome tricks us into thinking we are a fraud and unworthy of accolades. It’s a conniving phenomenon that is a shared human experience. But while it can be uncomfortable, imposter syndrome has useful qualities, such as encouraging us to work harder, try new things, and learn more. We can harness these benefits when we embrace imposter syndrome instead of shying away from it.
People often assume that guilt and shame are “bad” or even synonymous with each other, but that is incorrect. There is a clear distinction between these two emotions: one of them is constructive and the other one is destructive. Let’s break down both of these emotions to better distinguish between them in our minds.
While there is truth to the phrase, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," it's incomplete. Ultimately, it comes down to what you know, who you know, and how well you communicate it.
Inversion is a powerful concept that changes our perspective. From a different vantage point, we see things in a new light. Obstacles are removed from our path. It often doesn’t suffice to only think about complex problems in one way; instead, they require us to think about them both forwards …
While a large circle of competence might indicate intelligence, knowing exactly where the boundary of the circle is exemplifies wisdom. As such, knowing the locations of the boundary of the circle trumps the size of the circle. That doesn’t mean we cannot grow our circle. But we should stay within our circle of competence to improve our chances of making good decisions.
Do things or events make up our lives? Carlo Rovelli distinguishes the difference between the two in one of his books. The implications of each can have a profound impact on the quality of our lives and the relationships within them.
Hanlon's Razor reminds us that we do not know what the intent of others is; we assume it. When we assume others are acting with malice, the dynamic between us is defensive and strained. We struggle to trust. This is the opposite of Hanlon’s Razor. If we practice Hanlon’s Razor, it can help us see the world in a better light and can improve our relationships.
We can often see much of the world as mutually exclusive: either something is one way or it isn’t. But we do this despite knowing full well that the world is not black and white. There are infinite shades of gray called nuance. While it may be easier to see the world in binary terms, it can be detrimental. Thinking spectrally and probabilistically can help combat the effects of binary thinking, but just how wide reaching can illusions of mutually exclusivity be?
Fallacies affect how we communicate our thoughts and ideas with others. They are the use of faulty reasoning in the construction of arguments and can be used intentionally or unintentionally. The point of an argument is to persuade your audience into agreement with you, and if you can do this through the use of fallacies, then that is fair game. It should be noted, however, that using fallacious arguments opens you up to the potential of someone calling you out for your faulty reasoning. Tread carefully.
Biases affect how we interpret and process information. Everyone has them; we cannot fully eliminate biases in our lives. But we can mitigate their impacts on our lives.
