This book explores the value of rethinking.
This book deals with mental flexibility, the kind that saved Fire Chief Wagner Dodge's life.
The book also addresses where Dodge failed: how to spark flexibility and agility in thinking in people other than yourself.

--- p.22, from "Prologue"

My goal in this book is to explore how rethinking happens.
I've uncovered the most compelling evidence and identified some of the world's most skilled rethinkers.
Readers will now know:
Why a forward-thinking entrepreneur once fell into a trap, why a longtime candidate for public office came to see imposter syndrome as a strength rather than a weakness, why a Nobel Prize-winning scientist didn't grieve when he was wrong, but rather celebrated, how the world's best forecasters update their views, and how an Oscar-winning filmmaker wages productive battles.
--- p.26~27, from “Prologue”

Most people take pride in their knowledge and expertise and take pride in sticking to their beliefs and opinions.
In a stable world where people are rewarded for being confident in their own ideas, this approach makes sense.
But the problem is that the world we live in is changing so fast that it makes our eyes spin.
In a world like this, we have to spend as much time rethinking as we do thinking.
--- p.34, from “Chapter 1: The Evangelist, Prosecutor, Politician, and Scientist in Our Hearts”

The highest mortality rate in hospitals is in June, when new residents begin to take up their positions and begin providing treatment.
The reason may lie right here.
It is not the lack of ability of new doctors that is dangerous, but their mindset (way of thinking) that overestimates their own abilities.
The cycle of rethinking can be broken when moving from beginner to amateur.
As people gain experience, they lose their humility.
--- p.78, from “Chapter 2 The Armchair Quarterback and the Masked Conman”

Later, at lunch with Kahneman, I asked him about his reaction.
Because the way he kept blinking his eyes with an expression of great amusement seemed to me like 'the joy of realizing that you are wrong.'
He said that although no one had ever said that to him in his 85 years of life, he was truly glad to know that he was wrong.
Because it meant he was now less wrong than before, that he had learned something new that he didn't know before.
--- p.105, from “Chapter 3 The Joy of Being Wrong”

One study found that simply framing a dispute as a discussion rather than a disagreement signals to the other party that they have considered the disagreeable viewpoint and may change their mind, thereby motivating them to provide more information.
Disagreements are personal and potentially even hostile.
When we have any discussion, we expect to argue about concepts or ideas, not emotions.
--- p.154, from “Chapter 4: A Wonderful Fight Club”

One difference between laypeople and experts becomes apparent even before they sit down at the negotiating table.
Before the negotiation began, the researchers asked both groups what their negotiation plans were.
At this time, the average negotiator did not look into or take care of the expected agreement separately, but only focused on preparing for battle.
However, professional negotiators have already established the types and order of steps they can take with their counterparts.
In other words, one-third of the entire negotiation plan was devoted to finding something that could be agreed upon with the other party.
--- p.172, from “Chapter 5 Dancing with the Enemy”

Sometimes, letting go of stereotypes means realizing that many members of the group you hate aren't actually the ones you want to hate at all.
And this realization happens even better when you meet the members in person.
Social scientists have been testing the effects of contact between groups for over 50 years.
A meta-analysis of over 500 studies involving a total of 250,000 participants found that in 94 percent of cases, interacting in any way with people from other groups reduced their prejudice.
--- p.228, from “Chapter 6: Bad Blood on Diamonds”

Empathizing with the other person, not prioritizing personal judgment, and listening to what the other person has to say frees the other person from anxiety and defensiveness.
In these instances, the other person felt less pressured to avoid conflict with the person in front of them, and this allowed them to delve deeper into their own attitudes and views, recognizing subtle differences.

--- p.257, from “Chapter 7 The Vaccine Whisperer and the Gentle Interrogator”

What helps us is not to change our perspective to the other person's, but to find out what their perspective is.
That means you have to actually talk to that person and find out the subtle differences in their opinions.
This is exactly what great scientists do.
Rather than drawing vague conclusions about others based on minimal clues, scientists test their hypotheses through conversation.
--- p.290, from “Chapter 8: A Heated Conversation”

I believe that good teachers lead to new ideas, but great teachers lead to new ways of thinking.
While a student gathering knowledge from a certain teacher may help that student solve the day's homework, understanding a certain teacher's way of thinking can help that student navigate life's challenges.
--- p.327, from “Chapter 9 Rewriting Textbooks”

How do you know that? This is a question we often ask ourselves.
To yourself and to others.
The power of this question lies in the honesty it demands.
This question is intended to avoid personal judgment.
It is an honest expression of doubt and curiosity that does not put people on the defensive.

--- p.339, from “Chapter 10: That’s Not the Way We’ve Always Done It”

Ultimately, we fall into the trap of the overconfidence cycle, taking pride in our pursuit of a professional identity and surrounding ourselves only with people who support and validate our convictions.
But by the time you realize that this was the wrong choice, it's already too late to think again.
At that point, it seems like you'd have to give up too much - salary, status, expertise, time - to find a new path.
Let me be clear, I think it's better to lose what you've achieved in the past two years than to waste the next twenty.

--- p.374, from “Chapter 11: Escaping Tunnel Vision”