Hold Strong Opinions Weakly

HOLD STRONG OPINIONS WEAKLY

The proverb says the trees that cannot bend in the wind will break. Abraham Lincoln asks us to plant our feet firmly in one place and stand there. We are asked to be firm and assertive. We are also asked to be open to change.

What are we supposed to do !

The answer may lie in a beautiful phrase “hold strong opinions weakly”.

What does this mean

Form Strong Opinions – This means you study in depth all the core areas related to your business and life. Understand the topics and speak to the relevant people. Then form your opinions. Eg. Your opinions may be on any subject. Some examples of thing I heard recently
1. Working remotely doesn’t work
2. Donald Trump was one of the best/worst presidents for USA
3. A little bit of sugar doesn’t hurt -we need the occasional dessert
4. I don’t believe in marriage
5. Social media advertising is very effective
6. Babies should be breast fed until 1 year of age

Now speak about your views passionately whenever the opportunity comes.

Hold Opinions Weakly – What this means is that while you did your home work you could be wrong sometimes. When you find that you are wrong vital to change and correct one’s opinion and assumptions. Why can this happen

1. Incomplete Information – You don’t know everything and may have missed some crucial piece of information before.
2. New Research – There is new knowledge emerging all the time . New facts change the old status
3. Personal Experience of another – Others may have undergone the opposite experience of what you may have done
4. Bias – We may have a bias making us believe something is true whereas the facts may be that

Critical we have a clear view and direction on the things we want to do.

Vital to pivot and change when we see facts showing us a better path or a different solution.

We learn new lessons and explore new horizons when we are flexible and open to new ideas.

Hold Strong Opinions Weakly.