How Not to Think podcast

Thanks to Howard Rankin for inviting me on his How Not to Think podcast. Howard shares my passion for challenging conventional thinking, which led to a thoughtful and penetrating conversation. Here are a few excerpts:

“It’s very easy for us to become so focused on short-term gains that we forget about long-term goals. There are so many bad thinking patterns, and one of the most fundamental is that we have to choose between being good and being successful.”

“We never know the truth. Ultimately, life is a game of probabilities. How do I gauge the risk versus the payoff? What’s the benefit of playing the odds even when they’re in my favor?”

“When you have raw data without context, you can prove whatever you want. Wisdom teaches that truth always lies a level below wherever we are. We must always be willing to reexamine and reconsider.”

“Everybody admits that ethics is important. The question is: what do we do about it?”

“It’s not always difficult to demonstrate that the things we take for granted are wrong; it just takes that creativity and that willingness to look at things in a different way.”

“If we don’t value our relationships, if we don’t treat people with respect, if we aren’t committed to truth, if we don’t look for substance and depth in our interactions with human beings… well, look how cut off we are right now. On the other hand, the internet -- which is responsible for so much of our superficiality is now the medium through which people can connect. Everyone’ complaining that we’re stuck in our houses; can you imagine if this had happened thirty years ago?”

“Making a positive difference in the world takes work and energy and skill and discipline and a certain amount of luck. It’s a lot easier to have a destructive influence. With one match you can make a big difference. Some people would rather take the easy path by flipping over the game board rather than trying to win the game.”

Click here to listen to the podcast