Wrong Positions, Strongly Held
It is often said that many of the best thinkers/doers/leaders in history have one thing in common: they have strong positions, that are weakly held. That is, they feel strongly about the “right” way to do things, yet they’re malleable to change this stance on what they feel is “right,” if persuaded otherwise.
It’s a weird yet powerful trait. You need to be able to convince everyone you’re talking to that you believe 100 percent in what you’re saying at any given moment — while also having a history of changing the stance you’re so forcefully stating.
In other words, you have to be willing to admit, even if only implicitly, that you’re often wrong.
It’s a great trait, no question. And it’s one that few people can pull off. Most people seem to be on the polar ends of it: they hold weak positions loosely, or they hold strong positions firmly. So, they can’t make up their minds or they never change their minds. Hard to know which is worse. Many would say the former, but it sort of depends on the situation.
But there’s actually a type of person who is far worse than either of these. Someone who has the wrong position, strongly held.
You undoubtedly know someone like this. They’re the person who always very matter-of-factly states something, when they’re often talking out of their ass. They have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about, but because they’re saying it so forcefully, people believe them.
Blame human nature. Almost all of us are ingrained with a level of trust so that when someone says something in a manner which it seems like they must know what they’re talking about, we naturally believe they in fact know what they’re talking about. We trust them — even if we don’t know them. Because who would spout bullshit as fact?
Well, a lot of people, actually. But again, most of the time people tend to do this in a meek manner. Equivocations are plentiful. Bullshit sensors immediately go berserk.
But the ‘wrong position, strongly held’ folks often evade these detectors. At least for a time. Often until it’s too late. Which is why this is so dangerous.
I would advise you the obvious: to avoid these people. But it’s so hard to know who they are — at least at first. It’s easier to trust no one. But again, human nature will get in the way here. So I guess the only thing to do is to always do your homework on something someone tells you. Hold their position, but hold it weakly.
