There are those who throw the baby out with the bathwater. Then there are those that never use the bathwater at all. It’s not hard to see that the best approach is in between.
The Science of Getting Rich
Not long ago I finished the book The Science of Getting Rich. It was an interesting book full of great insights and encouragements. Although its main value is in encouraging people to have a more positive view of money and wealth, it also had some good insights and practical applications.
At the same time, some of the material was way off base. I mean way off base. If you’ve ever been to Wrigley Field in Chicago and you know where first base is in relation to the dugout, this was like that. But in Tampa. Way off base.
Ummm… Bathwater! Right.
There are some that would simply read the book and agree with everything. “If I’m going to learn, I’m going to learn it all, particularly the part where Noah freed the slaves and Ceasar chopped down the cherry tree.”
There are others that would say “Wow! This person isn’t 100% right all the time? How can I trust any of it?” and won’t read it at all. Both of these approaches are foolish.
I hate to break it to you, but every author you read is wrong sometimes. Every speaker you listen to is wrong sometimes. Every blogger you subscribe to is wrong sometimes. Except me. I’m brilliant. But the rest of them: totally wrong sometimes.
Critical Thinking
We need to be strong with critical thinking. We need to question everything. We need to not be sucked into a world where we are starstruck by someone who says the things that make us feel good. We need to use our critical thinking skills to evaluate the truth.
We also don’t need to run away from learning just because it may be imperfect. Yes, we don’t need to fill our heads with propaganda, but simple, well-intentioned ideas that while may be incorrect but may still have value we simply need to extract.
We neither need to avoid the bathwater nor throw everything out with it. We simply need to get better at thinking for ourselves. And that can flood our lives with all kinds of great ideas.
