When we rethink something, we go back over the experiences and arguments that lead us to a particular conclusion and look for other possibilities.
We look for errors in our thinking, like jumping to conclusions or taking a statement as fact without any supporting evidence. We consider the sources of our knowledge and whether we still trust them. Rethinking almost always leads to more questions, which leads to exploration and learning.
Not everyone is comfortable with the process of rethinking. We like the idea that once we know something, we can be done thinking about it, but that’s not how our relationship with reality works. We don’t have direct access to Truth. We have to work hard to move ourselves toward it. We have to piece together all the evidence and double-check our minds because we’re really good at deceiving ourselves.
It’s tricky business, but it’s the kind of work that results in a strong personal universe. It’s what I mean when I talk about challenging your personal universe: I want to get you to rethink something.
Rethinking can be exciting, but you have to be willing to accept that you might be wrong about something.
