logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
4m 3s

How To Be Proven Wrong

Daily Stoic | Wondery
About this episode

Imagine writing a book that sells millions of copies over the course of nearly a decade, and then, out of nowhere, another author comes along and challenges it. What would you do? 

In Malcolm Gladwell’s massive bestseller Outliers: The Story of Success, he posits that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is required to master any skill. Implicit in Gladwell’s argument is that success is the manifestation of specialization. If you want to be among the best at something, you have to focus solely on that singular skill. 

David Epstein first disputed the 10,000-hour rule in his book The Sports Gene. He was then invited to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference to debate Gladwell on this topic of specialization. Neither they or their critics would have predicted the friendship that came out of the debate. But their discussions spawned the ideas that became Epstein’s second book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World—which doesn’t just challenge the 10,000-hour rule, it may well debunk it. How did Gladwell take it? As Epstein explained in our interview with him for DailyStoic.com:

He could have viewed our ideas as in zero-sum competition. But he didn’t. He viewed it as an opportunity to engage in more discussion—often politely antagonistic but very productive discussion—and consequently we learned from one another. [This] set in motion what became not only a really productive intellectual relationship for me, but also a model of how two people publicly associated with certain ideas can engage without forcing zero-sum competition.

Seneca deliberately read and immersed himself in the work of people he disagreed with. He frequently and unapologetically quotes Epicurus, the head of a rival philosophical school! Knowing this may be perceived as abandoning the writings of his avowed philosophical school, he often clarifies his intentions. “I am wont to cross over even into the enemy’s camp,” he explains, “not as a deserter, but as a scout.” Like Gladwell and Epstein, he didn’t view Epicurus’ ideas as in zero-sum competition with his own. They were a chance to learn. They were not an obstacle but an opportunity to broaden and bolster his intellectual arsenal. 

“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change,” Marcus said. “For I seek the truth, by which no one ever was truly harmed. Harmed is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance.”

It’s so easy today to close ourselves off at the first sight of an opposing view. On all points along the political spectrum, people are close-minded and sensitive to their perspectives being challenged. Let David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell be your models today. Break out of your filter bubble. Prioritize speaking with someone you are likely to disagree with. Practice quieting your ego and opening yourself up to learning something new. Practice seeing things from someone else’s point of view. Seeking the truth, keeping an open mind, having the humility to accept you might be wrong—this is how we grow.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jul 1
Do You Have This? | Protect Your Own Good
Seneca practiced poverty. Marcus Aurelius mentally rehearsed being criticized and misunderstood. Why did they put themselves in these uncomfortable positions?📓 Pick up a signed edition of The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on The Art of Living: https://s ... Show More
6m 44s
Jun 30
The One Thing In Your Life You Can Control | The Obstacle Is The Way
Our lives are unpredictable. We are at the mercy of so many forces. 📚 Books Mentioned:The Inner Citadel by Pierre HadotThe Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday📖 Preorder the final book in Ryan Holiday's The Stoic Virtues Series: "Wisdom Takes Work": https://store.dailystoic.com/ ... Show More
8m 25s
Jun 29
6 Stoic Tips to Being a Great Friend
When we think of great Stoic figures like Marcus Aurelius, Cato, and Epictetus, we tend to focus solely on the individual, their perspective, their observations. But how did these brilliant thinkers treat those around them?Read this article here: https://dailystoic.com/6-stoic-ti ... Show More
14m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2019
David Epstein On Why Late Bloomers Win
“You don’t change your identity overnight. You have to start with these little keyhole experiments until something that you think that was just an interest becomes a real passion or a vocation.”David Epstein Conventional wisdom dictates that mastery demands an early start. Relent ... Show More
2h 21m
Nov 2021
The Genius Of Elon Musk And Charles Darwin
Elon Musk and his usage of first principles thinking is all about rejecting what is thought to be fact. He describes a process where you identify your assumptions in the face of solving a problem, you break them down, and then you solve the problem by breaking down old barriers. ... Show More
12m 44s
Jun 2022
How to Make a Good Argument
Whenever you get into an argument, whether you're discussing politics with a colleague or the distribution of chores with your spouse, you likely feel like you're floundering. You feel worked up, but you don't feel like you're getting your point across, much less convincing the o ... Show More
44m 21s
Oct 2021
Diligence Is The Mother Of Good Luck.
Some of the greatest thinkers of human history have shared many similar opinions on how to think. That’s no coincidence, and I’ll trust them, especially when there is a consensus. Clear thinking starts with deconstructing what you think you know, understanding that you know nothi ... Show More
10m 2s
Jun 2023
Intellectuals
From Émile Zola to Edward Said, from Antonio Gramsci to… Joe Rogan? In episode 79 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the figure of the high-minded ‘intellectual’ and their role in today’s mass-media landscape. Who are intellectuals, what do they do, and what are they for? Elli ... Show More
53m 59s
Jun 2023
World Expert On Why Perfectionism Is Your Enemy And How To Overcome It - Professor Thomas Curran
Most of us know perfectionism as the relentless pursuit of flawlessness, our fatal flaw of having a constant need to meet impossibly high standards. It's a trait that many of us strive for, believing that it will lead to success and happiness. But what if I told you that this con ... Show More
1h 38m
May 2023
#152 – Joe Carlsmith on navigating serious philosophical confusion
What is the nature of the universe? How do we make decisions correctly? What differentiates right actions from wrong ones?Such fundamental questions have been the subject of philosophical and theological debates for millennia. But, as we all know, and surveys of expert opinion ma ... Show More
3h 26m
Oct 2023
Leadership is a Lonely Sport
The highest impact leaders all have one trait in common: they are extreme contrarians. They were seen by the majority as radicals, misfits and eccentrics. They saw what most see and thought what few think. They rejected the mass hypnosis and schooled brainwashing of society. That ... Show More
2m 2s
Jan 2022
Best Of: This Conversation Will Change How You Think About Thinking
For decades, our society’s dominant metaphor for the mind has been a computer. A machine that operates the exact same way whether it’s in a dark room or next to a sunny window, whether it’s been working for 30 seconds or three hours, whether it’s near other computers or completel ... Show More
1h 8m