Mental Misers

According to organizational psychologist Adam Grant, pondering new opinions does not come easily for any of us:

"Part of the problem is cognitive laziness," he writes in his 2021 book Think Again. "Some psychologists point out that we're mental misers: we often prefer the ease of hanging on to old views over the difficulty of grappling with new ones. Yet there are also deeper forces behind our resistance to rethinking. Questioning ourselves makes the world more unpredictable. It requires us to admit that the facts may have changed, that what was once right may now be wrong. Reconsidering something we believe deeply can threaten our identities, making it feel as if we're losing a part of ourselves."

As Grant reminds us, we cling to three primary tools when we encounter the world around us -- particularly when we are under pressure or perceive a threat: (1) assumptions, (2) instincts, and (3) habits. A "hallmark of wisdom," Grant argues, is a willingness to abandon familiar tools and embrace new paths. 

According to the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, mental agility is a critical component of a society that is moving forward: "Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything," Shaw wrote. While many of us like to think that we are open to new ideas, psychologists and researchers have found the opposite is true. ... Thank goodness we have the Holy Spirit to guide us forward!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Are you a mental miser, or are you willing to allow the Lord to transform your thinking into something far mightier than what you are experiencing today? Are you a victim of "cognitive laziness," as most of us are, or are you able to step boldly into new ideas? What new idea will you explore or embrace today, drawing you ever-closer to our Creator God?

Blessings on your week,

Jennie