I used to believe that intelligent people were quick-witted. He didn’t give me a moment to ponder. “He’s a quick thinker. ” “Wow, he’s really bright.” It was something I tried for a long time. “QUICK, QUICK, QUICK!” was my mantra whenever I encountered a problem, discussion, or someone asked me a question. To be expected, my initial responses sucked. “Slow thinker” Derek Sivers, one of my favourite thinkers, claims: “Most people think your first reaction is the most honest, but I don’t agree. Most of the time, your first impression is incorrect. “Either you came up with the answer long ago and have been using it instead of thinking, or it has brought back memories of an event that happened a long time ago.”
It takes time to think things through. I was always impulsive whenever I gave a quick response. Derek Sivers had to train himself not to rely on his first impressions. Because the email was consuming too much of his time and attention, the same thing happened to him. Derek got a lot of emails from people because he was well-known. In order to get from a state of confusion to a state of clarity in your mind, takes time. Think about what you’re saying before you say it.
They all had “quick 5-minute” questions. To put it another way, answering 100 questions of that nature will take up to eight hours of your day, as he points out. Derek realised he had to do something about the 192,000 emails he had to respond to between 2008 and 2016. The plan was to go off the grid like Henry David Thoreau of a modern-day: “I was going to go all-in and block everyone but a select group of close friends and colleagues from contacting me via email or social media. “It seemed to be the only option.”.
Those were the first thoughts that ran through his mind. However, Derek writes on his blog, “But then I realised that I could remain accessible as long as I didn’t answer questions.” It’s a good thing he didn’t follow through with his first thought. His second thought is far superior. Previously, I contacted Derek via email, and I believe his work has a significant impact on people’s lives.
Saying “I don’t know” in response to a question is perfectly acceptable. That’s something you can tell yourself, too. Because I didn’t have an immediate solution to my personal problems, I was often too harsh on myself. That doesn’t mean you’re a neo-Nazi. It makes you a person. Do we really care if others think we’re naive? An example of slow thinking is provided. Take a step back and ask, “Why do I even want to come across as smart?” instead of just going with your gut and saying, “I’ll prove them! “It doesn’t really matter what other people think of you if you think about it. Take your time and consider your options before planning. Others are the ones who are stupid if they think you’re stupid for saying that.
