Swiss author Rolf Dobelli’s book The Art of Thinking Clearly is about mind traps in everyday life. He tells SM Verghis it resulted from mistakes at work
There is an interesting reflection in the first chapter of Rolf Dobelli’s book The Art of Thinking Clearly, (Hachette). The first chapter, Why you should visit cemetries, is about survivor bias. You thought successful people have a formula. Well not exactly. According to some research, many people fell into the graveyard of failure, though their methodology was same as so-called successes.
So what does one inferIJ
“If you’re successful, don’t become a victim of hubris,” said Dobelli who made money with a company and also writes fiction. Thinking Clearly was originally a column in Zeit (Time) a German weekly. Seems Rob has a habit of recording his own mistakes, particularly in the course of doing business.
He said it would make sense if success stories wrote about their failures. But few do.
“I’m also an investor and didn’t want wanted to lose money. I needed to know how to avoid mind traps, and found there was no overview. That’s why I wrote the book,” said the author on the phone from Switzerland.
To do that, he had to wade through reams of research material. Most of which was in jargon. There is a chapter on that too called, If you have nothing to say, say nothing. Or Twaddle Tendency. “If you are clear about your thoughts, you will express yourself clearly. Otherwise you’re lazy, or trying to pose as intelligent,” felt Dobelli. He frequently features his own goof ups. like when he got an immediate response from a publisher, and figured he could be in line for a Nobel next!
He tested this notion, by writing to other publishers and got fifteen rejection slips!
His advice is be wary about beginner’s luck. Or you might be deluding yourself.
Other topics to think about include Does Harvard Make You SmarterIJ Rolf’s theory, though not backed by studies, is that the university’s selection process,(based on its previous reputation), rather than great teachers, is responsible for the results. “Because students who go there, are likely to be among the best, irrespective of where they are educated.” He mentioned in the book how one school transformed kids with lower IQs into high IQ material, simply by treating them as special. little knowing they were part of an experiment. The kids weren’t infant prodigies, as informed, but average students.
Then there is advice about being sceptical of companies boasting of “most popular” products. Unfortunately, he said “man can be stupid about many things. That’s why he lets the market control him.’ Robelli described himself as “the guy with cash, who needs something to do.” But he’s “not going to take a crazy risk,” and is “sceptical,” about his successes. Often asking, “Was it luckIJ “Where did I screw upIJ”
He also set up a “collection of researchers called Zurich Mind, “who discuss topics like nanoscience and the 2,000 planets discovered outside our solar system.” Its reason enough to check human hubris.