How To Become A Clear Thinker - Shane Parrish - #714

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
What's happening, people, welcome back to the show. My guest today is Shane Parrish. He's the founder of Farnam Street, an ex-Canadian Intelligence Agency operative and an author. Our lives are mediated by our thoughts. The more accurately that we can make decisions, the better and happier our existence will be. Therefore, it makes sense to spend some time learning about how to think more clearly and frameworks to keep us rational. Expect to learn if it's truly possible to think independently, what it takes to become a clear thinker, the most common pitfalls holding you back from seeing the world accurately, how to build more strength in your mind, how to better manage your weaknesses, strategies to become an effective decision maker, the biggest lies that people follow when they make goals for their lives, and much more. This episode is brought to you by Element. I have started my morning every single day for the last three years the same way, which is with Element in water. It tastes fantastic. It reduces muscle cramps and fatigue. It optimizes your brain health. It regulates appetite and it helps to curb cravings. It's got a science-backed electrolyte ratio of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Super simple. There is nothing fancy going on here, but it really does work. Also, they have a no BS, no questions asked refund policy, so you can buy it 100% risk free. And if you do not like it, they will give you your money back and you don't even need to return the box. That's how confident they are that you love it. They are the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and rely on by tons of Olympic athletes and high performers in the NFL, NBA, NHL and FBI sniper teams, plus tech leaders and everyday athletes around the world. Head to www.drinklmnnt.com.com modern wisdom to get a free sample pack of all eight flavors with any purchase that's drinklmnnt.com/modernwisdom. One of my favorite purchases over the last two years has been my cold plunge from the team over at plunge.com. They are the gold standard when it comes to cold therapy. You may have heard Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman talking about the benefits of repeated cold exposure and it is real. You feel so amazing after you've done it and the improvement in your mood is insane. So if you've been thinking that you want to get started doing cold therapy but you cannot be bothered going to the store to get yourself ice every single time you need to do it, this is for you. Also, they've just released their own sauna which is ridiculously high quality as well and we are bouncing between the two doing what's called contrast therapy which makes you feel even better. So yeah, if you're looking to make a change, if you're looking to get yourself a cold plunge or a sauna for your house, this is the place to go. Best of all, they've got a 30 day money back guarantee. So you can buy it and try it for 29 days and if you do not like it, they will give you your money back. Go to plunge.com to get your cold plunge and sauna today with $150 off your purchase by using the code MW150 at checkout. That's plunge.com and the code MW150 at checkout. This episode is brought to you by AG1. You are not eating enough fruit and vegetables in your diet and you know it and this is going to help. If you are looking to make an upgrade to your nutrition, AG1 is a fantastic place to start. It is a daily foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole body health. It's got a science driven formulation of vitamins, probiotics and whole food source nutrients. It delivers comprehensive support for your brain, gut and immune system. This is why Dr. Andrew Huberman and David Sinclair and Joe Rogan and Lex Friedman and myself are all massive fans because it is the best daily foundational nutrition supplement on the planet. Also, there is a 90-day money back guarantee, so you can buy it and try it for 89 days, and if you do not like it, they will give you your money back. Head to www.drinkag1.com/modernwisdom to get a year's free supply of vitamin D, five free travel packs, plus that 90-day money back guarantee. That's www.drinkag1.com/modernwisdom. But now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Shane Parrish.
Do you think that it's possible to truly think independently?

**Shane Parrish** (4:27)
I do, but I think you have to rewind a little bit and set the circumstances for what creates independent thought. It's not just the idea that you need to have that's different. And independent thinking, for it to be valuable, has to be divergent thinking. So it has to be advantageous divergence. You have to go against the crowd and you have to be right. It's not enough to just go against the crowd. So what sets us up to be able to think independently is a really interesting question. And a lot of it is your ability to withstand pain. Can I look like an idiot in the moment to become better in the end? Am I, can I financially do that? Can I mentally do that? There's a whole, can I emotionally do that? There's a whole bunch that goes into that that people don't think about. Am I in a position where failure is going to make a huge difference in my life on this particular thing? And if I am, that makes it harder to think independently. This is why a lot of people who work for big organizations tend to just go with the flow and say what they need to say, whether they are doing that consciously or unconsciously. It's because, hey, if I stand out, if I'm the tall poppy and I lose my job, well, I'm in financial trouble. So it'd be interesting to see an organization. We see some of this in tech, actually, where people have enough money that they could lose their jobs.