About this quote

Our minds habitually hunt for familiar patterns and ignore what doesn’t fit. That tendency colors how you judge people, make decisions, and respond to feedback. If you want different outcomes, start by looking for facts that contradict your assumptions and by asking simple clarifying questions. It will take practice, but shifting where you point your attention changes the options you notice.

When to use it

• Before my next performance review at work, I’ll write down concrete projects and ask my manager for examples instead of guessing their impression.
• When gathering sources for a history paper, I’ll read the original documents rather than only skimming summaries that match what I expect.
• During a tense talk with my partner about bills, I’ll listen for the actual concerns they name instead of assuming their tone equals blame.
• After a bad game, I’ll watch the match footage to find the decisions I missed instead of replaying excuses in my head.