A Key Life Skill: Reflection as a Practice
Taking time to pause, think, and learn has shaped how I parent, coach, and lead. Reflection isn’t about judgment—it’s about curiosity, space, and the willingness to ask what could be better next time.
Tightly Held Opinions, Loosely Held Wisdom
A Chautauqua on Curiosity, Humility, and the Courage to Keep Thinking
Not knowing gets a bad rap.
We live in a world that treats certainty like currency. The louder the take, the stronger the opinion, the more likely it is to be heard. Social media rewards speed. News cycles feed on outrage. Somewhere along the line, we got the message that to be smart means having a stance on everything.
But I don’t buy it.
One of the most courageous things you can say in today's world is:
“I don’t know.”
Not in a careless way. Not as a way to avoid responsibility. But as an act of humility. A sign your mind is still open. A quiet signal that you're still learning.
When opinions are held too tightly, growth gets squeezed out. But when wisdom stays loose, you're still alive in the world. Still growing. Still curious.
The Charlie Munger Rule
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s longtime business partner, once said something that stuck with me:
You shouldn't hold a strong opinion unless you can argue the other side better than the person who believes it.
That isn’t just humility. That’s discipline. That’s what real thinking looks like.
It’s not enough to say, “Here’s what I think.”
You need to be able to say, “Here’s what they think, and here’s why I respectfully disagree.”
That kind of thoughtfulness takes time. Listening. Letting go of ego. A willingness to be wrong. Most people don’t do that. But the ones who do tend to live with more peace and a deeper kind of clarity.
Most Knowledge Is Just Settled Opinion
If we’re being honest, a lot of what gets called “knowledge” is just opinion that has hardened over time. It got repeated enough, liked enough, or linked to our identity enough that we stopped questioning it.
That’s dangerous.
When we confuse opinion with truth, we stop evolving.
We end up defending ideas we never examined.
We shut down instead of opening up.
Real wisdom holds ideas loosely.
It asks questions.
It welcomes surprise.
It stays open just long enough for growth to find its way in.
You Don’t Need a Take on Everything
There is no rule that says you must have an opinion on every issue. You can opt out of the hot take. You can stay quiet when you don’t know enough to speak.
You’re allowed to say:
“I haven’t looked into that enough.”“I’m still thinking about it.”“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
And sometimes, that’s where the real thinking begins.
Staying Soft in a Hard World
We live in intense times. Politics are polarizing. Conversations are often framed like battlefields. The easiest thing to do is armor up, dig in, and pick a side.
But what if you stayed soft?
What if you let your beliefs breathe?
What if you asked questions instead of giving answers?
What if you allowed yourself to change your mind?
That’s not weakness. That’s maturity.
Because when your opinions are flexible, your heart usually is too.
Closing Thought
Here’s the truth in one line:
Hold your opinions loosely. Hold your curiosity tightly.
That’s not indecision. That’s integrity.
It means you’re still learning.
Still thinking.
Still growing.
And that’s enough.
“Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”
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