Escape your own perspective

Thinking longer doesn’t change the answer if it’s the same mind doing the thinking.

You've definitely thought hard about it.

You’ve turned the idea or problem over in your head. Looked at it from multiple angles. Maybe even journaled about it, talked it out, or sat with it for a few days.

In the end, you tell yourself, “Great! I've covered all sides."

In reality, playing with an idea in your head is usually a rehearsal where we keep reinforcing what we already believe.

The same thoughts, wearing slightly different clothes.

And the reason is simple: You will always think like yourself.

This means you can only ever arrive at conclusions your current identity allows.

Same lens, same colors

We assume that when we think about something long enough, we’ll thoroughly examine an idea from all sides to come up with the best conclusion.

Here's the reality: Your thinking usually follows the same patterns.

Every conclusion you reach is shaped by:

• what you already believe

• your unconsious assumptions

• what you’re afraid to admit

• what you’re trying to protect

We can’t help but look through the same lens, which usually leads to the same answers.

This is the familiar trap we fall into: Mistaking time spent thinking for depth of perspective.

But there's a simple way to start really seeing things from new angles.

Try thinking from a different identity.