As a collective, we’re seemingly inevitably prone to confirmation bias. We instinctively seek out information that corroborates our ideas and feedback that affirms our notions. We’re terrified of the possibility of being wrong or being exposed as a fraud.
To preserve our self-dignity, we carefully select the scenarios in which we appear most powerful. Avoiding areas of weakness, we constrain our own growth and development by being afraid to be told we have work to do.
Living within a positive feedback loop rarely gets us to where we really want to be. At the surface we may appear to be put-together and competent in the tasks we choose to attack in the public eye, but our grand aspirations never get a chance to really be put to the test.
If we constantly look for ways that we can improve, we not only begin to do so at a faster rate, but we also gain the respect of peers that can relate to our situation.
It takes bravery at first, but like anything, it becomes easier and easier with time and repetition.
Pursue what is true, not what is easy.