O

April   5th

TRUST,  BUT VERIFY

“First  off,    don’t   let the force   of  the impression  carry   you away.   Say to  it, ‘hold   up  a   bit and let me

see who you are and where   you are from—let    me  put you to  the test’   .   .   .”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.24

ne of the wonders of your mind is the quickness with which it can comprehend and categorize things.
As Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Blink, we are constantly making split-second decisions based on
years of experience and knowledge as well as using the same skill to confirm prejudices, stereotypes, and
assumptions. Clearly, the former thinking is a source of strength, whereas the latter is a great weakness.
We lose very little by taking a beat to consider our own thoughts. Is this really so bad? What do I
really know about this person? Why do I have such strong feelings here? Is anxiety really adding much
to the situation? What’s so special about __?
By asking these questions—by putting our impressions to the test as Epictetus recommends—we’re
less likely to be carried away by them or make a move on a mistaken or biased one. We’re still free to use
our instincts, but we should always, as the Russian proverb says, “trust, but verify.”