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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.”