How to keep a beautiful mind

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” – Albert Einstein What does it mean to have a beautiful mind? Having a beautiful mind means: You can easily explore ideas with others. You can appreciate alternative points of view. You can find possibilities and alternatives. When you disagree, you can spell out the differences with clarity and precision. When there’s a difference of opinion, you can openly explore the basis of the difference. Rather than just black or white, you can see the shades of gray. You make it a point to be interesting. Here are some cornerstone concepts that act as a foundation for a beautiful mind: Exploring ideas is more beautiful than making a case. (Argumentation is not beautiful.) Gentle disagreement is more beautiful than aggressive disagreement. Being interesting is more beautiful than showing you are clever. Here are some ways that de Bono suggests to find agreement: Take a genuine delight in finding agreement. Seek to find points of agreement. Explore the subject versus argue a point. Remove your ego from the discussion Explore the other person’s logical bubble (how they see their world) Identify special circumstances in which you might agree Identify special values in which you might agree (“If I valued xyz, then I would agree.”) Identify special experience in which you might agree (“If I had had the experience of xyz, then I would agree.”) Disagree with a generalization, but agree with some parts of it. See a spectrum between none vs. all: none, a few, some, many, most, the majority, by and large, all.