WE are living in a difficult world. Let’s get practical for a change and turn to the phenomenon of overthinking. What is meant is being caught in a merry-go-round of thoughts, because of all the problems in the world (climate, Putin, prices) plus personal decisions. We asked business leaders how they deal with “overthinking” and received insightful answers:
• There is the faction of the “mentals,” who rely on meditation. Others breath consciously for a few minutes on the office couch and listens to the birdsong in the national park once a week.
There are the communicative ones, who just talk, talk, talk—with colleagues, friends and family.
• There are the structured ones, who rely on rituals—be it the daily viewing the same TV news for 20 years.
• And finally, there are movement artists, who appreciate “walking calls” (telephone calls while walking) or, of course, the well-chosen running route.
To which group do you belong? I belong to the movement artists—walking 8 kilometers every day—but without a phone.
These overthinking stories lead me to the question: Are we born smart?
When we hear stories about a 7-year-old who can speak 14 different languages or see a video of someone with a photographic memory repeating every single person’s name in a 50-person auditorium, we sit back with awe. We begin to think that high levels of intelligence are more the result of nature, rather than nurture.
But that’s just not the case! The truth is, we are all blank slates when we arrive here on earth. Sure, we inherit a few things from our parents, but ultimately our future depends on our work ethic. There are plenty brilliant people in the world who never amount to much, solely because they lack the desire to refine their inherent talents and intelligence.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are plenty people who had the odds stacked against them and went on to do brilliant things. We, of course, want to belong to this group. So take note:
People aren’t born smart. People learn how to work with what they’ve got and become smart as a result. How?
Rule #1—make sure you are building a tree of knowledge
When it comes to learning, there is a difference between material that ends up hanging from a branch and the material that makes up the base of the trunk of your tree. It is the periphery versus the central! It underlines the ability to build vast and towering trees of intellect across multiple sectors.
Rule #2—You can’t remember what you can’t connect
Start with solid roots and dense trunks, and then begin to grow your knowledge upward, begin connecting branches and leaves together with other branches and leaves of other trees.
You need to embrace these two rules. Build the trunk first, then work tirelessly on making connections.
Let me conclude with my vision: Smart people hang around with other smart people.
If you want to become smarter, you have to spend time around people smarter than yourself, or at least communicate with them. One of my favorite quotes: “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.”
Smart people hang around with smart people. Remember: You are the reflection of the five people you spend the most time with!
This is also an important message for the dialogue regarding office work and work from home. My view is very clear: it has to be a hybrid system: you have to meet from time to time with your smart colleagues.
I look forward to your smart responses on overthinking and learning to be smart; contact me at hjschumacher59@bmplus