…Still Retain The Ability to Function

I am aware that my youth leaves me predisposed to think and act in foolish ways. What I too often forget is that although this self-awareness may make me a little wiser, it does not preclude me from thinking my stupid shit is consequential and profound.

Here’s how I attempt to compensate: keeping myself in constant self-doubt over whether I am ever right. That means re-examining my thoughts, beliefs and internal processes whenever possible to see whether there’s something I could be doing better. It means taking the opposing side’s perspective whenever possible, making sure I understand their strongest argument.

One great way to sustain this sort of internal inquiry and reflection is to absorb as much conflicting information as possible on issues with no definitive answers. Creative process is one example - since different strategies work for different people, no single method is going to be a “magic bullet” for, say, getting over writer’s block. Remaining aware that my process isn’t perfect is a way to question the flaws in how I work and consistently improve.

I regret to say that I don’t perform this self-examination as often as I should. But I hope to do it more, and I hope it will keep me humble.