Marcus Aurelius: See what Crates pronounceth concerning…

Marcus leaves us with a brief prompt to consider another thinker’s judgment. That small gesture contains a useful discipline: do not assume your first view is the only view available. Wisdom often begins by listening carefully to someone who has seen the problem differently. We are quick to form opinions about people, careers, politics, and our own failures, then defend those opinions as if changing our minds would diminish us. It will not. A well-chosen outside perspective can expose a blind spot or give language to something you have sensed but not understood. The point is not to collect quotations or borrow authority. It is to let good judgment challenge your own. Today, when you feel certain about a person or problem, seek out the most thoughtful opposing view you can find. Give it a fair hearing before you decide that you already know.