The True Measure Of Intelligence
A true test of someone’s intelligence is how they handle contrarian opinions. Most people become uncomfortable when their beliefs are directly challenged, and that discomfort shows in their reactions, even in their body language. The defensiveness takes over their entire persona. People don’t like to be wrong, but the true test of intelligence lies in their ability to handle being wrong.
Everyone talks about critical thinking and first-principles thinking, and anyone can follow those ideas as long as they are not challenged. You can see this clearly on social media, where everyone has an opinion to share regardless of its accuracy. They not only share vague opinions, they also defend them vehemently, as if their life depends on it. Instead of focusing on the psychological models behind this defensive behavior, I want to focus on the kind of attitude that helps you accept when you are wrong.
Information is not a trophy; it is something we collect while navigating life. Some information is useful, most of it is not. People form their opinions based on these fragments, which is why companies spend millions influencing the flow of information to influence your beliefs. But what if you ask a simple question: What if I am wrong? If your mind instantly defends itself, ask another: Why am I so sure? What piece of information is making me so confident?
The most effective question I have found—the one that has helped me the most—is this: What would it take to change my opinion? This question is powerful. It can save you countless hours of arguing, it can spare you the mental exhaustion of attacking strangers online. If your opinion is based on certain information, there must also be a set of conditions under which you would change it. If there are none, it means you haven’t fully thought it through; you have simply borrowed the belief. If there is a condition that would change your mind, then there is no point in being aggressive with others.
The true test of intelligence lies in the ability to handle contrarian opinions, because it shows you care more about truth than about being right. Seeking truth is the final objective of all mental models, including first-principles thinking. If you care only about truth, then you have no ego involved in proving yourself right. But if you care more about being right, then you care more about yourself than about the truth.