1: “Some Scandinavian canoeists succeeded in getting through all the rapids of Scandinavia.”
Charlie Munger, the longtime business partner of Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, was delivering a commencement address to the 2007 USC School of Law graduates.
“They thought they would continue their success by tackling the big whirlpools in northwest America,” he continued.
Things didn’t work out so well. “The death rate was 100 percent,” Charlie notes, as captured in his book Poor Charlie’s Almanack.
“A big whirlpool is something you want to avoid,” he warned the graduating class.
“And I think the same is true about intense ideology, particularly when your companions are all true believers.”
2: Charlie’s advice? “Avoid extremely intense ideology because it cabbages up one’s mind. . . And if you’re young, it’s particularly easy to drift into intense and foolish political ideology and never get out.”
What’s wrong with having strong beliefs? We might ask.
“When you announce that you’re a loyal member of some cult-like group and you start shouting out the orthodox ideology,” Charlie says, “what you’re doing is pounding it in, pounding it in, pounding it in. You’re ruining your mind, sometimes with startling speed.”
3: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about. Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Fridays, to begin 2025, I will be sharing some of Charlie’s wit and wisdom.
He shares a tactic we can utilize to avoid the trap of extreme ideology: “I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I drift toward preferring one intense ideology over another. I feel that I’m not entitled to have an opinion unless I can state the arguments against my position better than the people who are in opposition. I think what I am qualified to speak only when I’ve reached that state.”
He then references the example of Charles Darwin, who waited twenty years to publish On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
“Darwin formulated his theories on the transmutation of species in the late 1830s, but it was not until 1859 that he published his seminal work,” Charlie relates. “Darwin accepted that any scientific theory proffering an alternative explanation to human origins would be met with widespread prejudice, and that therefore prudence dictated he become fully versed in every possible counterargument before publishing his ideas. Accordingly, he spent 20 years painstakingly cultivating his theory and preparing its defense.”
Charlie emphasizes the importance of engaging in practices like seeking out disconfirming evidence so we can remain objective. Getting caught up in extreme ideology “presents a big danger for the only mind you’re ever going to have,” he states.
“This business of not drifting into extreme ideology is very, very important in life. If you want to end up wise, heavy ideology is very likely to prevent that outcome.”
More next week.
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Reflection: How can I challenge my own beliefs and avoid the trap of extreme ideology, as Charlie Munger suggests?
Action: Practice stating arguments against my own positions better than those who oppose them, actively seeking out disconfirming evidence to maintain objectivity and broaden my perspective.
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