"Assumptions Blind, Hypotheses Guide" ~Chris Voss

A while back I mentioned how I focus while reading. In short, I increase my focus by reading actively. And I read actively by anticipating what’s in the book before I open it.

You can use that approach to increase your focus in other areas, too.

I’ve been re-reading Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss. I want to use his thoughts to dig a little deeper into this concept of increasing your focus by anticipating the future.

There are two ways you can anticipate something. One is to assume what’s ahead, and the other is to hypothesize what’s ahead.

Voss states, “Assumptions blind, hypotheses guide” (p24). Assuming you know what’s ahead kills your ability to learn. You start to ignore information because you think you already know. You may even “ignore [your] own perceptions to make them conform to foregone conclusions” (p25).

Hypotheses, on the other hand, require testing. You might even have multiple hypotheses in your mind at one time. But you test each one until you find the truth.

If you don’t anticipate anything, you just take things as they come. And it’s hard to stay focused in a passive state of mind.

If you anticipate what’s ahead using assumptions, it’s true you become actively engaged. But you aren’t focused on learning. You’re focused on proving your assumptions are true (even if they aren’t).

If you anticipate what’s ahead using hypotheses, you start to focus by actively listening. That’s because a hypothesis by definition needs testing. Which means you need more information. You aren’t sure yet if you’re right. But you want to find out.

And wanting to find out what’s right makes learning so much easier.

What do you think?
Joseph