To challenging one's thinking

The Daily Herald's June 13 editorial highlighted excerpts from psychologist Adam Grant's book "Think Again." Grant writes: " ... to identify with the views we hold and when we do, a challenge to our thinking becomes an assault on who we are. ... instead of identifying with what we believe we should identify with core values."

The editorial goes on to list examples of core values: love, compassion, integrity, hard work, justice, perseverance.

I ask, what if (as is often the case) our beliefs are consistent with our core values and may even provide a foundation for such values? By way of illustration, if a political leader, such as a president, is patently amoral, void of compassion, mercilessly makes fun of the handicapped, blatantly lies and exploits women, do we not challenge this assault on "who we are"? In this case "who we are" is a complex and vital union of our belief system and core values.

In other words, if the way we chose to be in this world, if what we regard as a standard of human conduct (our core values) are congruent with what we believe in then an affront to one is an affront to the other.

It is the case that one's beliefs coupled with one's core values are more stable than fluctuating opinion based on present information and circumstance. And so I say, although it is important to "Think Again" it is also important to continue to think and question as I just did.

Larry J Powitz

Psychologist

Arlington Heights