The case for temporary views

Jeff Bezos gave 37signals a useful test for good judgement. Jason Fried writes:

He said people who were right a lot of the time were people who often changed their minds. […]

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a well formed point of view, but it means you should consider your point of view as temporary.

What trait signified someone who was wrong a lot of the time? Someone obsessed with details that only support one point of view. If someone can’t climb out of the details, and see the bigger picture from multiple angles, they’re often wrong most of the time.

The interesting part is the distinction between having a point of view and becoming trapped inside it. A well-formed opinion is useful because it gives you something to test against reality.

Good judgement depends on being able to leave your own position and come back with a better one.