“Celebrate the childlike mind.” From what I can see, the best scientists and engineers nurture a childlike mind. They are playful, open-minded, and unrestrained by the inner voice of reason, collective cynicism, or fear of failure.

P. 296. in Tribe of Mentors. Steve Jurvetson mentions “We don’t really want to know why almost all USDA meat inspectors become vegetarian. I think all of that will change when viable meat products are grown from cell cultures, not in the field. We will switch, and condemn our former selves.

To add a little bit more context at the beginning of the page he mentions.

Our circle of empathy generally expands over time… but sometimes as a retrospective rationalization. We don’t typically discuss the meat industry in polite conversation because we don’t want to face the inevitable cognitive dissonance(because bacon tastes so good).

P.297.”But we can affect this progression. Professor Michael Merzenich at UCSF has found that neural plasticity does not disappear in adults. It just requires mental exercise. Use it or lose it. Bottom line” Embrace lifelong learning. Do something new. Physical exercise is repetitive; mental exercise is eclectic.”

He brings up a lot of interesting points. We tend to think that they learning stops after college but in actuality, the learning never stops. We need to be proactive and using our minds to be critical thinkers in order to prevent ourselves from mental deterioration. the growth mindset is common amongst top performers in all industries.

coaching