Be Teachable

I frequently remind my troops that perception is not reality. We make decisions based on perception, but those decisions can be ineffective and dangerous if our perception is completely misaligned from reality. A famous mathemetician-philosopher said:

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. - Rene Descartes

Math survives scrutiny pretty well if you do it right. Western math is the jewel of western culture. It catapulted the west to technological dominance. Isaac Newton, Watt, Edison, the Wright Brothers and thousands of others made math the core of their work. A good rule of thumb is: Know what can be proven mathematically, believe what can be shown statistically, question conventional wisdom, constantly readjust your premises. Thus what can be proven mathematically is pretty safe from scrutiny. Everything else needs a little doubt once in awhile. If you are willing to doubt your perception, you will be teachable.