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Thinking|Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Work Required to Have an Opinion

The real cost of an opinion isn’t having it—it’s doing the work required to earn it. This work is what most people avoid.

I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.

— Charlie Munger

The work to hold an opinion isn’t just about accumulating facts and information that support your argument. To truly hold an opinion, you must:

  • Deeply understand arguments from multiple sides
  • Seek out contradictory evidence rather than hiding from it
  • Test your thinking against the strongest counterarguments
  • Consider how you might be fooling yourself

Someone who has done this work stands apart. Not only can they explain their position at depth, and argue from multiple perspectives, but they also remain calm when challenged. They possess a rare intellectual honesty—changing their mind when evidence demands it.

We all are learning, modifying, or destroying ideas all the time. Rapid destruction of your ideas when the time is right is one of the most valuable qualities you can acquire. You must force yourself to consider arguments on the other side.

— Charlie Munger

Darwin exemplified this approach. Rather than dismissing contradictory facts, he actively collected them, knowing his theory had to account for all evidence, not just the convenient parts.

The ultimate test of understanding: Can you argue against your position better than your best critics? If not, you haven’t earned your opinion.

This standard is expensive. It takes time. People who hold themselves to it don’t pretend to know everything. As Maimonides wisely said: “Teach thy tongue to say ‘I do not know,’ and thou shalt progress.”

The world overflows with superficial takes from people who scan headlines and regurgitate others’ thoughts. They’re easy to outthink if you don’t let them waste your time.

When faced with strongly opinionated people, ask them to write down their reasoning. Most won’t bother—revealing volumes. Those who do expose their thinking to scrutiny—fuzzy logic has nowhere to hide on paper.

The ability to do this intellectual work is rare. The payoff is enormous.

The ability to destroy your ideas rapidly instead of slowly when the occasion is right is one of the most valuable things. You have to work hard on it. Ask yourself what are the arguments on the other side. It’s bad to have an opinion you’re proud of if you can’t state the arguments for the other side better than your opponents. This is a great mental discipline.

— Charlie Munger

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