Avoid That Cocoon

Adam Fridman of Inc. notes the value of failing faster en route to success, and then offers five ways of doing so. One of these he calls "Hunt the Negative":

Your friends, family and support network will lie to you. They will tell you how great everything is and how well things are going--feedback which can prolong your demise. Don't listen. Go seek out the negative opinion. Find people who will be critical of what you're doing and listen to what they have to say.

Making sure you are getting more than reinforcement needn't be limited to a social exercise, nor must it wait until you have started working towards some goal. It can start by careful research, such as by seeking out arguments and opinions different than your own, and it can include such mental exercises as "steelmanning". Don't settle for feeling clever or virtuous: Test those assumptions before they test themselves against reality, as they ultimately will.

Cocoons are for developing insects, not human minds.

-- CAV