Something I’ve come to recognize and am commonly reminded of during family gatherings and the festive season is that teaching and, in turn, learning, are less a process of transferring knowledge from one to another, but rather the process of identifying blockages in one’s worldview/understanding of a topic and engineering the elimination of these blockages one-by-one.

This is inspired by Stoic philosophy & Charlie Munger’s concept of “inversion” (https://jamesclear.com/inversion) - approaching problems by asking, “Why not?” rather than assuming the status quo. This helps challenge assumptions, biases, and blind spots.

I notice this most during discussions about polarizing topics like the wars in the Middle East, DJT’s election, crypto, AI regulation, etc.

Instead of trying to “win” a debate or convince someone to think the same way, it’s far more productive—and enjoyable—to act as an intellectual thought partner.

Ask thoughtful, inquisitive, open-ended questions to gain empathy and help the other person critically examine their assumptions and reach their own conclusions.

It helps turn debates into mutual explorations of biases and beliefs.

For example, with crypto, questions could be:

• Why do you think crypto exists, and what problem was it designed to solve?

• Why do you think so many developers and entrepreneurs are dedicating their lives to this technology?

• What historical examples or disruptive technologies were misunderstood or underestimated early on?

• Why do you believe governments or financial institutions might resist crypto adoption?

I find this process most fascinating in discussions with my dad; we share a very similar personality and set of values but have very different opinions on topics like AI regulation and DJT’s election. By asking questions rather than debating, we both gain a deeper understanding of why we think the way we do—and sometimes, even shift our perspectives.