if you don't pay attention to how people actually respond to them. 4. The Upside of Quitting

Retrain Your Brain: Why You Should "Think Like a Freak" We’ve all been there: staring at a problem that feels impossible, following the "standard" advice, and getting absolutely nowhere. In their book , Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (the duo behind the Freakonomics phenomenon ) argue that the reason we get stuck is that we’re thinking like everyone else.

To solve the world's toughest problems—or just your own—you have to be willing to be a "Freak." Here’s how to start retraining your brain based on their unconventional blueprint. 1. The Three Hardest Words: "I Don't Know"

Think Like a Freak: Our New Book Out on May 13 - Freakonomics

Most people would rather fake an answer than admit ignorance. But "thinking like a freak" starts with a blank slate. If you can't admit what you don't know, you'll never be able to learn what you need to solve the problem. 2. Think Like a Child