Chapter 1 Rethink What You Know
Learning Objectives
Analyze factors that enhance performance in school and on the job in order to determine which ones to adopt
Test assumptions about the world economy against factual data in order to learn by discovery that factual analysis is more accurate than conventional wisdom
Employ the Rules of Thumb from the Global Ignorance Project to combat popular misconceptions about the global economy
This text focuses on analyzing and finding patterns in data. This chapter is meant to make you reconsider ideas that are conventional wisdom, through the analysis of factual data. For example, everyone is always told that once you become successful you will then be happy. However, in the first section Shawn Achor tests this assumption and shows that the opposite is true—happiness drives success. As another example, our knowledge of the world economy and circumstances is often skewed by sensational reporting by the media. The media leads us to believe that, in general, circumstances like poverty and education levels in developing countries are getting worse. In the second section, researchers Hans and Ola Rosling defy these assumptions through the use of data. Their mission is to create informed world citizens through the Gapminder Global Ignorance Project. We all work in a global economy. Having an accurate understanding of the opportunities available in different world markets is essential.