{"id":41673,"date":"2025-04-15T20:36:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T03:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=41673"},"modified":"2025-04-15T20:36:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T03:36:53","slug":"clear-er-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/clear-er-skin\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear, er, Skin"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, we read Shane Parrish\u2019s book, Clear Thinking<\/em>.[1]<\/a> The author identifies challenges that get in the way of thinking clearly, strategies to overcome those challenges, and a framework for decision making. The book is a compilation of wisdom and learnings from business leaders, cross-referencing material we have read from authors including Katheryn Schulz, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, and Daniel Kahneman. Parrish shares many \u2018been there, done that\u2019<\/em> anecdotes and is quick to drop names for credibility.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

I will briefly list the four enemies of clear thinking and his four strengths to overcome those threats. I then want to apply these principles to a man with a skin condition.<\/p>\n

Problems and Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parrish lists four defaults that we instinctively follow in the absence of clear thought. I\u2019ll combine each term with a brief explanation from the text.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The emotion default, which can make the best of us become idiots.[3]<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The ego default, where the desire to feel right can overpower our desire to be right.[4]<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. The social default, when the fear of losing social capital outweighs the potential upside of deviating from the social norm.[5]<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. The inertia default, which can cause us to resist change, particularly when something is \u201cgood enough.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    He says that it takes more than willpower to overcome these enemies.[7]<\/a> The proposed strengths are:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Self-accountability: taking responsibility for yourself.[8]<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Self-knowledge: knowing your own strengths and weaknesses.[9]<\/a><\/li>\n
    3. Self-control: the ability to master fears, desires, and other emotions.[10]<\/a><\/li>\n
    4. Self-confidence: trusting in your abilities and your value to others.[11]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Rather than expanding on any one idea, I thought it would be fun to apply the enemies and strengths to an Old Testament character facing a big decision.<\/p>\n

      Naaman, a Mighty Warrior<\/strong><\/p>\n

      If you aren\u2019t familiar with Naaman, I\u2019d encourage you to read 2 Kings 5 in its entirety. We get an overview of his problem in verse 1.<\/p>\n

      The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the\u00a0Lord\u00a0had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.[12]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

      Naaman is a celebrity. He can drop the name King<\/em>. He likely commands the whole army, one that means business. Naaman is a visible leader with a hidden problem: leprosy.<\/p>\n

      The inertia default<\/strong> is present though not in the text. Naaman can deal with it. He can keep his armor on and hide his skin condition. The Mandalorian never took his<\/em> helmet off. This is the way, right?<\/p>\n

      Naaman is presented a solution. His wife had a young servant girl who was captured from Israel.<\/p>\n

      3<\/sup><\/strong> One day the girl said to her mistress, \u201cI wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Naaman\u2019s social default<\/strong> presents a challenge to accepting this advice. First, it came from a lowly servant girl who was as far away from his social standing as one could be. Secondly, Naaman deals with kings, not foreign prophets. However, his king told him to go visit the prophet, so he had cover.<\/p>\n

      His ego default<\/strong> kicked into high gear. Naaman took gifts and a letter from his king to Israel\u2019s king.<\/p>\n

      So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold,\u00a0and ten sets of clothing.\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>The letter to the king of Israel said: \u201cWith this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      The proposed solution was to go find the prophet, but what does a servant girl know about foreign relations? Naaman went straight to the top and he was not looking for charity. His way felt right. It was right. Right?<\/p>\n

      Of course, the king of Israel couldn\u2019t do anything except tear his clothes in dismay. In strode Naaman in full regalia, ready to trade a king\u2019s ransom for a cure. Neither man was thinking clearly, and word was traveling fast.<\/p>\n

      The prophet Elisha found out what was happening. He sent a message to the king of Israel:<\/p>\n

      8b<\/sup><\/strong> \u201cWhy are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      Naaman\u2019s ego default<\/strong> went from bad to worse. First, he went to Elisha\u2019s house and had to wait outside. Then, Elisha sent a message to go wash seven times in the Jordan River to be healed. No face to face. No respect. Here comes the emotion default<\/strong> to join the ego<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      11\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But Naaman became angry and stalked away. \u201cI thought he would certainly come out to meet me!\u201d he said. \u201cI expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0his God and heal me!\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Aren\u2019t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn\u2019t I wash in them and be healed?\u201d So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Naaman needed help finding the strength to overcome his defaults. Up first was self-confidence<\/strong>. People with self-confidence listen to the feedback given rather than shop around for more opinions.[13]<\/a> Naaman\u2019s officers encouraged him to go wash and be cured.<\/p>\n

      Next came self-control<\/strong>. Rather than continue the temper tantrum, Naaman did as instructed and was healed. Not only did his skin condition clear, Naaman\u2019s self-accountability<\/strong> took responsibility for his actions and his life.<\/p>\n

      15\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, \u201cNow I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The remaining countermeasure is self-knowledge<\/strong>, knowing what you can and cannot do. Naaman left Israel with two loads of dirt, a symbolic act of bringing the Hebrew God home with him.[14]<\/a> He could change his beliefs with a new reliance on God. He could not change either his relationship with his king or the king\u2019s beliefs. Naaman confesses this reality, and Elisha simply says, \u201cGo in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Our ability to think clearly is clouded by System One reactions: emotional outbursts, pride, the fear of losing status, and a tendency to resist change. Eventually, System Two shows up as that little voice asking, \u201cWhat were you thinking, you idiot?\u201d[15]<\/a> It might not come easy, yet Parrish encourages us to take charge by owning our actions, knowing our strengths, mastering our emotions, and trusting ourselves.<\/p>\n

      \n

      [1]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results<\/em> (New York, NY: Portfolio\/Penguin, 2023).<\/p>\n

      [2]<\/a> I would drop Charlie Munger’s name six times if I could!<\/p>\n

      [3]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 15.<\/p>\n

      [4]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 21.<\/p>\n

      [5]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 25. Parrish credits Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/em>, (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011), 292.<\/p>\n

      [6]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 30-31.<\/p>\n

      [7]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 39.<\/p>\n

      [8]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 55.<\/p>\n

      [9]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 58.<\/p>\n

      [10]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 60.<\/p>\n

      [11]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 63.<\/p>\n

      [12]<\/a> All verses are from 2 Kings Chapter 5 using the New Living Translation.<\/p>\n

      [13]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 66.<\/p>\n

      [14]<\/a> Ancient cultures often viewed gods as territorial specific to a land. See, for example, Ruth 1:14-18. With this mindset, it is fitting that Naaman took some of the land with him.<\/p>\n

      [15]<\/a> Shane Parrish, Clear Thinking<\/em>, 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      This week, we read Shane Parrish\u2019s book, Clear Thinking.[1] The author identifies challenges that get in the way of thinking clearly, strategies to overcome those challenges, and a framework for decision making. The book is a compilation of wisdom and learnings from business leaders, cross-referencing material we have read from authors including Katheryn Schulz, Thomas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3397,1692],"class_list":["post-41673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp04","tag-parrish","cohort-dlgp04"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41673"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41678,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41673\/revisions\/41678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}