Self-Assessment

From the Dimostrazione chapter in How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. I am supposed to review this list and reflect on them honestly...so here goes. Dimostrazione is a commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence and a willingness to learn from mistakes.

1. I am willing to acknowledge my mistakes. This is something that is very difficult for me to do. I hold myself to a very high standard and really hate to be wrong. I think it really depends on the situation and who is around me that influences if I admit my mistakes.

2. My closest friends would agree that I am willing to acknowledge my mistakes. I really don't think they would.

3. I learn from my mistakes and rarely make the same one twice. I really do try to learn from my mistakes. I dwell on them for a long, long time and really do think about them. I think I can say that I rarely make the same mistake twice.

4. I question "conventional wisdom" and authority. I believe I do this on a daily basis. I think my previous blog posts illustrate this.

5. When a celebrity I admire endorses a product, I am more likely to buy it. I believe this is true, however I think my definition of celebrity is different than most people. I really look up to people who are not just celebrities, but great people who are doing great things.

6. I can articulate my most fundamental beliefs and the reasons I hold them. I don't think I can at this point. I would love to get to the point where I can.

7. I have changed a deeply held belief because of practical experience. This is a difficult one to answer. My initial thought is that I have not. I was thinking that the change had to be almost overnight, but after more thought I believe I have changed several deeply held beliefs over time...which would be based on experience.

8. I persevere in the face of obstacles. I want to believe that I do, however I have not really had many obstacles in my life.

9. I view adversity as an opportunity for growth. I truly believe this. I look for every opportunity to grow and really don't understand why everyone does not.

10. I am sometimes susceptible to superstition. I think that I am.

11. In considering new ideas my friends and associates would say that I am
a) gullible and "New Agey,"
b) a closed-minded cynic, or
c) an open-minded skeptic.
I would hope people view me as an open-minded skeptic, but I think I sometimes come off as a closed-minded cynic. This is something I need to work on.

I believe that my answers to these questions are pretty honest. I think this assessment shows me that I have a lot of growth that still needs to happen. I need to invest time in these areas in order to become the person I want to be.