Hey I'm Rohan! Thanks for reading. Thursday Thoughts is a weekly newsletter where I share one thought and then recommend 4 other random finds from across the internet. Not yet subscribed? Do so here.

In this week’s issue we will cover:

• How it’s ok to be wrong

• Changing the outlook of our problems

• A Netflix recommendation

• A song recommendation

• A quote from Marcus Aurelius

It’s Ok To Be Wrong

In a world where civility seems to be at a low point and everyone's opinions and stances are amplified with the use of social media - it can be easy to forget this fact of life. "To err is human," Alexander Pope once wrote in 1711 and this guarantee of life still holds up 300 years after its was written down. You are going to be on the wrong side of things eventually, probably many times in your life. This is something I've struggled with

Most of us are paralyzed at the fear of being wrong - we would be embarrassed, made fun of by people, maybe god forbid ratioed on our tweet. However at the end of the day being wrong is one of the best things that you can actually do. It gives you the opportunity to learn, to grow, and exercise that important virtue of humility.

We're all going to be on the wrong side of things many more times in our lives. What has to differentiate us from others is our ability to both realize our faults, admit them to ourselves and others, and then learn from them.

This is way easier said than done however, simple but not easy if you will. Because that's when the fear and the pride comes in.

We've all been there, you're in class and a professor says something you don't quite understand. You're confused but god forbid you raise your hand and ask a clarifying question and be wrong for a few minutes with the attention of the entire class. And so you let the fear of being wrong rob you of the chance to educate yourself and learn.

I came across this tweet about Cunningham's Law on Twitter recently which reasons that the best way to learn is in public - "The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; its to post the wrong answer". The best way to learn about something is to express your opinion and be wrong. If you're wrong you will be corrected - but it will only be for your benefit. And at the end of the day, its ok for your ego to be bruised for a few minutes so that you can get the benefit of actual knowledge.

The pride factor has been something that's been especially hard for me. Your ego really takes a beating when you finally admit to your faults and whisper those three magic words, "I don't know".

Something that has helped me deter this is this story about Socrates:

When Socrates learned from his friend that the Oracle of Delphi proclaimed him the wisest man in Athens, Socrates did not celebrate or boast. Instead he actually went out to prove the Oracle wrong by questioning anyone and everyone he met to prove that there was actually a person who was smarter than him.

In his conversations with these other people however, he realized that they all actually pretended to know more than they actually did out of pride. Socrates understood that he was actually the wisest man in Athens after all - but only because he was prepared to admit his own ignorance rather than pretend to know things that he did not.

If the person who was thought the wisest and most influential philosopher of his time did not let his pride get in the way of admitting his faults than who are we? That willingness to admit his faults, what he did not know, and his mastery over his ego is what truly made him the wisest man in Athens.

So take the time to admit something you think is wrong this week because at the end of the day we're all fallible and there's a great benefit to admitting so to learn and grow as humans.

Shake It Off

I loved this story from Daniel Coker's newsletter this past Sunday about how to change your outlook of your problems:

In Daniel's words, "Life is always going to throw dirt at us. And when it does, we can react to it in different ways, let it bury us alive or shake it off and step up." Check out the rest of his newsletter here.

The West Wing and Madam Secretary

With all the drama going on with the US election I, along with many other people have been flocking to Netflix to distract us by binging our favorite shows. To get away from real politics however, my choice of escapist fiction have been alternating between two political dramas - The West Wing and Madam Secretary. While escaping political reality by binging a political drama might not seem like the best way to destress from an election, these shows have something that unfortunately is hard to come by in the real world: politicians with moral principles who put the interests of other people and the nation before their own. I know, wild right? Over the past few years especially, these escapist political TV shows have not only served as escapist fiction but also a promise of what the Presidency and Politics could and should be - a call to believe in something bigger than yourself. I would highly recommend both of these shows to anyone looking to escape from the real world for a bit to see an idealized version of what politics could be.

There’s Something about Layla

I recently listened to this song off of Eric Clapton's Unplugged Edition which was recorded Live at MTV in 1992. Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of The Beatles and basically anyone tangentially related to them. I did further research on the development of this song however which interested me quite a bit.

This song was based on an ancient story of Arabic origin to the seventh century, Layla and Majnun. The story, one of the precursors to Romeo and Juliet, is about undying and unfulfilled love between two people who cannot be together. This was actually what Eric Clapton was going through at the time because he was in love with his good friend, George Harrison's (yes the Beatle) wife Pattie Boyd.

Eventually George and Pattie divorced and two years later Eric and Pattie tied the knot - with George actually at the wedding too! Eric Clapton then went on the write another hugely successful love song "Wonderful Tonight" about Pattie Boyd when they were married - meaning Boyd has been the muse for "Wonderful Tonight", "Layla", and "Something" - 3 of the most famous love songs in history.

Quote of the Week

That’s all for this week. Please let me know your feedback on how to improve this newsletter. Would love to chat with you to make sure that each issue is providing you value going forward. If this is your first time reading and you liked it consider subscribing! Until next week - stay safe!