“It’s always been this way.” My grandparents would say this, and every time, it would send a shiver down my spine. Not because it’s a bad thing, but because it feels like a phrase designed to stop us from asking the most important question: “What if we look at it from another perspective?”
We are wired to perceive the world based on our own experiences and what we've learned. This is why some see a glass as half-full while others see it as half-empty. The objective reality is the same, but the subjective situation is completely different. This is the power of perspective.
This is the foundation of progress, innovation, and change. A different perspective will change how you act, how your environment reacts, and ultimately, the outcome.
Recently, I came across an example that made this crystal clear.
The EV Paradox
The one thought experiment that will finally close the 'what's better' conversation once and for all.
I was listening to a great video podcast from the Consumer Behavior Lab with the brilliant Rory Sutherland, author of Alchemy. The discussion was about why irrational ideas often work, and he used a fascinating thought experiment about electric vehicles (EVs).
And this isn't about whether electric cars are objectively "better," or if we're subjectively attached to the smell of petrol and the sound of a V8 engine, preference we could also consider to be conditioned to have.
He started with the usual facts we all know: EV engines are way more efficient, and he even added a fun, contrarian detail—electric engines were a British invention by Michael Faraday. But even with these facts, I found myself thinking, "Yeah, I know all this. Blah…"
Then, Rory flipped the script. Instead of talking about the benefits of EVs, he provoked to imagine a world where EVs were the norm and gasoline cars were the new, radical idea. The logic is simple, but the effect is powerful:
All cars are electric. Everyone zips around in these simple, quiet, zero-emission vehicles with seemingly endless power. Then, Nicolaus Otto from Germany bursts into a meeting and says, “I’ve got a better idea.”
“Okay, it’s massively complicated. You have to put a huge tank of a flammable liquid in the car. It feeds into these heavy, engine with cylinders where we engineer a series of explosions. But, because it only produces torque in a limited range of revolutionary cycles, we'll need a thing called a gearbox, which needs extra oil. And then we'll need an air filter, and a water filter, and all this other stuff.”
“Is it quieter? No, it’s loud as hell. Is it cleaner? No, it farts stuff out of the back. Is it simpler to make? Hell no, there are hundreds of moving parts in the drivetrain, while our electric cars only have a few.”
“So, what's the upside?”
“Well, you can refuel it really quickly.”
“Can you do it at home?”
“No, you can't. You have to go to a special place, which, by the way, won't just be a little rapid charger on the side of the road. It's a massive place that sells junk food and other stuff.”
“Basically, that guy's career is over,” Rory concludes. "The only people who benefit are the 0.05% of the population who drive 350km a day and have bladders so enormous they never need to stop."
The Takeaway
Without a doubt, our perception of gasoline cars versus EVs would be completely different if we adopted this simple, contrarian perspective.
And that's the point. It applies to everything in life. We need to actively challenge our assumptions and push past the "it's always been this way" mentality. Don't push boundaries just for the sake of it, but to truly discover if the grass is greener on the other side. If it's not, great, you've confirmed your position. But if it is, you'll uncover a wealth of opportunities that will enrich your life, your business, and your thinking.
It all starts by simply asking yourself: "Can we we look at this differently and if so, what will it change?"
As always: Gemma Gemma Gemma! Let’s go Let’s go Let’s go! Yalla Yalla Yalla!
PS: Let me know if you’ve been on a similar path or if you’ve found this useful to now share your own story of taking a different perspective, either below via the comments, above via the chat, or simply send me an email.