What’s this about?

This book is about reframing — changing how you think about something — and choosing a perspective that’s useful to you right now, whether or not it’s universally true.

Before we begin, I need to sharpen that word: “true”. In this book, when I say “true”, I mean absolutely, necessarily, objectively true. It’s not only in the mind. Any creature or machine could observe it and agree. It’s a concrete fact — always, everywhere, and for everyone. There’s no other way to see it. That’s what I mean by “true”.

This narrow definition is important because whatever you consider true is closed. No questioning. But when you say “not necessarily true”, it opens it up for reconsideration.

Notice that “not true” does not mean false! It just means not necessarily, objectively, absolutely true for everyone, everywhere, always. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It means there could be another possibility or perspective.

Let’s look at “Useful Not True” in five steps:

1. Almost nothing people say is true.
2. Your thoughts aren’t true.
3. Ideas can be useful, not true.
4. Reframe: Find better perspectives.
5. Adopt what works for you now.