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It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away.
Kenichi Ohmae
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Letting go of old beliefs is challenging but necessary for growth and change.

The quote highlights the difficulty of abandoning long-held beliefs and the comfort that comes with familiarity. It uses the metaphor of eyeglasses to illustrate how our perceptions can be shaped by outdated perspectives, and emphasizes the importance of adopting new ways of thinking in order to view the world differently and embrace change.

Themes

ChangeBeliefsPerspectiveGrowthMindset

In practice

Example use cases

In a personal development workshop, one might use this quote to encourage participants to challenge their outdated beliefs.

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