What you can learn from the worlds most misunderstood poem

What you can learn from the worlds most misunderstood reimWhat you can learn from the worlds most misunderstood poemRobert Frosts The Road Not Taken might be one of the most popular poems of all time. If the title doesnt ring a bell, the last stanza shouldI shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages henceTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.The poem- especially the last two lines- are quoted everywhere from bumper stickers to Skymall posters as a testament to individualism and self-determination. We choose ur own path- not the path that others choose for us.Whats surprising about the poem isnt its popularity. Whats surprising is how a poem this popular can be this misunderstood.A close inspection of the poem reveals important nuances that are often missed. Earlier in the poem, Frost writes that the foot traffic had worn down the paths really about the same. In the next stanza, he writes that the paths equally lay in leaves no steps had trodden black. In other words, neither path was more or less traveled, and the choices were just about equal. The travelers hindsight belief that he took the superior, less traveled path is nothing less than self-delusion.In one of the greatest ironies of all time, a poem thats partially about self-delusion has generated widespread self-delusion.I was once part of the problem I remember selectively quoting the poem in my freshman year English class, only to be put in my place by a prof who suggested (nicely) that I should first bother to read the poem and give it a moment of thought before quoting it with misguided confidence.I, like many others, hadnt bothered to read the poem, but chose to play the telephone game anyway. This is how misinformation about the poem- and misinformation in general- spreads.Instead of bothering to listen, read, or even skim the facts, we rely on sound bites that inevitably distort the content. The resulting distortions , once reported and retweeted, become the truth. Even when unterstellung myths are exposed for what they are, they have enormous staying power.The media exacerbates the problem. One of my favorite examples is from 1996 when scientists announced they found organic molecules of biological origin on a Martian meteorite. Many media outlets were quick to announce these findings as unassailable proof of life on another planet. CBS, for example, reported that scientists had detected single-cell structures on the meteorite. CNNs early reports explained that these structures look something like maggots, suggesting that they were the remains of complex organisms.But there was a slight problem. The evidence wasnt conclusive. The scientific paper that formed the basis for these headlines was candid about its inherent uncertainties. Its title was Possible Relic Biogenic Activity in Martian Meteorite ALH84001. Its abstract expressly noted that the features observed on the meteorite could be fossi l remains of past martian biota but underscored that inorganic formation is possible. In other words, the molecules may have been the products- not of Martian bacteria- but of non-biological activity.These nuances were glossed over in many of the secondhand translations provided to the public by the media. The incident became infamous, prompting Dan Brown to pen a novel, Deception Point, about a conspiracy surrounding extraterrestrial life found on a Martian meteorite.The solution?Read the poem.And if you dont read the poem, dont quote the poem.In a world of clickbait- where were conditioned to hone in on the title and ignore the content- reading the poem is one of the most subversive things you can do.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.