"Take nobody's word for it"

The importance of verifying ideas by yourself.

"Take nobody's word for it". That’s the motto of the Royal Society. That’s UK's national academy of sciences.

Only recently did I really understand the importance of this.

Stage 1 - Silver bullets

When I was younger I was constantly looking for silver bullets.
What is THE best language/framework/paradigm/process.
eg. Haskell/The Elm Architecture/Functional Programming/TDD/Code Reviews

Soon I realised that solutions in real life aren’t lego blocks. They won’t always match the problem.

Since then I try to distance myself from ideas. I look for the boundaries of the solution. Where a solution starts working and where it stops. Applying solutions is a continuum.

Example:
Zero automated tests -> Afraid to change anything
Automated tests everywhere -> Rigid change
Thinking on the correct testing approach per case → The Right Amount

It took me more time to realise I was still caught in a similar trap. I was relying too much on authority.

Stage 2 - Reassured By Authority

I am always on the lookout for stuff to learn. What are the best books on topic X? Who are the experts? What are they doing? I then go and study their work.

Nothing wrong with that. Learning from authority is a great start. After all, you can’t think everything for yourself. But take this too far and you end up you a sloppy thinker.

Recently this clicked for me. Wherever an idea comes from, it should be verified by myself.

Stage 3 - Verify By Myself

For ideas I care about, I have to put in the work. Only then can I understand the context where they are true. And that’s the way to approach real knowledge.

Now that’s something worth aiming for.

“Nullius in verba”