Shoshin is a word from Zen Buddhism which means “beginner’s mind.”

It refers to an attitude of openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even at an advanced level – just as a beginner in that subject would.

The idea is that as an expert, you have a limited perspective, like digging a hole deeper and deeper as you get deeper into the information – your capacity to see more shrinks.

Conversely, with a beginner’s mind – you maintain the capacity to have many perspectives and ways to view a single subject.

Whether approaching a project or a conflict – what would it be like if you came with a beginner’s mind?

Ways to practice Shoshin

1. Let go of the need to add value – this is tough. If you need to add value constantly, you are also not listening to learn. The two can go hand-in-hand, but it’s very easy to slip into listening to respond mentality when you are overly concerned about whether people see you as a value-add.
2. Stop trying to win the argument – If you are disagreeing with someone, listening to find weaknesses in the opposing opinion to win the argument can take over. That may feel good for a moment, but the right mentality should be to listen to learn the opposing perspective.
3. Listen more & ask more – Maintaining curiosity is key to Shoshin. The more curious you are about what people have to say and how they think, the more you are practicing the beginner’s mind.
4. Be humble about your intelligence – everyone can teach us something.

References and Resources

Shoshin – The Zen Concept

Supporting Music

We Got the Beat by the Go-Go’s

I Alone by Live

Surface Pressure by Punk Rock Factory

Originally Published March 29, 2018