Why is understanding the points below essential for the best use of AskDwightHow?

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Many authors suffer from the curse of knowledge bias. However, since a cognitive bias typically affects us most when we're not aware of its possibility, most authors don't take any explicit steps to minimize its negative effects.

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One particularly insidious form of this bias is for the author to assume that their readers will understand the context in which the author is making his or her assertions or suggestions. The high-level context of an author's communications to the reader can significantly affect the reader's useful understanding of what the author intends to contribute to the reader, especially if that context is non-standard, however that might be assessed. 

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That's why I put a top priority on stating here explicitly the various contextual assumptions I am wanting you to understand when delivering to you the content of AskDwightHow. Read through this once now and come back to it again to help ensure that you have the best chance of getting the most value from AskDwightHow.

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I don't give advice

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I am not trying to give you or anyone else advice. I would be in your business if I were trying to do that. What I am intending to do, with your permission, is to suggest some ways (this is why it's called AskDwightHOW) so that you can more quickly, easily, and effectively solve the problems that you have and live the life you want, the life you will love the living of.

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Be skeptical, but not cynical

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Don't believe me...unless I provide cogent arguments that make sense to you. Or you test out what I suggest and it turns out that you get helpful results. I think I can provide evidence to support almost everything I say. But I could be wrong. Or what I say could need some adjustment. Or could need to be customized for you. I am eager to discover where what I think is true is either not true or could do with some adjustment. Be skeptical, but not cynical. 

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Question me but also question yourself

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Be cautious in believing quickly that you think you know what I am saying, especially if you disagree with some aspect of what I am asserting as a fact. One of the biggest problems in effective communication is thinking we know what the other person means when they say something when, in fact, we're making assumptions about the intended meanings which don't match with the actual meanings intended. To assist in our communication having less of this type of static that could cause such misunderstandings, I have carefully created a robust glossary to more precisely denote what I am saying with words that might miscommunicate. I am careful to do this when the denotation I am using for a particular word is just one of several that may be understood by the use of that term. In addition, this glossary contains new words that I have coined in order to more quickly and precisely communicate new actionable possibilities in your life.

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Don't get hung up on a particular story or example: understanding the principles is more fundamental

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Keep focused on principles, not the stories and examples used to illustrate the principles. The example I provided may have little applicability to your life, whereas the principle that it's intended to illustrate will. Yes, the examples or stories may be helpful (or not) in giving you some ideas for how to apply a principle in your life. That value, if it exists, is secondary to the value of understanding the underlying principle in your life. 

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"Is this actionable? How can I apply this in my life now?"

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Yes, AskDwightHow may present many new ideas. The intent that I have for you, however, is not to just present you with interesting ideas, but for you to find actionable ideas that you put into effect right away to make life changes that you would like. These ideas will do you little good if you don't take action to make them your ideas too. It would be like knowing how to read, but not reading.

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Step by step

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You took a lifetime of reinforcing the habits and patterns and ways of thinking that you have now, many of which currently keep you from easily moving into a life much more to your liking. The changes in that new direction can be made rather quickly, but still, it's step by step. Focus on the process. Focus on the little wins.

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Rabbit holes (enjoy them)

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Many users of AskDwightHow complain that they get caught "getting lost down the rabbit hole." That's actually a design feature. It mirrors the mind in that ultimately this idea is linked to that thought is linked to those beliefs is linked to these concepts, is linked to... 

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Using AskDwightHow to the fullest, with all of its linkages, it will, step by step, tweak the linkages of the machinery of your mind, portions of which are caught in self-reinforcing sets of links that keep you where you would prefer not to be. AskDwightHow, with all of its current linkage, and getting ever more so every day, is built with integrity, designed without the civil wars that your current mind with its linkages has been built to create such that it's often caught in a loop of negative reinforcement.

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If you want to learn more in a straight line, you can either skip over the sublinks as your reading through an entire link, or open any sublinks in new tabs so that you can easily come back to the original link.

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Don't compare yourself to me (unless it's favorable to you!)

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I am presenting you as I currently am. I went through a lot to get here. My intention is to make it faster and easier for you to get to where you want to be than it was for me. I've taken a lot of round-a-bouts and deadends in the process of creating a trail that should make it much easier and quicker for you than it was for me.

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Feedback

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This website is as good as it is because I've made changes according to a lot of feedback. Keep it coming!