I’ll tell you a little example. If you think you suck in life (and therefore have a negative attitude) your success will be very limited. I don’t want to go into great detail here, but basically, having a negative attitude leads to a vicious circle: You think you fail, therefore you fail. This failing increases your negative attitude, making it even more likely for you to fail in the future.

Fortunately, this vicious circle works very similar with a positive attitude. Well, the circle ain’t really vicious in that case but the principles remain the same: Having a positive attitude directly increases your success. This success reinforces your positive attitude. (Read Why a Positive Attitude Leads to Success for a detailed explanation on why a positive attitude leads to success.)

But not only does your attitude influence your success. Getting knowledge and understanding is dependent on your attitude as well for the same reasons.

So what exactly is the right attitude for learning, reading or thinking?

Be Interested

First of all, you need to be interested in the subject. Being interested leads to a better memorization and keeps you motivated. You might know from school that learning about some boring subject is way harder than learning about a subject you’re interested in.

So, if you want to know a lot about different subjects, the first step you should take is to become interested in all those subjects.

I know, this sounds easier than it actually is, but once you’re interested in a topic, it will be so much easier for you to learn more about it.

Be Open-Minded

Don’t disapprove of something just because it seems to be strange at first glance.

Many great theories seemed weird when they’ve been proposed. The theory of relativity is a perfect example for this. It suggests some really strange things but it has helped scientists a lot to understand more of the world around us.

However, don’t mistake being open-minded for believing anything that is told to you. People lie and people talk about stuff they don’t understand themselves. That’s why the next point is crucial.

Be Critical

This one is especially important if you browse the internet a lot. So this might be especially important for you, I mean, you are just reading an article published in the internet. Don’t believe everything I tell you without asking yourself if it makes any sense.

Seriously, people tell a lot of bullshit. If something seems to be very obscure, then you might want to check the source of this information before you believe it in all its fabulous details.

Try to keep those points in mind.