"Shoshin refers to a state of mind in which we approach every task and situation with the curiosity, openness and humility of a beginner"
About this Quote
“Beginner’s mind” is a productivity guru’s quiet rebellion against the modern pressure to perform expertise 24/7. Ali Abdaal’s phrasing treats curiosity, openness, and humility not as soft virtues but as operating advantages: a way to keep learning when your identity, brand, and business incentives all push you to sound certain. In an internet economy where authority is monetized, “I don’t know yet” becomes both risky and radical.
The intent is practical: lower the ego barrier that stops people from starting, iterating, and asking basic questions. Abdaal’s audience is packed with high-achievers who confuse competence with rigidity. Shoshin is pitched as an antidote to the familiar trap: once you’re “good,” you protect your status by doing what already works. The beginner, by contrast, experiments. They notice details experts gloss over. They’re less allergic to being wrong, which means they’re more likely to find what’s true.
The subtext is also about emotional safety. Calling it “a state of mind” frames humility as a choice, not a personality trait. You can adopt it on demand before a difficult conversation, a creative project, or a new role. That matters in a culture of public mistakes and screenshot accountability: openness is easier to preach than to practice when failure is searchable.
Contextually, Abdaal’s line sits at the crossroads of self-improvement and entrepreneurship, importing a Zen concept into the language of performance. It works because it flatters the reader without coddling them: you’re allowed to be a beginner again, but you’re responsible for showing up like one.
The intent is practical: lower the ego barrier that stops people from starting, iterating, and asking basic questions. Abdaal’s audience is packed with high-achievers who confuse competence with rigidity. Shoshin is pitched as an antidote to the familiar trap: once you’re “good,” you protect your status by doing what already works. The beginner, by contrast, experiments. They notice details experts gloss over. They’re less allergic to being wrong, which means they’re more likely to find what’s true.
The subtext is also about emotional safety. Calling it “a state of mind” frames humility as a choice, not a personality trait. You can adopt it on demand before a difficult conversation, a creative project, or a new role. That matters in a culture of public mistakes and screenshot accountability: openness is easier to preach than to practice when failure is searchable.
Contextually, Abdaal’s line sits at the crossroads of self-improvement and entrepreneurship, importing a Zen concept into the language of performance. It works because it flatters the reader without coddling them: you’re allowed to be a beginner again, but you’re responsible for showing up like one.
Quote Details
| Topic | Humility |
|---|---|
| Source | Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You (2023) , excerpt/summary referencing the book’s definition |
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