What is your worst intellectual habit?

21 answers answered between 1930 and 2026 one of 5 in 9 Questions

Originally asked

Vox, to writers and thinkers, 9 Questions, 2017

Vox's fixed 9 Questions format asks this verbatim across respondents.

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Alain de Botton Writer and philosopher; founder of The School of Life

I’m prone to overexplaining things –- when my own understanding of them is shaky. The better I know something, the shorter my prose.

Recorded Sean Illing, Vox, “9 questions” series, 29 April 2017 source ↗

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Novelist and essayist

Reading too many books at the same time.

Recorded Sean Illing, Vox, “9 questions” series, 27 May 2017 source ↗

Dominique Dawes Olympic gymnast; three-time Olympian and gold medallist

My worst intellectual habit has to be overanalyzing everything. I do it all the time, because there are too many options in this world.

Recorded Sean Illing, Vox, “9 questions” series, 24 June 2017 source ↗

Eddie Glaude Jr. Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University

Impatience. My mind moves rapidly.

Recorded Sean Illing, Vox, “9 questions” series, 8 July 2017 source ↗

Nobody has answered this one yet.