Chapter 213
The Fog of War
From Górki, Bennigsen descended the highroad to the bridge which, when they had looked at it from the hill, the officer had pointed out as being the center of our position and where rows of fragrant new-mown hay lay by the riverside. They rode across that bridge into the village of Borodinó and thence turned to the left, passing an enormous number of troops and guns, and came to a high knoll where militiamen were digging. This was the redoubt, as yet unnamed, which afterwards became known as the Raévski Redoubt, or the Knoll Battery, but Pierre paid no special…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
The Confidence Audit
Think of a situation where you recently felt very confident about a solution or opinion. Write down what you were certain about, then list three pieces of information you might have been missing. Consider what questions you could have asked before acting on your confidence.
Consider:
- •Focus on situations where you felt sure enough to give advice or take action
- •Consider who else might have had relevant information you didn't seek out
- •Think about whether your confidence came from expertise or just strong feelings
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone else's confidence led to problems you could see coming. What did they miss that was obvious to you, and how might you avoid making similar blind spots in your own confident moments?
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