Soshin

Soshin: the power of beginner's mind

Shunryu Suzuki introduces a Japanese word in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: soshin, meaning beginner’s mind. He famously wrote that in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. Soshin describes an attitude of openness, eagerness and lack of preconceptions, even when studying something at an advanced level.

Experts often lose this attitude. Knowledge brings efficiency, but it also brings assumptions. We stop asking basic questions because we think we already know the answers. As a result, we miss new solutions and fail to notice when the world has changed around us.

Cultivating soshin at work and at home

Asking naive questions is a practical start. Why do we do it this way? What if we tried the opposite? These questions can feel uncomfortable in professional settings. However, they often reveal outdated habits. For example, many companies discovered that long-standing processes existed only because nobody had questioned them.

Learning something completely new also helps. Taking up an instrument, a language or a sport puts us back in the beginner’s seat. That experience reminds us how learning feels and makes us more patient with others who are learning.

Listening improves with soshin too. When we listen without assuming we know what someone will say, we hear more. Therefore, beginner’s mind strengthens relationships and teamwork.

Curiosity keeps life fresh. Moreover, people who maintain a beginner’s attitude often stay mentally flexible as they age.

Soshin does not reject expertise. It simply holds knowledge lightly, leaving room for surprise.

In the end, Suzuki’s word is an invitation to keep learning forever. Approach each day as a beginner, and possibilities multiply.

In short, curiosity is a habit. Therefore, ask one naive question every day. As a result, you will keep learning, even in fields you know well.

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