What doing research taught me about living well

A little over a year ago, I received my Ph.D. Since then, I've had time to reflect on the many ways my science degree taught me how to think critically and live compassionately. Not only have these lessons allowed me to live my life with a greater sense of inner peace, but it has also given me a greater appreciation for the world around me.

Here are the three main lessons I learned from my life in academia so far:

Lesson 1: Think self-iteration, not self-rejection

Doing research as a career involves a tremendous amount of uncertainty. In academia, the number one measure of progress is publishing research articles. But when you set out to do an experiment, there is no guarantee that it will succeed. The only thing that is guaranteed is you will experience failures – and lots of them!

Setbacks never feel good, and it's difficult to not take them personally. They activate your inner critic and you start ruminating, “Does this mean I’m not good enough?” It took me a long time to understand that failure is a normal part of science. A mentor once told me that as scientists, we are on the very edge of knowledge. There is no handbook to tell us what we’ll need to do, because it’s never been done before.

Learning to reframe my failures as “reflection pit-stops” was essential for my progress as a student. I learned to ask myself: What’s the nugget of wisdom I can take from this setback? Can I integrate this lesson into the next iteration of my work? Or is it time to change course and try a different path?

In life, too, everyone’s path is different. Personal setbacks come in various forms – but just as in science, it’s important to pay attention and take the time to decide how you want to proceed. I think Oprah put it beautifully:

Lesson 2: For every positive, there's a negative

To be successful at research, you’ll need to know what’s already been published in the scientific literature about the topic. Having a broad view and a balanced understanding of the work that came before you is an essential step to seeing how your work should build on it.

Although scouring the literature is a necessary process, it can leave you with even more unanswered questions than you started with. Take, for example, the question: Is coffee good for your health? Some studies suggest it is, while others suggest the opposite. Confusing, right?

This realization taught me a few important truths. First, knowledge may not always be stable. Our understanding of the world around us can change if we create an innovative method that allows us to look at an old question at a different scale. Second, a one-size-fits-all model may not be the best approach to understanding how people operate.

When you dig deeper into the methods of research articles, you come to appreciate that drawing conclusions from experiments – even simple ones – is a complex process. For example, the same group of participants is typically not used from study to study. Is it possible that coffee may be good for certain groups of participants but not for others? Perhaps the answer is not a simple yes or no, but that it depends on how the coffee is consumed (for example: when, how much, or with what other foods). The differences in the studies could be contributing to the varying results.

Bringing nuance to all arenas of life is important – whether you’re doing research or you’re upset with a friend over a disagreement. Reflecting on the context helps bring clarity to the events in our lives.

Lesson 3: Trust the weight of the evidence

If studies are presenting mixed results, what do we choose to believe? Often, the correct answer doesn’t come from any one study, but from the weight of many studies that support one finding or another. Are you more likely to believe that climate change is largely caused by humans if thousands of studies support this finding compared with only a few studies that suggest otherwise?

Considering the weight of evidence is as important in life as it is in research. Many times, we get in our own heads about one thing or another. Are we good enough? Does that person like me? When this happens, ask yourself: “Does the weight of the evidence support my thoughts?” If not, it might be time to update your thoughts so they conform to the evidence.

Do you agree with my conclusions? Let me know if you have any thoughts about the lessons I've learned, and if they differ from the lessons you’ve picked up along your journey. 😊

Until next time!

Sivaniya

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