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After reading Good Thinking, you will be wiser in two ways: You will know how the best and brightest thinkers judge the ways we decide, argue, solve problems, and tell right from wrong. But you will also understand why, when we don't meet these standards, it is not always a bad thing. The answer is rooted in the way the human brain has been wired to make us kinder and more generous than economists think we ought to be, but more resistant to change and persuasion than we should be.
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Praise for Good Thinking
“This book is a must-read in uncertain times.” Philip Fernbach, cognitive scientist and Professor of Marketing, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, and co-author of the best-selling book The Knowledge Illusion
“I’d recommend this book as essential reading for courses on formal methods in reasoning and decision making.” Mike Oaksford, Professor of Psychology and Head of the Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
“Good Thinking provides scientifically grounded, practical knowledge to empower us to think clearly and rationally. A must-read for anyone interested in making good decisions in everyday lives.” Jean Decety, Irving Harris Distinguished Professor, University of Chicago, USA
‘This book makes all revival critical thinking textbooks obsolete. It combines the best work in game theory, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology.” Allen Buchanan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke University, USA, and Professor of Philosophy of International Law, King's College London, UK
“This book provides a fantastic tutorial to core thought modes that allow people to reflect on their thought processes. It is a valuable resource to anyone who wants to improve their reasoning.’ Art Markman, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA, and author of Bring Your Brain to Work, and co-host of Two Guys on Your Head
“Readers who immerse themselves in these ideas emerge with a priceless toolkit. How to play the game is then up to those who now have the tools.” W. Jake Jacobs, Professor of Psychology, University of Arizona
“This book is a must-read in uncertain times.” Philip Fernbach, cognitive scientist and Professor of Marketing, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, and co-author of the best-selling book The Knowledge Illusion
“I’d recommend this book as essential reading for courses on formal methods in reasoning and decision making.” Mike Oaksford, Professor of Psychology and Head of the Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
“Good Thinking provides scientifically grounded, practical knowledge to empower us to think clearly and rationally. A must-read for anyone interested in making good decisions in everyday lives.” Jean Decety, Irving Harris Distinguished Professor, University of Chicago, USA
‘This book makes all revival critical thinking textbooks obsolete. It combines the best work in game theory, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology, and social psychology.” Allen Buchanan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke University, USA, and Professor of Philosophy of International Law, King's College London, UK
“This book provides a fantastic tutorial to core thought modes that allow people to reflect on their thought processes. It is a valuable resource to anyone who wants to improve their reasoning.’ Art Markman, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, USA, and author of Bring Your Brain to Work, and co-host of Two Guys on Your Head
“Readers who immerse themselves in these ideas emerge with a priceless toolkit. How to play the game is then up to those who now have the tools.” W. Jake Jacobs, Professor of Psychology, University of Arizona
From the Preface of Good Thinking, 2nd Edition
Since the publication of the first edition of Good Thinking in 2012, we have become increasingly more tribal in our thinking: People have grown increasingly distrustful of reported facts that clash with their personal or political views, regardless of their veracity. We too often cavalierly dismiss such reports as “fake news” precisely because they don’t jibe with our beliefs.
For example, on June 26, 2019, Big League Politics posted an article claiming three migrants trying to enter the United States had been quarantined because they tested positive for Ebola. But government border officials had no record of this, and neither did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Despite this, the false report went viral on social media, and attempts to rein it in proved problematic. This is not an isolated case: A 2016 Pew poll found that nearly a quarter of Americans admitting to sharing made-up news stories.
In the 21st century, we define our tribes not through genetic kinship, but through shared beliefs. Someone who shares our beliefs is one of “us”, which immediately inspires our trust. Someone who doesn’t share our beliefs is one of “them”—an outsider who immediately triggers our distrust. These ideological tribes are most prominent on social media. As Matthew Syed, author of Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking, points out that, for all its promise of diversity and interconnection, the internet has become characterized by a new species of highly cohesive in-groups, linked not by kin or clan, but by ideological fine sorting. He refers to this phenomenon as “echo chambers” or “filter bubbles.”
Why have we become so tribal in our thinking? According to experts who study this phenomenon, the answer is as perplexing as it is simple: We feel threatened, and people become more tribal when they feel threatened. Read more...
Since the publication of the first edition of Good Thinking in 2012, we have become increasingly more tribal in our thinking: People have grown increasingly distrustful of reported facts that clash with their personal or political views, regardless of their veracity. We too often cavalierly dismiss such reports as “fake news” precisely because they don’t jibe with our beliefs.
For example, on June 26, 2019, Big League Politics posted an article claiming three migrants trying to enter the United States had been quarantined because they tested positive for Ebola. But government border officials had no record of this, and neither did the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Despite this, the false report went viral on social media, and attempts to rein it in proved problematic. This is not an isolated case: A 2016 Pew poll found that nearly a quarter of Americans admitting to sharing made-up news stories.
In the 21st century, we define our tribes not through genetic kinship, but through shared beliefs. Someone who shares our beliefs is one of “us”, which immediately inspires our trust. Someone who doesn’t share our beliefs is one of “them”—an outsider who immediately triggers our distrust. These ideological tribes are most prominent on social media. As Matthew Syed, author of Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking, points out that, for all its promise of diversity and interconnection, the internet has become characterized by a new species of highly cohesive in-groups, linked not by kin or clan, but by ideological fine sorting. He refers to this phenomenon as “echo chambers” or “filter bubbles.”
Why have we become so tribal in our thinking? According to experts who study this phenomenon, the answer is as perplexing as it is simple: We feel threatened, and people become more tribal when they feel threatened. Read more...
Seven Powerful Ideas That Changed the World
1. The game of logic – what follows from what.
2. Moral judgment – how we tell right from wrong.
3. Analogical reasoning – the heart and soul of insight, discovery, and genius.
4. Scientific reasoning – figuring out what causes what, and what to do about it.
5. Rational choice – choose what is most likely to give you what you most want.
6. Game theory – what to do when you’re not the only one making choices.
7. Creative problem-solving – the search for solutions to unwanted situations.
1. The game of logic – what follows from what.
2. Moral judgment – how we tell right from wrong.
3. Analogical reasoning – the heart and soul of insight, discovery, and genius.
4. Scientific reasoning – figuring out what causes what, and what to do about it.
5. Rational choice – choose what is most likely to give you what you most want.
6. Game theory – what to do when you’re not the only one making choices.
7. Creative problem-solving – the search for solutions to unwanted situations.