If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone and noticed that the person speaking made an obvious mistake (or you’ve done it), this book has the answer as to why that happens. Some chalk it up to old age or “haven’t had my coffee yet.” While these may be true in some instances, Chabris and Simons make a tremendous case for the fallibility of our everyday thought processes and how common assumptions can be dreadfully wrong.
The authors analyze the following “everyday illusions;” the illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential. These “illusions” skew our thinking and cause us to make unsafe and inaccurate decisions. Does your teen think he can listen to music and do his homework at the same time? Chabris and Simons prove that this cannot be done. Wonder why you can’t remember a person’s name or face immediately after meeting them? Our memories aren’t as sharp as we think. Wonder why confident people can also be terribly inept? It’s because we think that if you’re confident, you must know what you’re talking about. This is an illusion.
We are often fooled into thinking untruths are correct. Without any doubt, we believe them. Through Chabris & Simons’ analysis, you’ll see your own faulty thinking and gain useful clarity. We can’t outrun these illusions totally, but we can make more informed decisions in spite of them.
The authors use real examples to explain why a company would spend billions on a product even though their own analysts know it will fail. They also discuss why measles are making a comeback and why award-winning movies are full of mistakes. These are all the results of illusions. This isn’t simply an anecdotal book however. Real, laboratory studies are cited to prove their case.
The subtitle is, Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us. While reading, I couldn’t help but think about Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Blink is a powerfully charged book that discusses how people can accurately trust their gut or “intuition.” Gladwell calls it “thin slicing” or “rapid cognition.” He builds a strong case for being keenly aware of what your “little voice” is telling you. For instance, as psychologists are given more and more information to diagnose a client, they actually diagnose with less accuracy than when they are just given a few facts. (Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior also describes erroneous thinking and how to avoid it.)
In the final chapter, Chabris and Simons discuss the Gladwell book and use some of their own points to refute a few of his claims. However, they do give credence to Blink with the statement, “The key to successful decision-making, we believe, is knowing when to trust your intuition and when to be wary of it and do the hard work of thinking things through.” I believe Gladwell would agree.
What I didn’t like about the book was Chabris and Simons’ constant pandering to study and research as the only way to know anything, yet continue with describing the inherent flaws of such work. I understand scientific study as a basis for knowledge, but its limitations would make one wonder if we can know anything at all.
You should not use anecdotal evidence in making major decisions, but if something works for you, it works. That’s what matters in a lot of ways. . . and the ability to admit when you’re wrong.
