The Knowledge Delusion | Chapter | Conversational Leadership

Introduction: Knowledge Delusion We delude ourselves about what we know and how we make decisions

The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making What Are Beliefs? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close If we are to create a better world, we need to make better sense of things and improve the decisions we make, … Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Delusion We delude ourselves about what we know and how we make decisions

What Are Beliefs? Ideas that are held to be true but not necessarily supported by any evidence

Beliefs are ideas that we hold to be true. However, we have no evidence to support many of them. False beliefs lead us to the wrong conclusions. We need to question and challenge our beliefs continually. Continue reading What Are Beliefs? Ideas that are held to be true but not necessarily supported by any evidence

Three Forms of Reasoning Understanding deductive, inductive, and abductive logic

Making sound conclusions is crucial. Distinguishing between deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning clarifies how we derive these conclusions. Understanding these reasoning forms enhances logical thinking and decision-making. Continue reading Three Forms of Reasoning Understanding deductive, inductive, and abductive logic

Belief Systems Our beliefs are not isolated pieces of data that we can take and discard at will

Belief systems shape our understanding of reality. They are interconnected networks of ideas, not always accurate representations of truth. Examining and evolving our beliefs, while challenging, is crucial for personal growth and social progress. Continue reading Belief Systems Our beliefs are not isolated pieces of data that we can take and discard at will

Attitudes A tendency to think, or feel about someone or something in a certain way

Belief Systems What Are Mindsets? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close An attitude is a tendency to think or feel about someone or something in a certain way. Over time, we tend to form our attitudes from … Continue reading Attitudes A tendency to think, or feel about someone or something in a certain way

What Are Mindsets? Ways of thinking, mental inclinations, dispositions, or frames of mind

Attitudes Values Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Mindsets are our mental attitudes or approaches to a particular situation or task. They are shaped by our beliefs, values, and experiences and can impact our ability to adapt … Continue reading What Are Mindsets? Ways of thinking, mental inclinations, dispositions, or frames of mind

Values Values are beliefs we hold that something is good or desirable

What Are Mindsets? What Are Morals? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Values are the basis of personal and collective judgments about what is valuable in life. They influence our decision-making on all sorts of issues, primarily … Continue reading Values Values are beliefs we hold that something is good or desirable

What Are Morals? Principles of right or wrong behaviour

Values Knowledge and Information ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Morals are values. They are a set of principles that help us evaluate and distinguish right from wrong, good from bad for ourselves and society. What … Continue reading What Are Morals? Principles of right or wrong behaviour

Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

What Are Morals? The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Knowledge … Knowledge Our mind contains beliefs. We don’t know how these beliefs are stored, but it does not matter for my … Continue reading Knowledge and Information ** Knowledge and information are different substances

The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason We did not evolve to reason individually but to reason socially

Knowledge and Information ** The Knowledge Delusion Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The argumentative theory of reasoning proposes that reason did not evolve to help us to reason individually but to reason together – in other … Continue reading The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason We did not evolve to reason individually but to reason socially

The Knowledge Delusion We know far less than we think we do

The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason Knowledge Is Communal Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close As individuals, we know almost nothing compared to what we think we know. Our individual knowledge is mostly a delusion. We are … Continue reading The Knowledge Delusion We know far less than we think we do

Knowledge Is Communal Most of our knowledge resides in other people

The Knowledge Delusion The Extended Mind Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close We think we know more than we do, but most of our knowledge exists in the minds of others. This shared understanding allows us to … Continue reading Knowledge Is Communal Most of our knowledge resides in other people

The Extended Mind The power of distributed cognition

Knowledge Is Communal Opinion Polarization Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Knowledge and cognition extend beyond our brains, involving people and objects around us. This distributed cognition means our thinking and decision-making are influenced by external factors. … Continue reading The Extended Mind The power of distributed cognition

Opinion Polarization We are polarized across political, religious, moral, and racial divides

Polarization of opinions is becoming more prevalent in today’s society and is creating both unrest at the societal level as well as conflict within small groups with different views. Continue reading Opinion Polarization We are polarized across political, religious, moral, and racial divides

Rethinking Our Beliefs It is not easy to change our beliefs

Our beliefs are deeply rooted and are based on little evidence, yet we argue and fight over them. It is essential that we better understand the nature of our beliefs and how they are formed and learn to question and revise them. Continue reading Rethinking Our Beliefs It is not easy to change our beliefs

Trust & Belief Formation Trust plays a critical role in forming our beliefs

Rethinking Our Beliefs The Allure of Simple Stories Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close What we consider to be our personal knowledge is mostly a delusion. Most of the knowledge we think we own resides in other … Continue reading Trust & Belief Formation Trust plays a critical role in forming our beliefs

The Allure of Simple Stories We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification

Trust & Belief Formation Our Tribal Nature Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Many false beliefs feel convincing because they rest upon simple, appealing stories. We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification. What drives this … Continue reading The Allure of Simple Stories We tend to readily accept uncomplicated narratives without verification

Our Tribal Nature The human brain is hardwired to be tribal

The Allure of Simple Stories How Beliefs Shape Reasoning Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Humans are innately tribal. We need to belong to groups (tribes) and maintain fulfilling relationships with others. This need significantly impacts how … Continue reading Our Tribal Nature The human brain is hardwired to be tribal

How Beliefs Shape Reasoning How political views influence the way we interpret data

Our Tribal Nature Science Curiosity Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Political beliefs shape more than opinions—they can distort how we interpret facts. Research shows that even those skilled in numerical reasoning are not immune to this … Continue reading How Beliefs Shape Reasoning How political views influence the way we interpret data

Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure

How Beliefs Shape Reasoning Discrediting People ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Motivated reasoning is where we look for arguments in favor of conclusions we want to believe, regardless of the evidence. This is a primary … Continue reading Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure

Discrediting People ** Cause them to lose the respect or trust of others

Science Curiosity The Global Information Ecosystem Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close To discredit someone means to cause them to lose people’s respect or trust. We acquire most of our knowledge by accepting the beliefs of those … Continue reading Discrediting People ** Cause them to lose the respect or trust of others

The Global Information Ecosystem We live in a vast sea of information

Discrediting People ** Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The Global Information Ecosystem is a metaphor for the vast sea of interrelated, mainly digital information, in which we live. As we … Continue reading The Global Information Ecosystem We live in a vast sea of information

Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material

The Global Information Ecosystem Uncertainty ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Information pollution is the contamination of information with false and misleading material. Pollution of the info-ecosystem The quality of the information in our global information … Continue reading Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material

Uncertainty ** Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information

Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem Filter Bubbles, Epistemic Bubbles and Echo Chambers Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information. Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information. … Continue reading Uncertainty ** Uncertainty refers to situations involving imperfect or unknown information

Filter Bubbles, Epistemic Bubbles and Echo Chambers Distort the reality of the world

Online platforms personalize content based on past behavior, shaping what information we see. This creates filter bubbles and epistemic bubbles, limiting exposure to diverse perspectives. Recognizing these patterns helps break out of intellectual isolation and engage with broader viewpoints. Continue reading Filter Bubbles, Epistemic Bubbles and Echo Chambers Distort the reality of the world

What Are Cognitive Biases? Mistakes in reasoning, evaluating or remembering

Filter Bubbles, Epistemic Bubbles and Echo Chambers Motivated Reasoning ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts or tendencies that our brain uses to process information and make judgments. They can lead us … Continue reading What Are Cognitive Biases? Mistakes in reasoning, evaluating or remembering

Motivated Reasoning ** Leads people to confirm what they already believe, while ignoring contrary data

What Are Cognitive Biases? The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Motivated reasoning is a cognitive bias in which an individual’s desire to believe or not believe in something influences their interpretation … Continue reading Motivated Reasoning ** Leads people to confirm what they already believe, while ignoring contrary data

The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making The terms have distinct meanings

Motivated Reasoning ** Introduction: Knowledge Delusion Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Sense-making and meaning-making are two terms that are often confused or used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Sense-making Sense-making is defined in many ways. … Continue reading The Difference Between Sense-making and Meaning-making The terms have distinct meanings

Virtual Conversations

The Two Pillars of Truth