Julia Galef is co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality. She is a writer and public speaker on the topics of rationality, science, technology, and design.
Why you think you’re right – even if you’re wrong | Julia Galef (source)
Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs — or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France 
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She then goes on to explain the concept of motivated reasoning :
Finally, when your steadfast opinions are tested, Julia asks :
“What do you most yearn for?
Do you yearn to defend your own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you possibly can?”
Books: Julia Galef (1)
Videos: Julia Galef (2)
Image Credits: Midjourney
(Public Domain)
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. This week-long workshop offers a space to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience.