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The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others
A cutting-edge, research-based inquiry into how we influence those around us and how understanding the brain can help us change minds for the better.
In The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We all have a duty to affect others—from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? It turns out that many of our instincts—from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control—are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how people's minds operate. Sharot shows us how to avoid these pitfalls, and how an attempt to change beliefs and actions is successful when it is well-matched with the core elements that govern the human brain.
Sharot reveals the critical role of emotion in influence, the weakness of data and the power of curiosity. Relying on the latest research in neuroscience, behavioral economics and psychology, the book provides fascinating insight into the complex power of influence, good and bad.
Praise for The Influential Mind
Winner of the 2018 British Psychological Society Book Award
Selected as a Best Book of 2017 by Forbes, The Times (UK), The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Greater Good Magazine, Inc., Stanford Business School,and more
"Sharot . . . covers the topic more fully and more authoritatively in a book whose title gives appropriately equal billing to thought, behavior and neurons. . . . Her book is a witty survey of techniques to influence and guide human behavior." —The New York Times Book Review
"This timely, intriguing book explains why it's so difficult to shift the attitudes and actions of others—and what we can do about it." —Adam Grant, New York Times–bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
In The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We all have a duty to affect others—from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? It turns out that many of our instincts—from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control—are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how people's minds operate. Sharot shows us how to avoid these pitfalls, and how an attempt to change beliefs and actions is successful when it is well-matched with the core elements that govern the human brain.
Sharot reveals the critical role of emotion in influence, the weakness of data and the power of curiosity. Relying on the latest research in neuroscience, behavioral economics and psychology, the book provides fascinating insight into the complex power of influence, good and bad.
Praise for The Influential Mind
Winner of the 2018 British Psychological Society Book Award
Selected as a Best Book of 2017 by Forbes, The Times (UK), The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Greater Good Magazine, Inc., Stanford Business School,and more
"Sharot . . . covers the topic more fully and more authoritatively in a book whose title gives appropriately equal billing to thought, behavior and neurons. . . . Her book is a witty survey of techniques to influence and guide human behavior." —The New York Times Book Review
"This timely, intriguing book explains why it's so difficult to shift the attitudes and actions of others—and what we can do about it." —Adam Grant, New York Times–bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
November 2, 2017
This book is interesting and can be finished in a short time. So to influence others:
1. Find common ground: to convince a parent to let their children receive vaccines, focus on the benefits; no point debunking the myths.
2. Go for the emotion like Donald Trump, not logic or balanced arguments.
3. Use praise and evoke nice outcomes to make people do something; use fear to make people do nothing
4. Tell them a lot of other people have chosen the same thing/ done the same thing
5. We only want to hear good news, until we know disaster is going to be inevitable; then we will take the bad news in stride to prepare for the future
6. Pleasant images sell more of anything
The second part of the book was more about psychology. Should we rely on the Wisdom of crowds or the minority report? Just ask everyone what others think. The choice with the higher than expected proportion is the right answer.
Overall an authentic book because the author was involved in a lot of the experiments herself. It is useful to anyone who needs to influence others.
1. Find common ground: to convince a parent to let their children receive vaccines, focus on the benefits; no point debunking the myths.
2. Go for the emotion like Donald Trump, not logic or balanced arguments.
3. Use praise and evoke nice outcomes to make people do something; use fear to make people do nothing
4. Tell them a lot of other people have chosen the same thing/ done the same thing
5. We only want to hear good news, until we know disaster is going to be inevitable; then we will take the bad news in stride to prepare for the future
6. Pleasant images sell more of anything
The second part of the book was more about psychology. Should we rely on the Wisdom of crowds or the minority report? Just ask everyone what others think. The choice with the higher than expected proportion is the right answer.
Overall an authentic book because the author was involved in a lot of the experiments herself. It is useful to anyone who needs to influence others.
September 23, 2024
مغز تاثیرگذار کتابی خواندنی دربارهی تاثیرگیری و تاثیرگذاری مغز انسانهاست. مغزی که اونقدری که ما فکر میکنیم و روش حساب باز میکنیم، با عقل و منطق تصمیم نمیگیره و متأثر از عوامل دیگریه
در بخش اول نویسنده این مسئله رو بررسی میکنه که ما تا چه اندازه به شواهد و مستندات اعتماد میکنیم و براساس اونها تصمیمگیری میکنیم. بخش دوم به تاثیر احساسات بر متقاعد شدن انسانها میپردازه و توضیح میده که خیلی اوقات برای ترغیب کردن افراد باید به جای منطقشون، عواطفشون رو تحریک کرد. بخش بعدی به وسواس انسانها برای داشتن کنترل و انتخاب میپردازه و اینکه در نظر گرفتن قدرت انتخاب در متقاعد کردن افراد مهمه. بخش پنج به سراغ «بارِ دانستن» میره. با اینکه در ظاهر انسانها همیشه به دنبال دادههای بیشتر هستند، حقیقت اینه که در خیلی از اوقات ترجیحشون ندانستنه و چشمهاشون رو به روی حقیقت میبندند. بخش شش در مورد مغزیه که تحت فشار و استرس قرار گرفته و به همین سبب عملکرد بسیار متفاوتی داره. بخشهای هفت و هشت به موضوع مهم تاثیر دیگران میپردازند و اینکه «خرد جمعی» همیشه هم خردمندانه نیست. در آخرین بخش هم نویسنده در مورد آینده صحبت میکنه و دربارهی جابجایی مغز انسان و گذاشتنش در یک بدن دیگه گمانهزنی میکنه
خیلی از ایدههای این کتاب رو در کتابهای دیگه خونده بودم، اما با این وجود مطالب زیادی هم داشت که برای بار اول بهش برمیخوردم. علاوه بر این، تالی شاروت واقعاً نویسندهی خوبیه و کتاب منظم و قابل درکی رو عرضه کرده. به نظرم مسئلهی «تاثیر» از موضوعات مهم جهان مدرنه و نگاه کردن بهش از جنبهی مغز واقعاً جالبه
کتاب رو میتونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books
۱۴۰۳/۷/۲
در بخش اول نویسنده این مسئله رو بررسی میکنه که ما تا چه اندازه به شواهد و مستندات اعتماد میکنیم و براساس اونها تصمیمگیری میکنیم. بخش دوم به تاثیر احساسات بر متقاعد شدن انسانها میپردازه و توضیح میده که خیلی اوقات برای ترغیب کردن افراد باید به جای منطقشون، عواطفشون رو تحریک کرد. بخش بعدی به وسواس انسانها برای داشتن کنترل و انتخاب میپردازه و اینکه در نظر گرفتن قدرت انتخاب در متقاعد کردن افراد مهمه. بخش پنج به سراغ «بارِ دانستن» میره. با اینکه در ظاهر انسانها همیشه به دنبال دادههای بیشتر هستند، حقیقت اینه که در خیلی از اوقات ترجیحشون ندانستنه و چشمهاشون رو به روی حقیقت میبندند. بخش شش در مورد مغزیه که تحت فشار و استرس قرار گرفته و به همین سبب عملکرد بسیار متفاوتی داره. بخشهای هفت و هشت به موضوع مهم تاثیر دیگران میپردازند و اینکه «خرد جمعی» همیشه هم خردمندانه نیست. در آخرین بخش هم نویسنده در مورد آینده صحبت میکنه و دربارهی جابجایی مغز انسان و گذاشتنش در یک بدن دیگه گمانهزنی میکنه
خیلی از ایدههای این کتاب رو در کتابهای دیگه خونده بودم، اما با این وجود مطالب زیادی هم داشت که برای بار اول بهش برمیخوردم. علاوه بر این، تالی شاروت واقعاً نویسندهی خوبیه و کتاب منظم و قابل درکی رو عرضه کرده. به نظرم مسئلهی «تاثیر» از موضوعات مهم جهان مدرنه و نگاه کردن بهش از جنبهی مغز واقعاً جالبه
کتاب رو میتونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books
۱۴۰۳/۷/۲
June 3, 2018
I read too many books on minds and brains so this is, again, a repetition of a lot of what I have read in the last few months. Concepts like group think, anchoring, etc. I wouldn't say this book is not good, if this is your first few books on mind/brain exploration on behaviour and decision making, I believe you will be enlightened.
March 7, 2026
Bol örnekli, kötü çizimli, biz nörobilimci olmayan fanilerin de beynin çalışma şeklini anlayabileceği basitlikte yazılmış ilgi çekici bir kitap. Notları da buraya bırakayım.
-Çoğu zaman birini ikna etmeye çalışırken kendi aklımıza güveniriz. Karşımızdakine bolca veri, mantıklı argüman ve somut gerçekler sunarsak onun da bizim gibi düşüneceğini varsayarız. Ancak nörobilim, insanların sadece kuru verilerle ve mantıkla karar vermediğini gösterir.
-Başkalarının aklı bizim beklediğimiz gibi rasyonel ve objektif bir bilgisayar gibi çalışmaz. İnsan zihni, duygulardan, daha önceden sahip olduğu köklü inançlardan, korkulardan, ödül beklentilerinden ve sosyal çevreden derinden etkilenir. Başarılı bir şekilde etki yaratmak istiyorsak kendi aklımızın sınırlarından çıkıp karşımızdaki kişinin zihinsel süreçleriyle empati kurmamız gerekir. İkna süreci sizin ne kadar haklı olduğunuzla ilgili değil, karşınızdakinin o bilgiyi zihninde nasıl işlediğiyle ilgilidir.
-Birini ikna etmeye çalışırken “Benim elimdeki kanıtlar ne kadar güçlü?” diye düşünmeyi bırakıp “Karşımdaki kişinin beyni şu an ne hissediyor, neyden korkuyor ve neye ihtiyaç duyuyor?” düşünmeye başlamalıyız. İkna, haklı çıkma savaşı değil, karşındakinin zihniyle uyumlanma sanatıdır.
-Birisi bir konuya duygusal olarak bağlıysa veya köklü bir inancı varsa, ona tam tersini ispatlayan bilimsel kanıtlar sunmak onu ikna etmez. Aksine, beyni bir savunma mekanizması geliştirir ve kişi kendi fikrine daha sıkı sarılır (buna “geri tepme etkisi” denir). Bu yüzden kanıtları bir silah gibi kullanmak yerine, karşımızdaki kişiyle anlaşabileceğimiz ortak bir zemin bulmaya odaklanmalıyız.
-Uyarılar ve kötü senaryolar (kanser olursun, iflas edersin, sınıfta kalırsın) insan beyninde stresi artırarak eylemsizliğe, “donakalma” tepkisine yol açar. İnsanların bir şey yapmasını istiyorsanız onlara felaketleri değil, elde edecekleri anlık ödülleri, gelişimi ve olumlu sonuçları göstermelisiniz.
-İnsan beyni, çevresi üzerinde kontrol sahibi olmaktan büyük bir haz alır. Birine doğrudan “Şunu yap!” demek, onun özerkliğine tehdit oluşturur ve direnç yaratır. Bunun yerine onlara seçenekler sunarak veya yönlendirici sorular sorarak, kararı kendilerinin verdiğini hissettirmelisiniz. İnsanlar kendi buldukları veya seçtikleri fikirlere çok daha kolay ikna olurlar.
-Beyinlerimiz, iletişim kurduğumuz insanların duygusal durumuyla senkronize olma (uyumlanma) eğilimindedir. Eğer siz tutkulu, heyecanlı veya empatikseniz karşınızdakinin beyni de bu duyguları kopyalar. Kuru bir mantıktansa güçlü bir hikaye ve duygu paylaşımı kitleleri harekete geçirmekte her zaman daha başarılıdır.
-İnsanlar kendilerini kötü hissettirecek gerçekleri görmezden gelmeye (devekuşu etkisi) çok meyillidir. Bu yüzden iletmek istediğiniz mesajı, onların bir açığını yüzlerine vuran bir tehdit gibi değil, meraklarını cezbedecek ve hayatlarını iyileştirecek olumlu bir fırsat olarak çerçevelemelisiniz.
-Çoğu zaman birini ikna etmeye çalışırken kendi aklımıza güveniriz. Karşımızdakine bolca veri, mantıklı argüman ve somut gerçekler sunarsak onun da bizim gibi düşüneceğini varsayarız. Ancak nörobilim, insanların sadece kuru verilerle ve mantıkla karar vermediğini gösterir.
-Başkalarının aklı bizim beklediğimiz gibi rasyonel ve objektif bir bilgisayar gibi çalışmaz. İnsan zihni, duygulardan, daha önceden sahip olduğu köklü inançlardan, korkulardan, ödül beklentilerinden ve sosyal çevreden derinden etkilenir. Başarılı bir şekilde etki yaratmak istiyorsak kendi aklımızın sınırlarından çıkıp karşımızdaki kişinin zihinsel süreçleriyle empati kurmamız gerekir. İkna süreci sizin ne kadar haklı olduğunuzla ilgili değil, karşınızdakinin o bilgiyi zihninde nasıl işlediğiyle ilgilidir.
-Birini ikna etmeye çalışırken “Benim elimdeki kanıtlar ne kadar güçlü?” diye düşünmeyi bırakıp “Karşımdaki kişinin beyni şu an ne hissediyor, neyden korkuyor ve neye ihtiyaç duyuyor?” düşünmeye başlamalıyız. İkna, haklı çıkma savaşı değil, karşındakinin zihniyle uyumlanma sanatıdır.
-Birisi bir konuya duygusal olarak bağlıysa veya köklü bir inancı varsa, ona tam tersini ispatlayan bilimsel kanıtlar sunmak onu ikna etmez. Aksine, beyni bir savunma mekanizması geliştirir ve kişi kendi fikrine daha sıkı sarılır (buna “geri tepme etkisi” denir). Bu yüzden kanıtları bir silah gibi kullanmak yerine, karşımızdaki kişiyle anlaşabileceğimiz ortak bir zemin bulmaya odaklanmalıyız.
-Uyarılar ve kötü senaryolar (kanser olursun, iflas edersin, sınıfta kalırsın) insan beyninde stresi artırarak eylemsizliğe, “donakalma” tepkisine yol açar. İnsanların bir şey yapmasını istiyorsanız onlara felaketleri değil, elde edecekleri anlık ödülleri, gelişimi ve olumlu sonuçları göstermelisiniz.
-İnsan beyni, çevresi üzerinde kontrol sahibi olmaktan büyük bir haz alır. Birine doğrudan “Şunu yap!” demek, onun özerkliğine tehdit oluşturur ve direnç yaratır. Bunun yerine onlara seçenekler sunarak veya yönlendirici sorular sorarak, kararı kendilerinin verdiğini hissettirmelisiniz. İnsanlar kendi buldukları veya seçtikleri fikirlere çok daha kolay ikna olurlar.
-Beyinlerimiz, iletişim kurduğumuz insanların duygusal durumuyla senkronize olma (uyumlanma) eğilimindedir. Eğer siz tutkulu, heyecanlı veya empatikseniz karşınızdakinin beyni de bu duyguları kopyalar. Kuru bir mantıktansa güçlü bir hikaye ve duygu paylaşımı kitleleri harekete geçirmekte her zaman daha başarılıdır.
-İnsanlar kendilerini kötü hissettirecek gerçekleri görmezden gelmeye (devekuşu etkisi) çok meyillidir. Bu yüzden iletmek istediğiniz mesajı, onların bir açığını yüzlerine vuran bir tehdit gibi değil, meraklarını cezbedecek ve hayatlarını iyileştirecek olumlu bir fırsat olarak çerçevelemelisiniz.
September 18, 2017
This is one of my favorite reads so far this year. We think we know how to influence, but the human brain keeps surprising us. Perhaps it even evolved not to be rational but to be good at motivating others through whatever means works. Maybe we manipulate the facts and re-order them to fit the picture that is simplest, or our favorite, or easiest to follow. Our minds can exhibit some surprising logic, though for good reason. Read this and you'll find new ideas for helping people overcome well-established prior beliefs. You'll learn how to negotiate when the asks seem mutually exclusive. You'll understand how humans' seeking pleasure and avoiding pain imply different motivation tactics to fit the situation. The thoughtful leader will appreciate these concepts and several others. This is a valuable book.
May 6, 2018
Imagine it is 2015. You make a prediction that Donald Trump is going to win the 2016 presidential election because he has a better understanding of how to influence people than Hillary Clinton. Would most people have laughed you out of the room? Maybe in 2015; not in 2018.
This book essentially builds from this premise, using a multitude of research studies to support its thesis on how to influence people.
Notes from my key learnings:
1. Use fear rather than hope when you would like people to do nothing and they are anxious (Ex: anti-vaccine movement). p. 5
2. "One of the most powerful ways to communicate ideas effectively is to share feelings" p. 34
3. "Immediate rewards can often be more effective than future punishment" p. 60
4. There is value in positive images. Consider this with crowdfunding requests....show smiles, not pain. This is based upon the nucleus accumbens "reward center" of the brain. p.68
5. "Ikea Effect" -- "people value things they create themselves more than the exact same items created by someone else" p.99
6. There is value in simply reminding people that they have control and choice.
7. Information gaps are discomforting; filling them leads to comfort. This is the underlying premise of clickbait. p. 110 ....followed by this quote on p. 111 "Once we are told what we do not know, we want to know."
8. People seek out positive info and tend to ignore negative info. p. 122
9. Nice summary paragraph regarding communication o p. 128
10. Great stories on Cal winning, then losing p. 137-139, and on Michael Chang winning on French Open on p. 42. Two of most compelling examples in book. I will use them in future talks.
11. Brand yourself with images of others. eg. Apple computer and Einstein and Edison. p. 155
12. "Our brain operates according to the rule that what is desired by others is likely valuable" p 157
13. Emphasize social behavior of others. eg. "9/10 people prefer [choice x]" p. 159
14. "The ability of one person, one rating, to influence so many others that follow is quite remarkable" p. 161
15. JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stones was rejected by 12 editors at different publishing houses until accepted by Barry Cunningham at Bloomsbury Publishing. He accepted it b/c of review from Alice Newton, the 8-year old daughter of Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury's chairman. p. 174
16. Wisdom from crowds occurs when assessments are independent of one another. So what does this mean in practice? Don't use audience response systems and show responses in real time. p. 179
17. "Unlike thermometers, we are social creatures, and our default setting is to interact" How to use this in practice? When recruiting, seek out opinions about candidates who are interviewing from interviewers individually before discussing them with one another. p. 180
18. Beware of equality bias. Weight people's opinions according to their expertise on the topic, not according to the number of people with opinions. p. 191
As shown above, lots of good stuff in this book! The problem was that the stories in the book always trumped the often boring details of the experimental protocols of the psychology studies that were presented. I found myself skimming the studies, trying to get to the stories.
Summary of the book: Stories influence people because of emotional connection, not data from studies. Going meta: the book itself incorporates both approaches, with predictable outcomes.....a joy to read its stories, while reading the studies felt like homework.
This book essentially builds from this premise, using a multitude of research studies to support its thesis on how to influence people.
Notes from my key learnings:
1. Use fear rather than hope when you would like people to do nothing and they are anxious (Ex: anti-vaccine movement). p. 5
2. "One of the most powerful ways to communicate ideas effectively is to share feelings" p. 34
3. "Immediate rewards can often be more effective than future punishment" p. 60
4. There is value in positive images. Consider this with crowdfunding requests....show smiles, not pain. This is based upon the nucleus accumbens "reward center" of the brain. p.68
5. "Ikea Effect" -- "people value things they create themselves more than the exact same items created by someone else" p.99
6. There is value in simply reminding people that they have control and choice.
7. Information gaps are discomforting; filling them leads to comfort. This is the underlying premise of clickbait. p. 110 ....followed by this quote on p. 111 "Once we are told what we do not know, we want to know."
8. People seek out positive info and tend to ignore negative info. p. 122
9. Nice summary paragraph regarding communication o p. 128
10. Great stories on Cal winning, then losing p. 137-139, and on Michael Chang winning on French Open on p. 42. Two of most compelling examples in book. I will use them in future talks.
11. Brand yourself with images of others. eg. Apple computer and Einstein and Edison. p. 155
12. "Our brain operates according to the rule that what is desired by others is likely valuable" p 157
13. Emphasize social behavior of others. eg. "9/10 people prefer [choice x]" p. 159
14. "The ability of one person, one rating, to influence so many others that follow is quite remarkable" p. 161
15. JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stones was rejected by 12 editors at different publishing houses until accepted by Barry Cunningham at Bloomsbury Publishing. He accepted it b/c of review from Alice Newton, the 8-year old daughter of Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury's chairman. p. 174
16. Wisdom from crowds occurs when assessments are independent of one another. So what does this mean in practice? Don't use audience response systems and show responses in real time. p. 179
17. "Unlike thermometers, we are social creatures, and our default setting is to interact" How to use this in practice? When recruiting, seek out opinions about candidates who are interviewing from interviewers individually before discussing them with one another. p. 180
18. Beware of equality bias. Weight people's opinions according to their expertise on the topic, not according to the number of people with opinions. p. 191
As shown above, lots of good stuff in this book! The problem was that the stories in the book always trumped the often boring details of the experimental protocols of the psychology studies that were presented. I found myself skimming the studies, trying to get to the stories.
Summary of the book: Stories influence people because of emotional connection, not data from studies. Going meta: the book itself incorporates both approaches, with predictable outcomes.....a joy to read its stories, while reading the studies felt like homework.
September 17, 2018
Fikir değiştirmenin bilişsel süreçleriyle ilgili mutlaka okunması gereken toparlayıcı bir kitap. Fakat eğer bu konuda bol bol kitap/makale okuduysanız tekrarlarla dolu bulacaksınız. Yine de bu tekrarlar içeriğin gereksiz spekülasyondan uzak ve kesin yargılara temkinli yaklaşımını gölgelemesin. Çok ideal bir denge tutturmuş bana göre.
Tali Sharot'un akıcı anlatımı, Tevfik Uyar'ın da güzel çevirisi sayesinde de rahat okunuyor.
Tali Sharot'un akıcı anlatımı, Tevfik Uyar'ın da güzel çevirisi sayesinde de rahat okunuyor.
September 10, 2018
A good reminder of basic psychological traits that are ingrained in us. However nothing really new, most of what was presented can be found in Influence by Caldini or Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahlaman.
Might be a good intro into the topic for those who haven't read the mentioned books.
Might be a good intro into the topic for those who haven't read the mentioned books.
May 2, 2020
Bir etki yaratmada, başkalarını değiştirmekte ya da sistematik hatalardan uzak durabilmek için beynin ve zihnin işleyişi hakkında derinlemesine bilgiler veren bir kitap. Konu bilimsel işlenmesine rağmen okuması çok kolay, bu noktada Tevfik Uyar çevirisi olmasının da etkisi büyük. Büyük fayda sağladım ve çok şey öğrendim.
November 4, 2018
Not too much new here for those familiar with the basic tenets of modern neuroscience but here’s a quick summary of my take-aways:
1. Confirmation bias – prior opinions are hard to change. Smarter people are more adept at re-interpreting or discrediting data (for worse and for better). We are hardwired to respond more to emotional appeals than data-based ones. Beware the boomerang effect: contradictory data may cause the person to entrench into their opinion more. Solution: find common ground
2. Power of emotion. Emotions are contagious and motivating. Mirroring others’ emotions is instinctive and one of the reasons a powerful speech can be so motivating.
3. Immediate positive feedback is much more effective than punitive or delayed rewards. We are hardwired to move forward toward pleasure and freeze at danger.
4. Agency. People like to feel in control by making decisions. Even if the control is not real, they are happier and healthier if they believe themselves to be in control.
5. Curiosity. People tend to avoid bad news and go through greater length to find good news.
6. State of mind. If you are anxious or stressed, you will make more conservative decisions and take fewer risks. You will react differently to same news depending on your state of mind.
7. Influence of others. Not only do you project your own mind into the decision of others, but you are always being influenced by the actions of others.
8. Beware the majority. Crowd mentality is not always right even though it is very persuasive. If the conclusions are being reached independently then an average is fine – otherwise beware the power of one person's expressed opinion to influence their neighbor. People tend to project a correlation or causation even when there is not one.
Most interesting item in book to me: the “surprisingly popular” vote is often the best bet. Do not go with the majority but also ask “what do you think other will think is the right choice?”. The surprising popular choice (often correct if there are hidden experts in the group) is the one that received far more votes than expected the “what will other think?” choices would indicate (experts or insiders will know what the naïve will say but the reverse is not true).
9. Last chapter is really about the embodied mind and how physical changes within the brain is what thinking is. Ends with the point that when you influence someone else, you are physically changing their brain in some way (and, in the future, we could do this technologically).
I didn’t find the chapters to be as well themed as implied – more of a hodge-podge of observations, conclusion, anecdotes, and experiments. Interesting tid-bits here and there, but not a powerful read overall unless the idea of an embodied mind that is driven primarily by emotion and evolution is new to you.
1. Confirmation bias – prior opinions are hard to change. Smarter people are more adept at re-interpreting or discrediting data (for worse and for better). We are hardwired to respond more to emotional appeals than data-based ones. Beware the boomerang effect: contradictory data may cause the person to entrench into their opinion more. Solution: find common ground
2. Power of emotion. Emotions are contagious and motivating. Mirroring others’ emotions is instinctive and one of the reasons a powerful speech can be so motivating.
3. Immediate positive feedback is much more effective than punitive or delayed rewards. We are hardwired to move forward toward pleasure and freeze at danger.
4. Agency. People like to feel in control by making decisions. Even if the control is not real, they are happier and healthier if they believe themselves to be in control.
5. Curiosity. People tend to avoid bad news and go through greater length to find good news.
6. State of mind. If you are anxious or stressed, you will make more conservative decisions and take fewer risks. You will react differently to same news depending on your state of mind.
7. Influence of others. Not only do you project your own mind into the decision of others, but you are always being influenced by the actions of others.
8. Beware the majority. Crowd mentality is not always right even though it is very persuasive. If the conclusions are being reached independently then an average is fine – otherwise beware the power of one person's expressed opinion to influence their neighbor. People tend to project a correlation or causation even when there is not one.
Most interesting item in book to me: the “surprisingly popular” vote is often the best bet. Do not go with the majority but also ask “what do you think other will think is the right choice?”. The surprising popular choice (often correct if there are hidden experts in the group) is the one that received far more votes than expected the “what will other think?” choices would indicate (experts or insiders will know what the naïve will say but the reverse is not true).
9. Last chapter is really about the embodied mind and how physical changes within the brain is what thinking is. Ends with the point that when you influence someone else, you are physically changing their brain in some way (and, in the future, we could do this technologically).
I didn’t find the chapters to be as well themed as implied – more of a hodge-podge of observations, conclusion, anecdotes, and experiments. Interesting tid-bits here and there, but not a powerful read overall unless the idea of an embodied mind that is driven primarily by emotion and evolution is new to you.
October 7, 2017
Notes from influential mind:
Although widely used in politics. Fear is not always the the best strategy for persuasion. It works well when the subject is anxious or weak.
Scientific data is not the best way to convince others to change their mind.
The intelligent individuals are more likely to discredit the data that support the opinions that they disagree with.
Instead of finding data to support the opposite idea so that you can change the mind of people that disagree with you. Focusing on finding the mutual goal as your argument and emphasize on that is a better approach.
Emotion is very powerful. That’s why speeches and stories play a important role in influencing people.
Sharing ideas takes time but sharing emotions can be instant.
Your emotions can affect others so be thoughtful. Your emotions are contagious!
Children are more likely to develop anxiety and become less social if their parents are stressed around them. Although not always easy parents should try to regulate their emotions before interacting with their children.
Human brain is more used to go forward for reward than to avoid loss.
It’s very hard to adapt to a no-go for rewards.
People freeze when in fear. That’s the instinct to hide from predators.
Delayed gratification works when people are in a trusting environment. Otherwise they are more likely to choose instant gratification.
The sense of control is rewarding for human beings.
Giving out control can be very powerful
An interesting example is letting the picky kid make her own salad to get her to eat more greens
That’s why people love choices even sometimes when the choices are not real. While too many choices can be overwhelming.
Be aware of your thoughts. You are influenced unknowingly.
Although widely used in politics. Fear is not always the the best strategy for persuasion. It works well when the subject is anxious or weak.
Scientific data is not the best way to convince others to change their mind.
The intelligent individuals are more likely to discredit the data that support the opinions that they disagree with.
Instead of finding data to support the opposite idea so that you can change the mind of people that disagree with you. Focusing on finding the mutual goal as your argument and emphasize on that is a better approach.
Emotion is very powerful. That’s why speeches and stories play a important role in influencing people.
Sharing ideas takes time but sharing emotions can be instant.
Your emotions can affect others so be thoughtful. Your emotions are contagious!
Children are more likely to develop anxiety and become less social if their parents are stressed around them. Although not always easy parents should try to regulate their emotions before interacting with their children.
Human brain is more used to go forward for reward than to avoid loss.
It’s very hard to adapt to a no-go for rewards.
People freeze when in fear. That’s the instinct to hide from predators.
Delayed gratification works when people are in a trusting environment. Otherwise they are more likely to choose instant gratification.
The sense of control is rewarding for human beings.
Giving out control can be very powerful
An interesting example is letting the picky kid make her own salad to get her to eat more greens
That’s why people love choices even sometimes when the choices are not real. While too many choices can be overwhelming.
Be aware of your thoughts. You are influenced unknowingly.
April 15, 2020
ספר מעולה ממש, מרתק ומחדש. קראתי לא מעט ספרים על הנושא, אבל זה אחד הטובים ביותר שקראתי. מאוד רלוונטי לימינו, הנושאים מוצגים בצורה בהירה, ברורה ומצוינת, למדתי ועלו לי למודעות דברים חדשים. ממש ממש ממליצה.
September 9, 2019
Not alarak okuduğum çok başarılı bir kitap. Beni etkileyen ifadelerden birini paylaşmak istiyorum.
“Kişilerin eylemlerini kontrol edebilmek için onlara kontrol duygusu vermelisiniz.
İnsanlara emir vermek yerine eylemlilik hissi temin etmek onları nihai hedefe yönlendirmede daha başarılıdır. “
“Kişilerin eylemlerini kontrol edebilmek için onlara kontrol duygusu vermelisiniz.
İnsanlara emir vermek yerine eylemlilik hissi temin etmek onları nihai hedefe yönlendirmede daha başarılıdır. “
December 8, 2017
Lightweight Pop Science
Anecdotes stand in for data and generalities for prescription in this book. I hoped for guidance and was given cartoons.
Anecdotes stand in for data and generalities for prescription in this book. I hoped for guidance and was given cartoons.
March 13, 2020
Learnt a lot about influence psychology. This is good to know for both work and life.
1) Evidence doesn't change beliefs, emotion does. People search for data to confirm what they already believe, counter evidence does little to convince us otherwise. We respond better to emotions.
2) Fear breeds inaction, rewards breed motivation. Instead "Wash hands" warnings, points systems are more effective at getting folks to exercise hygiene.
3) Joy of agency and control. All things equal, folks would rather have control even if it leads worse outcomes eg stock picking.
4) Curiosity: We are likely to read "Did you know?" articles, irrespective of the subject matter because they tap into our natural tendency for curiosity.
5) Stress (Under stress we are influenceable, more likely to take risks when happy)
6) Social learning (As social creatures, we involuntarily absorb opinions from our network without reason)
7) The future of influence (direct brain signals?)
1) Evidence doesn't change beliefs, emotion does. People search for data to confirm what they already believe, counter evidence does little to convince us otherwise. We respond better to emotions.
2) Fear breeds inaction, rewards breed motivation. Instead "Wash hands" warnings, points systems are more effective at getting folks to exercise hygiene.
3) Joy of agency and control. All things equal, folks would rather have control even if it leads worse outcomes eg stock picking.
4) Curiosity: We are likely to read "Did you know?" articles, irrespective of the subject matter because they tap into our natural tendency for curiosity.
5) Stress (Under stress we are influenceable, more likely to take risks when happy)
6) Social learning (As social creatures, we involuntarily absorb opinions from our network without reason)
7) The future of influence (direct brain signals?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2023
Harika bir okuma oldu.
June 17, 2018
The book is about how inflexible and irrational human brain can be sometimes. Once we make up our mind about something, it can be extremely difficult to change that opinion, whether it is about a movie, a book or political candidate. Our brain also seeks information that reaffirms our views instead of information that contradicts it. The best way to make somebody change their mind is to present equally valid facts to the contrary instead of attacking their beliefs directly. “When an established belief is difficult to weed out, seeding a new one may be the answer.”
Also, and this is something we tend to forget, people’s brains are emotionally connected to each other and therefore, good and bad moods are contagious. It is hence, very important to be mindful of our own feelings in a group setting.
And lastly, people are happier when they feel in control. That is why it is so difficult to make somebody do something by just telling them what to do. The best way is to issue orders in such a way that they feel in charge.
Overall, the book is well researched and well written. I enjoyed reading it. One of my favorites.
Also, and this is something we tend to forget, people’s brains are emotionally connected to each other and therefore, good and bad moods are contagious. It is hence, very important to be mindful of our own feelings in a group setting.
And lastly, people are happier when they feel in control. That is why it is so difficult to make somebody do something by just telling them what to do. The best way is to issue orders in such a way that they feel in charge.
Overall, the book is well researched and well written. I enjoyed reading it. One of my favorites.
December 26, 2017
This was a fascinating insight into how our brains work and how we can influence others, as well as how they influence us. I appreciate Sharot's use of research and stories to present her thesis. Our brains are a powerful organ, and our ability to influence one another is truly fascinating. This was an easy read that left me thinking and pondering for days on end.
February 7, 2018
-food for thought regarding my thoughts about the brain
-social responsibility and influence
-searching for expertise instead of weighing everyone's opinion equally
-popular ways of thinking and how they can be alarmingly unfounded
-social responsibility and influence
-searching for expertise instead of weighing everyone's opinion equally
-popular ways of thinking and how they can be alarmingly unfounded
June 8, 2023
Borrowed from Lewis and wasn’t my type of book :/ the woman was very up her own arse and the whole book was kinda condescending. But kept me busy in the airport and was lots of stuff learnt about at uni
September 29, 2017
Probably 3.5. Cute pop psych book on social learning and other social influences. The title was kind of misleading though and I’m not really convinced anything new was discussed.
December 25, 2018
Çeviri çok başarılı . Zaman zaman uzun cümleler olsa da anlam bütünlüğü korunmuş. Kitap güncel. Güzel sorular soruyor/sorduruyor. hepsinin olmasa da bir kısmının cevabı var. Zihin açıcı .
August 9, 2017
I got an advance reader's edition of this from the publisher Henry Holt & CO through LibraryThing. I'd read Ms. Sharot's The Optimism Bias five years ago when I had just started a year-long management program and liked what she wrote, so requested the opportunity to read this. Even though this is an advance copy, and I quote from it below, I don't think there will be substantial changes from the final publication.
"You and I share a role." - That's the opening line of the Prologue (in the copy I got), and Ms. Sharot nearly derailed herself with me almost immediately because the first line in the second paragraph was "This duty we all share is to affect others." I was puzzled as to how a "role" became a "duty". I also had a hard time with a small point in her Prologue where she related how a campaign candidate (an expert in fear-mongering) "was affecting [her] thoughts." Affecting is not influencing. But...it is captious of me to take issue with semantics in just the opener...
The eight major divisions in her book treat different ways in which our minds are influenced and how they resist influence. (I thought her subtitles describe more of the story. In "Does Evidence Change Belief (Priors) The Power of Confirmation and the Weakness of Data", she discusses the challenge of overcoming confirmation bias - the prior condition. Humans tend to look for agreement with established views, taking interest when in agreement and ignoring when in disagreement. Nothing new there, but when Sharot called Twitter the "Amygdala of the Internet" - "tweeting is one of the most emotionally arousing activities you likely engage in on most days" - I had to temper my own disagreement bias. Once I stopped chuckling. She makes her case that with respect to similarities in observed responses "a large proportion of our behavior can be explained by commonalities, not differences" - 80 percent predicted by average response and 20 percent by individual differences. That agrees with my position that psychological assessments are statistical in nature, but also is at odds with my position that no one can predict with certainty anything about one person. 80 percent is higher than random, for sure.
On "Should You Scare People into Action? (Incentives) Moving with Pleasure and Freezing with Fear", the data seem to indicate that the carrot is better than the stick in influencing others. I wasn't keen on one of her illustrations in which a woman wanted to persuade her husband to visit a gym and the mentioning of a paunch didn't work but a compliment (following a single visit) on his defined muscles motivated him? "As long as she made her increasing physical attraction to him clear, he kept going back,[...]" Are so many that shallow that that works? Anyway, we seem to like instant reward over future pain. Obvious statement, that, but goes to counter our illusion of rationale.
"How You Obtain Power by Letting Go (Agency) The Joy of Agency and the Fear of Losing Control" - even an illusion of choice invokes a perception of control, which can be influenced. Sharot talks about "the IKEA effect" - tendency to think a shelf one puts together is better than an identical one put together by someone else. (I had a side thought on that: my wife likes to say that fruit salad made by someone else tastes better than made by herself...a wee at odds with that IKEA thing!) "The message, perhaps ironically, is that to influence actions, you need to give people a sense of control. Eliminate the sense of agency and you get anger, frustration, and resistance. Expand people's sense of influence over their word and you increase their motivation and compliance."
People are naturally curious and often make the mistake of thinking that other people are equally curious about the same things. In "What Do People Really Want to Know? (Curiosity) The Value of Information and the Burden of Knowledge", Sharot points out that our instinct being that if we have something (we think is) important to convey, other people would want to know, is wrong. This chapter has some valuable tools for engagement - at least being aware that we might need to reframe our message. Well, of course! Important lesson in reaching others is critically examining one's own perspective in order to frame the message to the target audience. And perhaps not surprisingly, people tend to prefer to remain ignorant, even at terrible costs. To influence, we need to re-evaluate the value of the information we wish to communicate in terms of that audience - and make the message positive, or at least not negative.
It may seem obvious, but mental state has a huge effect on susceptibility to influence...particularly when the state is feeling threatened. In "What Happens to Minds Under Threat? (State) The Influence of Stress and the Ability to Overcome", Sharot explains that being stressed or intimidated changes the way people process information and make decisions, often resulting in "playing it safe" when even a mild risk is the better approach.
The last two chapters involved the influence of what "Others" are thinking on us. The subtitle of "Why Do Babies Love iPhones?" is "The Strength of Social Learning and the Pursuit of Uniqueness". Humans (and higher primates and other animal) initially learn from others by observation and "while we like to see ourselves as different [the paradox is that], we are also quick to adopt the views and preferences of those around us; ...music..., ...technology we use..., ...names we give our children..." The lesson is to be mindful and carfeul when following others' choices. And the second half of "Others" is "Is 'Unanimous' as Reassuring as It Sounds? How to Find Answers in an Unwise Crowd". Sharot discusses James Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds, cautioning that crowd sourcing works only under specific conditions. And one must be extra careful to look at how a proposition is posed...how it is framed can affect the outcome (more my observation than in her writing.)
Ms. Sharot states something in her conclusion I've been saying for years, though with a little more academic oomph: "Evolution is slower than technology, and the principle organization of the brain has not experienced significant change since written language first appeared."
Extensively sourced, Ms. Sharot packages only the proverbial tip of the influence iceberg, but she does it well in a conversational, easy read.
(I started this book in June, 2017 but set it aside to finish a couple of other ARCs. And I also set aside the early nits as unnecessarily picked!)
"You and I share a role." - That's the opening line of the Prologue (in the copy I got), and Ms. Sharot nearly derailed herself with me almost immediately because the first line in the second paragraph was "This duty we all share is to affect others." I was puzzled as to how a "role" became a "duty". I also had a hard time with a small point in her Prologue where she related how a campaign candidate (an expert in fear-mongering) "was affecting [her] thoughts." Affecting is not influencing. But...it is captious of me to take issue with semantics in just the opener...
The eight major divisions in her book treat different ways in which our minds are influenced and how they resist influence. (I thought her subtitles describe more of the story. In "Does Evidence Change Belief (Priors) The Power of Confirmation and the Weakness of Data", she discusses the challenge of overcoming confirmation bias - the prior condition. Humans tend to look for agreement with established views, taking interest when in agreement and ignoring when in disagreement. Nothing new there, but when Sharot called Twitter the "Amygdala of the Internet" - "tweeting is one of the most emotionally arousing activities you likely engage in on most days" - I had to temper my own disagreement bias. Once I stopped chuckling. She makes her case that with respect to similarities in observed responses "a large proportion of our behavior can be explained by commonalities, not differences" - 80 percent predicted by average response and 20 percent by individual differences. That agrees with my position that psychological assessments are statistical in nature, but also is at odds with my position that no one can predict with certainty anything about one person. 80 percent is higher than random, for sure.
On "Should You Scare People into Action? (Incentives) Moving with Pleasure and Freezing with Fear", the data seem to indicate that the carrot is better than the stick in influencing others. I wasn't keen on one of her illustrations in which a woman wanted to persuade her husband to visit a gym and the mentioning of a paunch didn't work but a compliment (following a single visit) on his defined muscles motivated him? "As long as she made her increasing physical attraction to him clear, he kept going back,[...]" Are so many that shallow that that works? Anyway, we seem to like instant reward over future pain. Obvious statement, that, but goes to counter our illusion of rationale.
"How You Obtain Power by Letting Go (Agency) The Joy of Agency and the Fear of Losing Control" - even an illusion of choice invokes a perception of control, which can be influenced. Sharot talks about "the IKEA effect" - tendency to think a shelf one puts together is better than an identical one put together by someone else. (I had a side thought on that: my wife likes to say that fruit salad made by someone else tastes better than made by herself...a wee at odds with that IKEA thing!) "The message, perhaps ironically, is that to influence actions, you need to give people a sense of control. Eliminate the sense of agency and you get anger, frustration, and resistance. Expand people's sense of influence over their word and you increase their motivation and compliance."
People are naturally curious and often make the mistake of thinking that other people are equally curious about the same things. In "What Do People Really Want to Know? (Curiosity) The Value of Information and the Burden of Knowledge", Sharot points out that our instinct being that if we have something (we think is) important to convey, other people would want to know, is wrong. This chapter has some valuable tools for engagement - at least being aware that we might need to reframe our message. Well, of course! Important lesson in reaching others is critically examining one's own perspective in order to frame the message to the target audience. And perhaps not surprisingly, people tend to prefer to remain ignorant, even at terrible costs. To influence, we need to re-evaluate the value of the information we wish to communicate in terms of that audience - and make the message positive, or at least not negative.
It may seem obvious, but mental state has a huge effect on susceptibility to influence...particularly when the state is feeling threatened. In "What Happens to Minds Under Threat? (State) The Influence of Stress and the Ability to Overcome", Sharot explains that being stressed or intimidated changes the way people process information and make decisions, often resulting in "playing it safe" when even a mild risk is the better approach.
The last two chapters involved the influence of what "Others" are thinking on us. The subtitle of "Why Do Babies Love iPhones?" is "The Strength of Social Learning and the Pursuit of Uniqueness". Humans (and higher primates and other animal) initially learn from others by observation and "while we like to see ourselves as different [the paradox is that], we are also quick to adopt the views and preferences of those around us; ...music..., ...technology we use..., ...names we give our children..." The lesson is to be mindful and carfeul when following others' choices. And the second half of "Others" is "Is 'Unanimous' as Reassuring as It Sounds? How to Find Answers in an Unwise Crowd". Sharot discusses James Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds, cautioning that crowd sourcing works only under specific conditions. And one must be extra careful to look at how a proposition is posed...how it is framed can affect the outcome (more my observation than in her writing.)
Ms. Sharot states something in her conclusion I've been saying for years, though with a little more academic oomph: "Evolution is slower than technology, and the principle organization of the brain has not experienced significant change since written language first appeared."
Extensively sourced, Ms. Sharot packages only the proverbial tip of the influence iceberg, but she does it well in a conversational, easy read.
(I started this book in June, 2017 but set it aside to finish a couple of other ARCs. And I also set aside the early nits as unnecessarily picked!)
Read
June 18, 2018People can be open-minded initially and then make up their mind and then becoming stubborn with a set opinion. One such example is that of MMR vaccine causing autism. People believe the notion based on research published, but many refuse to change opinion when subsequent research debunked the notion. The best way to persuade them is not to tell them they are wrong, but simply present the new findings (and hope for the best).
Mood can be contagious. After reading positive posts, they are more likely to post something positive and same with negativity.
One's ability to do the same type of cognitive tasks can vary significantly depending on whether the incentive is to be rewarded or to avoid punishment (the latter is worse).
People are happier/more motivated if they feel that they have some control. The example given was tell them to wash hand they comply at 38%. Show them the compliance rate, they made that rate jump to 90%.
People value stuff they contributed effort in making.
If you want others to pay attention to important info, make it entertaining. (That's what the newer airline safety messages are doing.)
Mood can be contagious. After reading positive posts, they are more likely to post something positive and same with negativity.
One's ability to do the same type of cognitive tasks can vary significantly depending on whether the incentive is to be rewarded or to avoid punishment (the latter is worse).
People are happier/more motivated if they feel that they have some control. The example given was tell them to wash hand they comply at 38%. Show them the compliance rate, they made that rate jump to 90%.
People value stuff they contributed effort in making.
If you want others to pay attention to important info, make it entertaining. (That's what the newer airline safety messages are doing.)
January 4, 2018
Good book and quick to get through. I was surprised to find new ideas after having read so many books recently on cognitive bias and how the brain works.
Not only does confirmation bias lead us away from contradictory evidence and toward confirming evidence, but it also makes us more hardened in our belief. We become champions of our perspective. Consequently, and surprisingly, sometimes more information doesn’t moderate our views, but rather further polarizes our views. Study with Cass Sunstein about providing information to people about climate change – strong believers one way or the other became more extreme. Confirmation bias also leads to the “boomerang effect” in which contradictory evidence leads us to brainstorm and develop counterpoints that we might have not thought of otherwise.
Intelligent people are better at twisting data to fit their views. Thus motivate reasoning is not consequence of low intelligence.
We go through life doing Bayesian updates (I also heard this on a recent podcast). Our past experience is the model, new evidence is combined with model. If we have strong feelings about the model, then we give less weight to the new evidence. This is actually a good way to live because on average contradictory information to our experience is likely wrong. Thus our confirmation bias is a good thing that is leading us to better answers. The problem is sometimes we have too much faith in our experience (the model). The podcast I heard suggested that the only reason we have a brain is for movement. And that our brain is Bayesian computer improving our movement. An athlete perfecting a movement is repeatedly doing Bayesian updates through repeated practice.
When working to change someone’s staunch position against something, it is better to seed a new position then to try to force them to come around to the opinion they have built a defense against.
Emotion is a powerful tool for influencing. More powerful than facts. Our brains synchronize when are touched emotionally – watching a movie together, hearing a motivational speech, hearing an emotional narrative. In the moment of synchronization we can be more easily influenced – the leader can persuade the army to attack, the song can lead the group to unify.
We approach pleasure and retreat from pain. Thus reward can motivate action and fear/pain/loss elicits inaction. Fear will make us not do something – like a deer in headlights. Our response in life is fight, flight, or freeze. Tell your kids that if they clean their room they will have the joy of finding old toys, not that they will be punished for not cleaning their room.
An extension of the marshmallow test: It was proceeded by one group being in a reliable environment where the person was shown to be trustworthy. The other group in an unreliable environment. The reliable environment showed more patience.
We can see and think of possible negative outcomes in the life of other people more than in our own future.
The top ten causes of death are not among the top ten phobias.
We are unduly anxious when we feel we are not in control. We wired to prefer things we had a hand in obtaining, things that we have control. People who feel in control of their life are happier and healthier. (A marriage partner who makes you feel like you do not have control is difficult). People would be more willing to pay taxes if they had some control over how the money is spent.
We prefer to have choices. Rats door one is direct but with no choices. door two is longer and has choices. Door two is preferred.
We prefer information that leads to progress (we will be attentive) rather than information that leads to doom (we won’t pay attention). Furthermore, when we are shown gaps in our knowledge we have an urge to fill it (help people see gaps). Either way new information releases dopamine. Our constant phone checking is jacking us up on dopamine like has never been done in our evolutionary history.
Our instinct is to imitate the choices of others, because we assume they have information we do not.
Theory of mind – the ability to think what others are thinking. We seem to be the only species that does it and we do it a lot. I heard on a podcast that theory of mind doesn’t kick in until after age 3. I did a test on Eilee and confirmed that she does not have theory of mind yet. But Kaiya does at age 6. I told the story of pirate who puts his sandwich down. He walks away and it drops. A different pirate comes and puts his down in the same spot. When the first pirate returns who’s sandwich does he think is his? Another test is to ask what is inside a crayon box. Then show it is candles. Now ask what someone else will say is in the crayon box.
When trying to estimate something ask everyone for an answer and take the average. And be sure to ask everyone before revealing to each other so that all answers are independent (in fact interdependent opinions make us overconfident, it must be right because every thinks so).
If you alone then answer the question a few days later and average your answers. She gave a 8 question example. I answered the questions and then answered again a few weeks later. Indeed the average squared error was less for the average of my two answers.
If there are experts in the room weight their answer more (Humans do not naturally give more weight to experts, instead giving equal value to all participants). If you don’t know who the expert is, the do the “surprisingly popular vote”: ask everyone’s answer. Then ask everyone what they think everyone else will say. Finally, identify the answer that is more popular than people expected (this is the correct answer).
The book ends discussing the future of brain to brain influence that has already been done!
Not only does confirmation bias lead us away from contradictory evidence and toward confirming evidence, but it also makes us more hardened in our belief. We become champions of our perspective. Consequently, and surprisingly, sometimes more information doesn’t moderate our views, but rather further polarizes our views. Study with Cass Sunstein about providing information to people about climate change – strong believers one way or the other became more extreme. Confirmation bias also leads to the “boomerang effect” in which contradictory evidence leads us to brainstorm and develop counterpoints that we might have not thought of otherwise.
Intelligent people are better at twisting data to fit their views. Thus motivate reasoning is not consequence of low intelligence.
We go through life doing Bayesian updates (I also heard this on a recent podcast). Our past experience is the model, new evidence is combined with model. If we have strong feelings about the model, then we give less weight to the new evidence. This is actually a good way to live because on average contradictory information to our experience is likely wrong. Thus our confirmation bias is a good thing that is leading us to better answers. The problem is sometimes we have too much faith in our experience (the model). The podcast I heard suggested that the only reason we have a brain is for movement. And that our brain is Bayesian computer improving our movement. An athlete perfecting a movement is repeatedly doing Bayesian updates through repeated practice.
When working to change someone’s staunch position against something, it is better to seed a new position then to try to force them to come around to the opinion they have built a defense against.
Emotion is a powerful tool for influencing. More powerful than facts. Our brains synchronize when are touched emotionally – watching a movie together, hearing a motivational speech, hearing an emotional narrative. In the moment of synchronization we can be more easily influenced – the leader can persuade the army to attack, the song can lead the group to unify.
We approach pleasure and retreat from pain. Thus reward can motivate action and fear/pain/loss elicits inaction. Fear will make us not do something – like a deer in headlights. Our response in life is fight, flight, or freeze. Tell your kids that if they clean their room they will have the joy of finding old toys, not that they will be punished for not cleaning their room.
An extension of the marshmallow test: It was proceeded by one group being in a reliable environment where the person was shown to be trustworthy. The other group in an unreliable environment. The reliable environment showed more patience.
We can see and think of possible negative outcomes in the life of other people more than in our own future.
The top ten causes of death are not among the top ten phobias.
We are unduly anxious when we feel we are not in control. We wired to prefer things we had a hand in obtaining, things that we have control. People who feel in control of their life are happier and healthier. (A marriage partner who makes you feel like you do not have control is difficult). People would be more willing to pay taxes if they had some control over how the money is spent.
We prefer to have choices. Rats door one is direct but with no choices. door two is longer and has choices. Door two is preferred.
We prefer information that leads to progress (we will be attentive) rather than information that leads to doom (we won’t pay attention). Furthermore, when we are shown gaps in our knowledge we have an urge to fill it (help people see gaps). Either way new information releases dopamine. Our constant phone checking is jacking us up on dopamine like has never been done in our evolutionary history.
Our instinct is to imitate the choices of others, because we assume they have information we do not.
Theory of mind – the ability to think what others are thinking. We seem to be the only species that does it and we do it a lot. I heard on a podcast that theory of mind doesn’t kick in until after age 3. I did a test on Eilee and confirmed that she does not have theory of mind yet. But Kaiya does at age 6. I told the story of pirate who puts his sandwich down. He walks away and it drops. A different pirate comes and puts his down in the same spot. When the first pirate returns who’s sandwich does he think is his? Another test is to ask what is inside a crayon box. Then show it is candles. Now ask what someone else will say is in the crayon box.
When trying to estimate something ask everyone for an answer and take the average. And be sure to ask everyone before revealing to each other so that all answers are independent (in fact interdependent opinions make us overconfident, it must be right because every thinks so).
If you alone then answer the question a few days later and average your answers. She gave a 8 question example. I answered the questions and then answered again a few weeks later. Indeed the average squared error was less for the average of my two answers.
If there are experts in the room weight their answer more (Humans do not naturally give more weight to experts, instead giving equal value to all participants). If you don’t know who the expert is, the do the “surprisingly popular vote”: ask everyone’s answer. Then ask everyone what they think everyone else will say. Finally, identify the answer that is more popular than people expected (this is the correct answer).
The book ends discussing the future of brain to brain influence that has already been done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2018
İnsan beynin nasıl çalıştığı ve nelerden etkilendiğini akıcı ve sade bir dille ifade eden bir kitap. Meraklısı için birkaç alıntı:
• İnsanlar düşüncelerini başkalarına yayabilmek için para kaybetmeyi dahi göze alabiliyormuş.
• Birini herhangi bir şeye ikna etmek için yapmanız gereken şey beyinde "YAP" sinyali üretmekmiş. Sopa göstermek yerine havuç göstermek çok daha doğru bir yaklaşım.
• Seçeneklerin çoğalması seçim yapmayı zorlaştırıyormuş. Bir deneyde 6 ve 20 farklı reçel türü ile müşterilerin davranışları gözlendiğinde, 6 reçel türü sunulan müşteriler daha fazla alışveriş yapmış.
• Bir deney sonucuna göre ilk yorumda ürün göklere çıkarıldığında o ürünün pozitif değerlendirmelerinin %32 arttığı görülmüş. İçgüdülerimiz bize başkalarının tercihlerini taklit etmemizi söylüyor.
• İnsanlar düşüncelerini başkalarına yayabilmek için para kaybetmeyi dahi göze alabiliyormuş.
• Birini herhangi bir şeye ikna etmek için yapmanız gereken şey beyinde "YAP" sinyali üretmekmiş. Sopa göstermek yerine havuç göstermek çok daha doğru bir yaklaşım.
• Seçeneklerin çoğalması seçim yapmayı zorlaştırıyormuş. Bir deneyde 6 ve 20 farklı reçel türü ile müşterilerin davranışları gözlendiğinde, 6 reçel türü sunulan müşteriler daha fazla alışveriş yapmış.
• Bir deney sonucuna göre ilk yorumda ürün göklere çıkarıldığında o ürünün pozitif değerlendirmelerinin %32 arttığı görülmüş. İçgüdülerimiz bize başkalarının tercihlerini taklit etmemizi söylüyor.
July 9, 2024
Caruccio, poco impegnativo, adatto a persone che non sanno molto di comportamento e vorrebbero approfondire alcuni aspetti di questo. Il libro è pieno di storie interessanti e didattiche, molte di esse già conosciute, al cui termine viene enunciata la legge che deriva dall’esperimento.
Direi ottimo per le scuole superiori.
Direi ottimo per le scuole superiori.
January 28, 2020
Cok akici ve okumasi kesinlikle keyifli bir kitap ama ilk 2 bolumunden sonra vaadettigi bilgiyi ne kadar veriyor cok emin degilim. Yapilan deneyler ve arastirmalari okumak cok bilgilendirici fakat ben bircogunun baskalarini ikna etmekle ilgisini kuramadim acikcasi
September 14, 2021
This was fantastic. No time to write right now. But if you want to know more about what types of things influence others, especially in cases that their views are not similar to yours, this is one of the best. I highly recommend it.
April 20, 2018
very interesting research and written in a short and concise way. I wish there were more pictures to understand better the brain side of the explanations and maybe go deeper on some aspects.
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