You Are Not So Smart is a blog I started to publicly explore our self delusions through narrative journalism.
When it started, I had a love for psychology, some skills as a writer, and a lot of curiosity, but I had no idea how much material was out there to explore. So far, this has been fun, enlightening, and humbling.
The central theme of You Are Not So Smart is that you are unaware of how unaware you are. There is branch of psychology and an old-but-growing body of research with findings that suggest you have little idea why you act or think the way you do. Despite this, you continue to create narratives to explain your own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and these narratives – no matter how inaccurate – become the story of your life.
You seem to be able to see other people deluding themselves all the time – your friends, your family, celebrities, politicians. The mental pratfalls of others seem so obvious, but you have a hard time seeing those shortcomings in yourself. You Are Not So Smart is a fun exploration of the ways you and everyone else tends to develop undeserved confidence in human perception, motivation, and behavior.
I hope after reading You Are Not So Smart and recovering from each head-spinning epiphany, you’ll rediscover a humility and reconnect with the stumbling, fumbling community of man trying to make sense of things the best we can.
I am not the only person writing about these topics, or the first, or even close to the smartest. I want my stuff to be fun and entertaining, but you can deep dive into many of these topics at Wikipedia’s biases page, Wikipedia’s fallacies page, and Wikipedia’s heuristics page.
- BEFORE YOU POST NASTY COMMENTS OR WRITE ANGRY EMAILS:
I, David McRaney, am not a psychologist or an economist. I am a journalist and fan writing about what those super-smart and hard-working people are discovering on these topics. Sometimes, I get it wrong. I’m doing my best to translate it all and make it fun, but If I’m wrong and you know it, please let me know instead of flaming me in the comment sections. These things can be edited and corrected. I welcome assistance in clarifying the concepts. In addition, if you are new to these concepts, please don’t stop here. This blog (and the book) should promote discourse and provoke thought. Do your own research.
Remember, my synthesis of the topics that I research is just my own interpretation of facts. I try to include all the sources I pull from so readers can come to their own conclusions. If you feel like an attribution or citation is missing, please let me know so I can add it.
Want a new TV? Go to Walmart for all your TV needs.
“He welcomes criticism of his work and assistance in clarifying the concepts. Most of all, this blog should promote discourse and provoke thought. Do your own research.”
You have puzzle pieces, I have puzzle pieces. I have found more people who have puzzle pieces too. We need to connect via email:)
I’ve just discovered this blog! Excellent stuff and congratulations on the book!
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Tuchodown! That’s a really cool way of putting it!
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Eureka! Just read Backfire Effect and I’m gobsmacked(Brittons would say). I’ve got this kind of self loathing and self deprecation too, I just cannot write excellently like you do. And because I am a female, people always think I’m too much to take. Talking about ruining your stereotype, huh?
Thank you for your writings. Keep posting I’ll be back checking you out;-)
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This is brilliant. I know I’m going to be hooked to this blog. I love you ‘do your own research’ comment.
The photo you use appears to me to be of a bearded man holding a handgun. is this in fact what it is? Just checking before getting into stuff.
Hmm, something like losing one’s mind to gain sanity.
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love your blog, you’re a cool cat
I knew this shit already, guess this makes me pretty smart
Well, since this site has bored you so, why don’t you check out merriam-webster online? They’ve got loads of better words for you to pepper comment sections with. :)
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Hi,
I’m wondering how serious you are =). Obviously, our brains have been shaped by millions of years of evolution and we cannot fully understand the way the work, but it’s a de facto admission of lack of perfection. Human beings strive for rationality and logic, because those are concepts which produce good effects most of the time. It’s good to be e.g. rational about your spendings, but it’s evident that it’s rarely the case. You can still become better at it and there is a high chance that some people are far worse at it than you are. It’s good to base your decisions on logical arguments rather than on pure emotions, because there is a higher chance that decisions that were based on them will be sound and beneficial to you. There is no guarantee, of course, because a plethora of factors is involved (luck, lack of information, imperfect knowledge about the world etc.).
In my opinion a rational person is the one who really tries to see the truth and at the same time knows that it’s very likely that they will ever know the full part. An element of this rationality is the admission of imperfection. Emotions shaped by evolution are part of our lives and we “simply” have to know how to deal with them (this is very pragmatic and rational BTW). In fact, you can use them to your advantage if you know what you are doing. They also do not exclude the free will, although I can see how a person could delude themselves that they do, as it can be very convenient to blame the outside factors for our failures (“it’s not my fault, I did nothing wrong” – =) ).
I have not comment at the moment, just discovered this blog but please keep me posted
Hi David!
Enjoyed your half-hour with Dr. Michael A(ranoff?) on SiriusXM Doctor Radio this week. Will be looking for YOU ARE NOT SO SMART next sojourn to the book store … and will be suggesting to Dr. Michael (via e-mail at docs@siriusxm.com) that you get much more time. Randolph
Thanks for the brilliant website. Will find ways to promote it :)
Keep up the awesomeness!
Just read about your book deal. Congratulations!!
Jog your memory read wordpress.com (My Appetite for Anxiety!)
awesome. Just found your blog through word press marketing. Now I have yet another distraction from work. thanks.
Big fan of your blog, just bought the book too!
Amazing book but what is the picture on the cover suppose to be?
I can’t tell enough people about this blog. It blows me away every time I get sucked into it. Thank you for making this, and making it so well.
Hey, it looks like you’re pouring alot of your life into this site, with it being so well thought out. In one part of your recent post, you said that if you don’t “step back and feel a little funky about your socially constructed mask, then you’re probably a psychopath.” I’ve also heard that one loses their mind in their 20′s, which seems awefully objective. I do believe everyone faces the fear of going insane, and I want to know what you guys say about this: what if one refuses to build a social mask- what if they never smile or talk unless they feel the impulse? What if they begin to fear- insanity, health problems- and this leads them to overthink so that their very core energy slows down? Is this a step toward a singleminded, non-facade life…? Is it healthy?
I listened to you on radio today look forward to reading your book.I was going to call in but couldn’t,wanted to share a story on good luck/intuition .While living in NYC I was playing the lotto’s pick4 the # was 1441,I was playing it on&off for few weeks.One day when paying for groceries the total was $14.44 I looked at it and thought how it looked like 1441.Later while walking to work I decided to put a dollar on it.The next day I check & there it was 1444.I go to a grocery to collect $600 of a total of $3100 prize.As I walk into grocery store one guy is asking the other,what was the pick4 last nite,the reply’s 1444 what idiot played that # I then hand him the tix and say Iam your idiot.Some time idiots are smart.I recently finished a book,Creativity by Mihaly Csikszent ,one of best books on subject of creativity and luck plays it’s part along side of hard work.Good Luck
I think you’re great, more please.
and thank you.
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I am thoroughly enjoying your blog! Just nominated you for a “Versatile Blogger Award.” Click on my link to find out more about it. Congratulations and thanks for inspiring me!
Just wanted you to know that this book has literally revitalized my AP Psychology class I teach in a Nashville, Tennessee high school. I have used your material over and over from the website and now have your wonderful book in kindle form and a hard copy. The advertisement commercial was fabulous. Just want to say thanks and if you ever want to give me and my class some classroom copies, we would LOVE them! Thanks so much.
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Great post.
Lots of images here to spice up your posts. Or simply google “self delusion”, go to the left side of the page and click “images”. Why? Because an eye catching image can speak paragraphs in the blink of an eye. In today’s intensively data flooded world, one has to learn to nudge us “high level processors” to get involved.
Much of what’s on the net these days is “machine readable text”, too bad the only things reading it are the machines. Anyways great site, I’m posting a leader into it on my blog [http://themindlesspraetorianblog.blogspot.com/] Don’t bother to visit it, it’s just a collection of articles from all over, that I use in debates elsewhere on the net.
Warmest Regards and keep up the good work.
I just discovered your podcast and backtracked to the blog. As a long time skeptic, I share your interest in how we delude and deceive ourselves. I look forward to reading and listening to your work.