Learn how to combat biases and make smarter decisions
In The Scout Mindset, Julia Galef explores two different modes of thinking, the 'soldier' and the 'scout' mindset. Unfortunately, most of us naturally have a 'soldier' mindset, were we protect our beliefs aggressively and ignore any evidence that we might be wrong. But to be right more often, we need to approach ideas more like a scout.
A scout surveys the land, seeking accuracy and understanding to find all the available information - good and bad - to gain a more truthful picture. To help you make better decisions, this book will show you how to:
- gather information from multiple sources
- weigh up short and long term gains
- overcome inherent biases
- transcend tribal thinking
- avoid self-deception
Drawing on fascinating stories from Warren Buffett's investing strategies to subreddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains try to deceive us and reveals how we can overcome biases so that we make the right decision more often.
Imprint: Portfolio Penguin
Published: 04/02/2021
ISBN: 9780241308325
Length: 288 Pages
RRP: £14.99
A must read for all who have trouble saying 'I was wrong' and 'I change my mind,' which is all of us
Julia understands human thinking with incredible clarity and she's a master at communicating that clarity to others through her writing and metaphors. I haven't stopped thinking about the scout mindset ever since I first heard Julia explain it
When I was looking for an expert on how people change their minds, I turned to Julia Galef. Obviously, no question, and I didn't even have to seek her out. Her reputation is already well known. Galef is a great resource on this mystery because she has devoted herself both to understanding why it can seem so difficult, and to how she can help people push through the challenge and benefit from new perspectives
Julia Galef is a consistently stimulating, rigorous, and incisive thinker. I greatly look forward to reading whatever she writes
Julia Galef is one of the smartest, most exciting voices not just in American rationalism, but in American writing period. she is consistently fascinating