The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't
Julia Galef
Apr 2021 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Julia Galef
4.9star
22 reviewsreport
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6 hr 26 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
"...an engaging and enlightening account from which we all can benefit."—The Wall Street Journal
A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the acclaimed expert on rational decision-making.
When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe—and shoot down those we don't.
But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the soldier, a scout's goal isn't to defend one side over the other. It's to go out, survey the territory, and come back with as accurate a map as possible. Regardless of what they hope to be the case, above all, the scout wants to know what's actually true.
In The Scout Mindset, Galef shows that what makes scouts better at getting things right isn't that they're smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else. It's a handful of emotional skills, habits, and ways of looking at the world—which anyone can learn. With fascinating examples ranging from how to survive being stranded in the middle of the ocean, to how Jeff Bezos avoids overconfidence, to how superforecasters outperform CIA operatives, to Reddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains deceive us and what we can do to change the way we think.
A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the acclaimed expert on rational decision-making.
When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe—and shoot down those we don't.
But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the soldier, a scout's goal isn't to defend one side over the other. It's to go out, survey the territory, and come back with as accurate a map as possible. Regardless of what they hope to be the case, above all, the scout wants to know what's actually true.
In The Scout Mindset, Galef shows that what makes scouts better at getting things right isn't that they're smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else. It's a handful of emotional skills, habits, and ways of looking at the world—which anyone can learn. With fascinating examples ranging from how to survive being stranded in the middle of the ocean, to how Jeff Bezos avoids overconfidence, to how superforecasters outperform CIA operatives, to Reddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains deceive us and what we can do to change the way we think.
Ratings and reviews
4.9
22 reviews
David Hartsough
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June 7, 2021
This might be my favorite nonfiction book of all time. The audiobook is read by the author, Julia Galef, and it feels like listening to a friend explaining ideas clearly and telling good stories and anecdotes as great examples for each key concept. I can't think of a more important book with more important ideas than this. 10/10 - am reading again (already). Highly recommended.
Jan van der Sterre
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June 30, 2021
A very timely book, with political and social landscapes becoming increasingly polarized, and cross issue "discourse" being reduced to canned rhetoric at increasing volumes. A must read for anyone who wants to engage in productive conversation with opposing views. Julia's work also contains powerful insights to manage our own intellectual blindspots, and avoid stagnation or regression. Intellectual honesty, and striving to understand differing views, are some of the highest activities we can practice.
About the author
Julia Galef is the host of the popular Rationally Speaking podcast, where she has interviewed thinkers such as Tyler Cowen, Sean Carroll, Phil Tetlock, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. She is an advisor to OpenAI, works with the Open Philanthropy Project, and cofounded the Center for Applied Rationality. Her 2016 TED Talk "Why You Think You're Right--Even If You're Wrong" has been viewed over 4 million times.
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