The Intelligence Trap - David Robson Flashcards
Introduction
I once believed that intelligence was synonymous with good thinking.
Not only do general intelligence and academic education fail to protect us from various cognitive errors; smart people may be even more vulnerable to certain kinds of foolish thinking.
Socrates’ conclusion is something of a paradox: he is wise precisely because he recognised the limits of his own knowledge.
‘A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices’ - William James
Part 1 - the downsides of intelligence
Many people believes that abstract reasoning skills represent an underlying intelligence that automatically translates to better judgement and decision making across life.
General intelligence = the capacity for abstract reasoning measured by IQ
Abstract reasoning refers to the ability to analyse information, detect patterns and relationships, and solve problems on a complex, intangible level.
Neuroscientists have identified some anatomical differences that might account for greater general intelligence. The cerebral cortex is thicker. The long-distance neural connections linking different brain regions appear to be wired differently too, forging more efficient networks for the transmission of signals.
It is possible to measure more than just analytic skills.
Cultural intelligence (CQ) examines your general sensitivity to different cultural norms.
‘Dysrationalia’ - the mismatch (lack of correlation) between intelligence and rationality
Smart people do not apply their superior intelligence fairly, but instead use it opportunistically to promote their own interests and protect the beliefs that are most important to their identities. Intelligence can be a tool for propaganda rather than truth-seeking.
People confuse their current level of understanding with their peak level of knowledge. The illusion of expertise will make you more close-minded.
‘Myopic over-self-confidence’
Part 2 - escaping the intelligence trap
Benjamin Franklin - his stately reasoning was a stark contrast to the biased, myopic thinking that so often comes with great intelligence and expertise.
He was allergic to dogma. He combined an open minded attitude with practical good sense, incisive social skills and astute emotional regulation. He had an empirical temperament that was generally averse to sweeping passions.
It pays to admit the limits of your knowledge.
A single 15 minute mindfulness session can reduce the incidence of the sunk cost bias by 34 per cent.
Low blood sugar will cause an accompanying dip in your mood and a dangerously short fuse.
‘Truthiness’ = truth that comes from the gut, not from the book
Truthiness comes from 2 particular feelings: familiarity and fluency (how easy a statement is to process).
Most people are not even aware that these 2 subtle feelings are influencing their judgement - yet they can nevertheless move us to believe a statement without questioning its underlying premises or noting its logical inconsistencies.
The most powerful strategy to boost a statement’s ‘truthiness’ is simple repetition.
‘The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly and with unflagging attention. It must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.’
Reflective thinking is negatively correlated with smartphone use. Technology has made us lazy thinkers.
Common logical fallacies - one must internalise these rules
Appeal to ignorance - lack of evidence taken as a form of proof
Appeals to authority / halo bias - credentials justify an expert’s opinion
Correlation proves causation - when 2 events coincide, we believe that one led to the other
Straw man - deliberately misrepresenting an argument
Appeal to the bandwagon - popular opinion proves and argument’s value
False dichotomy - presenting a complex scenario as if there are only 2 options when there are many other options
Part 3 - the art of successful learning
General intelligence is only one crucial ingredient of good thinking.
The latest neuroscience shows that we learn best when we are confused.
Split your studies into smaller chunks and you’ll learn more. The process of forgetting and then forcing ourselves to relearn the material, strengthens the memory traces, so you’ll remember more in the long term.
Interleaving is a process where students mix, or interleave, multiple subjects or topics while they study in order to improve their learning. Blocked practice, on the other hand, involves studying one topic very thoroughly before moving to another topic. Interleaving is more optimal according to research.
metacognition - awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes.
Epilogue
The World Economic Forum has listed increasing political polarisation and the spread of misinformation in ‘digital wildfires’ as two of the greatest threats facing us today - comparable to terrorism and cyber warfare.
Taxonomy
Motivated reasoning - the unconscious tendency to apply our brainpower only when the conclusions will suit our predetermined goal.
Pseudo-profound bullshit - seemingly impressive assertions that are presented as true and meaningful but are actually vacuous under further consideration.
Foreign language effect - the surprising tendency to become more rational when speaking a second language.
Intellectual humility - the capacity to accept the limits of our judgement and to try to compensate for our fallibility.
Socrates effect - a form of perspective taking, in which we imagine explaining our problem to a young child.
