14 Uncomfortable Truths About Human Psychology - Gurwinder Bhogal
Added: Jul 5, 2024
In this podcast episode, Gurwinder Bhogal discusses the False Consensus Effect, which is the tendency for people to assume others think and behave similarly to themselves. He explains that we only truly know ourselves, so we use ourselves as a baseline to judge everything else. This can lead to problems, as we may find others annoying simply because they're different from us. Bhogal suggests that it's important to question whether our perceptions are skewed rather than assuming the world or others are the problem. He relates this to the fundamental attribution error, where people attribute the failures of allies to external circumstances but the failures of opponents to their character. The host mentions a meme about breast size preferences that humorously illustrates how people use themselves as the standard. Bhogal emphasizes that we all see the world through filters of our experiences and personality, and it's easy to forget these filters exist. Being aware of these filters can help us judge things more accurately and take responsibility for our own issues.
Fredkin's Paradox
The conversation turns to Fredkin's Paradox, which states that the more similar two choices seem, the less the decision should matter, yet the harder it becomes to choose between them. Bhogal explains that we live in an age of abundance with countless choices vying for our attention. Many of these decisions are trivial but still exert a time and energy cost. He suggests using decision-making heuristics, such as choosing the option that is more painful in the short-term or defaulting to "no" if you can't decide. The host relates this to the idea of "anxiety cost" - the longer you spend thinking about doing something, the more valuable it would have been to just do it. They discuss how routine can eliminate decision fatigue, citing examples of successful people who wear the same outfit daily to reduce decisions. Bhogal emphasizes the importance of making quick decisions on trivial matters to free up time and energy for more important choices.
Narcissist's Bedpost
Bhogal introduces the concept of the "narcissist's bedpost" - noticing how often someone uses "me" and "I" when speaking about non-personal topics as a gauge of self-centeredness. He explains that social media has privileged a "me culture" where people try to present themselves as a product. This leads to people injecting themselves into every story and conversation, even when unrelated. Bhogal suggests this could be due to narcissism, natural solipsism, or selfishness. The host reflects on how the most impressive people in social situations are often those who make others feel interesting, rather than those who try to appear interesting themselves. They discuss the idea of "inverse charisma" - the ability to make others feel interesting and valued in conversation.
Enthymeme
The discussion moves to the concept of enthymeme, where propagandists convince people of a lie not by stating it directly, but by making statements that tacitly assume the lie as a premise. Bhogal explains that this is more effective because people let their guard down when they don't feel they're being directly propagandized. He gives examples of how politicians might use this technique, sneaking in controversial points as peripheral elements of a broader discussion about a less contentious topic. The host relates this to widespread conspiracism, where certain assumptions are baked into discussions without being directly addressed.
Post-Journalism
Bhogal introduces the idea of post-journalism, where the press has pivoted from informing readers to confirming what they already believe due to the democratization of information via the internet. He cites research showing that media was indeed less biased in the past when they had a monopoly on news. With the rise of the internet, media organizations had to find a new business model, which often became about confirming people's existing beliefs rather than providing objective news. Bhogal notes that while the press is often over-demeaned, it's important to be aware of what they're trying to convince us of when consuming news.
Fiction Lag
The conversation turns to "fiction lag" or "experience taking," where people unconsciously adopt traits of their favorite fictional characters. Bhogal explains that this phenomenon has been observed in experiments, where people's behaviors and beliefs were influenced by fictional characters they identified with. He relates this to his own experiences of emulating characters from movies and books. The host connects this to the idea of "compassion fade," where people are more moved by individual stories than by statistics. They discuss how this explains why we enjoy fiction and how it can shape our identities and behaviors.
Package Deal Ethics
Bhogal introduces the concept of "package deal ethics," where people often subscribe to pre-packaged sets of beliefs offered by a particular tribe rather than choosing beliefs individually. He explains that this is partly due to cognitive limitations - it's easier to adopt a ready-made belief system than to analyze every individual belief. It also provides a sense of belonging to a group. The host relates this to the idea of being an "unreliable ally" - someone whose beliefs don't consistently align with a particular group. They discuss how this can lead to social pressure to conform to a group's entire belief package.
Champion Bias
The discussion moves to "champion bias," the assumption that winners have the best advice. Bhogal argues that those who win rarely examine why they won, while those who lose often dwell on their mistakes. As a result, losers often have better advice on how to win. He explains that successful people often misconstrue why they were successful, underestimating their natural talents and overestimating factors they struggled with. The host relates this to his experience in content creation, noting that avoiding pitfalls is often more important than trying to expedite success.
Anchored to Your Own History Bias
Bhogal introduces the idea that personal experiences make up a disproportionate amount of how we think the world works, despite representing a tiny fraction of what's actually happened in the world. He uses the example of how different generations have wildly different experiences of how the economy works, leading to different worldviews and political preferences. Bhogal emphasizes the importance of learning from people whose lives are as unlike yours as possible, including those from different time periods and civilizations. He quotes C.S. Lewis on the value of scholarship in immunizing oneself against the "nonsense" of one's own age.
Common Knowledge Effect
The conversation concludes with a discussion of the common knowledge effect, which casts doubt on the idea that diversity necessarily makes teams better. Bhogal explains that while groups are meant to be better decision-makers than individuals because they combine many perspectives, in practice, groups often base decisions only on information common to all members. This means that the unique perspectives brought by diverse team members may not actually be integrated into decision-making. Bhogal notes that research has shown little to no improvement in team performance based on diversity alone. He suggests that diversity can be beneficial in certain contexts, such as in personal friendships or specific work situations like translation, but it's not a universal solution for improving team performance.
Throughout the conversation, Bhogal and the host engage in a thoughtful discussion of these various cognitive biases and social phenomena, relating them to personal experiences and broader societal trends. They explore the implications of these concepts for decision-making, media consumption, personal growth, and team dynamics. The discussion highlights the complexity of human cognition and social interaction, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and critical thinking in navigating our personal and professional lives.
