Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris on their book, social pressure, manifesting, and chess

Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris are professors of psychology, both experts in the fields of cognitive science and experimental psychology. They are also known as the co-authors of the famous book The Invisible Gorilla, and the inventors of the homonymous psychological experiment. 12 years from the release of their first book they have partnered again, co-writing Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do about It. This book illustrates through a series of stories why we fall victim to deception and provides practical tools to help the reader know when to question their beliefs.

In this conversation, Simons and Chabris give the listener a taste of their new book. They provide insights on how we can arm ourselves against stories that do not reflect reality and how to improve our ability to realize when we are in front of a critical decision. Topics discussed also include social pressure, manifesting, self-help books, and chess. 

 

Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/58jfj8tt73uqqajy

 

Contents:

(00:00:01) From “The Invisible Gorilla” to “Nobody’s Fool”

(00:04:30) When Should We Question Our Intuition?

(00:20:29) The Power of a Good Partnership

(00:23:54) The Time-Reversal Heuristic 

(00:31:48) When the Story is Nicer Than Reality 

(00:49:13) Social Pressure: A Potent Tool 

(00:55:57) Luxury Goods and the Concept of Familiarity 

(01:01:00) Manifesting: Is it Harmless? 

(01:06:53) How to Approach Self-Help Books 

(01:11:01) The Fields of Psychology 

(01:19:35) On Chess, Bridge, and Poker