For those who want to see the world the way it really is
Why do we think of sharks, white flour and terrorists as deadly dangers while ignoring the real risks that threaten us in our daily lives, like road traffic? Be it in arenas such as health, politics, fake news or other forms of manipulation, we only see what we want to see. But why?
The neuroscientist Kai Schreiber offers a surprising answer: the irrationality in our thought patterns and actions is shaped not only by our own stupidity but also by human cognition and its basic functions. A concept such as “truth” is superfluous to evolutionary mechanisms since it contributes little to the survival of a species.
Our propensity for social interaction, on the other hand, makes us receptive to suggestive influences and false information. Yet we retain the ability to recognise objective truth, as long as we are aware of the cognitive pitfalls and how to avoid them. In these confusing times, Kai Schreiber shows us a way of seeing clearly.
He explains the latest scientific discoveries and applies them to our daily lives, dealing a death blow to relativism, fatalism and narrow-minded self-interest along the way. Profound yet entertaining, this work guides us through the dizzying maze of our perceptive and cognitive faculties to let us see the world the way it really is.
