Social by Design

Trust

How Gullible Are North Koreans?

Hugo Mercier on September 23, 2011

North Koreans believe that they live in one of the most advanced nations when they are stuck in one of the worst places on the planet. They accept the propaganda fed by a regime that is starving many of them to death. Surely, they must be among the most gullible people on the planet?

North Koreans believe that they live in one of the most advanced nations when they are stuck in one of the worst places on the planet. They accept the propaganda fed by a regime that is starving many of them to death. Surely, they must be among the most gullible people on the planet?

We often think of other people as being gullible. But is this really true? Can people really be that gullible? From an evolutionary point of view, gullibility is a major handicap. Instead, people should be vigilant, carefully screening communicated information. In a series of posts, I will try to show that people are more often too vigilant rather than not enough.

Intuition

Reasoning Is More Intuitive than We Think

Hugo Mercier on August 17, 2011

There is a widespread view that reasoning is the polar opposite of intuitions: slow vs. fast, effortful vs. effortless, conscious vs. unconscious. On closer inspection, these oppositions do not stand: reasoning is mostly another intuition.

There is a widespread view that reasoning is the polar opposite of intuitions: slow vs. fast, effortful vs. effortless, conscious vs. unconscious. On closer inspection, these oppositions do not stand: reasoning is mostly another intuition.

Environment

Why So Smart? Why So Dumb?

Hugo Mercier on July 28, 2011

We can agree that reasoning is responsible, at least in part, for some of the greatest achievements of humankind. Yet we should also agree that people can reason their way to asinine beliefs and disastrous decisions. How can we explain these widely inconsistent outcomes?

We can agree that reasoning is responsible, at least in part, for some of the greatest achievements of humankind. Yet we should also agree that people can reason their way to asinine beliefs and disastrous decisions. How can we explain these widely inconsistent outcomes?