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You Are Not So Smart
- Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
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You Are Not So Smart
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Summary
An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise.
You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK - delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework.Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday, including:
- Dunbar's Number - Humans evolved to live in bands of roughly 150 individuals, the brain cannot handle more than that number. If you have more than 150 Facebook friends, they are surely not all real friends.
- Hindsight bias - When we learn something new, we reassure ourselves that we knew it all along.
- Confirmation bias - Our brains resist new ideas, instead paying attention only to findings that reinforce our preconceived notions.
- Brand loyalty - We reach for the same brand not because we trust its quality but because we want to reassure ourselves that we made a smart choice the last time we bought it.
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What listeners say about You Are Not So Smart
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- BlackApple
- 23-12-12
Interesting and accessible psychology
This books deals with aspects of the way we make sense of things and does so without saying "cognitive psychology" too often. We all live in our own heads and so understanding how and why we simplify, distort and just generally make things up is both informative and entertaining. At the end of this book you may never see advertising quite the same way again and it may even have you doubting your own memory (hint: all memory is a construct and not very reliable)
I really enjoyed is book and it's short chapters make for great short snippets while driving/commuting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- E
- 07-07-14
Explains a lot of things I thought but didn't know
Would you listen to You Are Not So Smart again? Why?
Yes as there is so much to take in - should really listen to it in parts next and consider each idea as it's explained
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I wouldn't - happy with it as it was
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes - I really liked the narrators tone - it made it sound exciting and easy to listen to and understand.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. So much to think over it would have been a waste to have it all read in one go.
Any additional comments?
Very enjoyable, interesting and educating!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan
- 12-10-19
Interesting, but nothing really that new here
I wouldn't say it was a wasted 8 hours, but I don't know if there's much in there.
I found the delivery a little dry and I only made a couple of bookmarks - the section on "self-handicapping" was another twist on something we all know but don't realise.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Metalfairy
- 27-12-18
iĺluminating
loved narrator & content. this book will make you reevaluate the behaviour of yourself and others, and hopefully make us all more considerate and understanding..
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel Andrews
- 04-10-16
I'm still not that smart
This is by far my favourite book.
I still feel as though I'm not so smart, but at least I'm being realistic.
I'll read and listen to this book again to really appreciate it and hopefully become less dumb!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Customer
- 11-06-21
Loved the structure
Each chapter is a psychological misconception, followed by the truth and examples of it in real life from studies and experiences the author has had.
I’ve heard a few these studies already but there’s also a lot I hadn’t! Great book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hyperspacial
- 12-03-17
absolutely fantastic
a great book well performed definitely one I'll be listening too again. truly thought provoking
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Kinsella
- 20-04-17
Great Insights
I love pop psychology. Having come from a Fundamentalist Evangelical background I get so much from this to explain what happened to me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Derrick
- 30-01-12
Maybe a Little Smarter Now Than I Was Before
An excellent entertaining and informative listen.
Delivered in a laid-back style that seems to really suit the material. Lots of fact mixed in with a dry sense of humour that worked well in keeping my interest throughout. While I've heard a lot of the content before, I've never heard it all in one place or with such a witty and entertaining presentation.
Well worth the listen.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 14-09-20
Good insight into how dumb we all are
I love Dan Hagens narration it reminds me of Lee Perry who narrated that 90s song 'Sunscreen'. Make of that what you will.
The book was a decent introduction into many psychological theories which I found very interesting. Several of these home truths would serve people well in these increasingly 'unprecedented times'.
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