Why do we believe things that aren't true? | Philip Fernbach | TEDxMileHigh

It seems like we're living in an epidemic of false belief. Clearly the other side just doesn’t have all the facts, right? Or are they really that stupid? In this fascinating and hilarious talk, cognitive scientist Philip Fernbach peels back the layers of what we really know and reveals some surprising truths about the human mind. Philip Fernbach is a cognitive scientist and professor in the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Co-author of The Knowledge Ilusion: Why We Never Think Alone, Philip's research focuses on why we think we know more than we actually do and the implications this has on individuals and society. He lives in Boulder with his wife and two children. In his free time, he plays bluegrass music and ice hockey. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@ashokvajpeyee8947]

'When contagious understanding is paired with individual ignorance '... Just too good

[@lordemed1]

...and fear

[@martyheresniak5203]

Reported as well.

[@russellkeating7481]

Two things he mentioned that we need desperately “A culture that values truth” “ intellectual humility “

[@manuelbranco173]

but most of all: "intelligent people with actual brains"

[@grantofat6438]

Which in essence means: Get rid of religious people.

[@russellkeating7481]

@Dreamer 1 thanks for being honest. I’m a little interested in what you took from the talk. It was very interesting. I’m sure it is ego that motivates me to respond so that’s why I think humility is key when looking for the truth. I think that I have to be able to be confident the information is true to believe it , but info is power and power likes to corrupt and control. We all are forced to have belief in things we can not prove ourselves, and I think he mentions it. Rationality really do end up becoming subordinate to something above it , when seeking truth at its deepest level. There is so much manipulation of data and information, everyone has biases for different reasons. ( conscious and unconscious) Being truthful is not a guarantee that what you say is true. Humility gives a person a wider lens. I will have to go back and listen again , if I find time . Take care , It’s just opinion and observation from my perspective and experiences which are still evolving. All the best

[@tbex613]

We also need a society that has leaned formal logic so that they know HOW to determine what is true, what is not true, and that what they don't yet know.

[@reidmock2165]

"It feels like we're in the midst of an epidemic." This line really hits differently in 2021

[@tommiegreen]

My comment

[@pixel-fan7902]

@@tommiegreen 2:20

[@melvinrexwinkle1510]

The USA is definitely in the middle of a pandemic! About 50 percent of the people have no ability to look around and see what is happening to their future.

[@kirstylyons6328]

The bat flue is the greatest scientific and political fraud in Human history

[@reidmock2165]

@@kirstylyons6328 And geocentrism wasn't? Blood letting? Someone doesn't know their history

[@caldoyle1572]

"You will never learn anything if everyone you talk to agrees with you." An opposing valid viewpoint can open our mind and give us opportunities to evaluate our own, if we are willing, to let them. Arrogance often prevents that from happening.

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

No, it doesn't!

[@nicomal]

@@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry Yes, it does

[@veravero80]

I agree

[@dadikkedude]

Well it's not arrogance, people have certain world views constructed for themselves where people feel comfortable. If that view is challenged it is scary, so we tend to resist, because it is a bigger challenge to be open to things whilst staying within your comfort. I'm not saying going out of the comfort zone is what we should avoid, but you can't just go ahead and believe anything everywhere neither.

[@jacobduncan8875]

It is a good thing to have opposing opinions but if one's opinion is ridiculous and contradicts what reality says because they live in their own little world where everything they say is true then that's a different story.

[@te5401]

This is why the phrase "I don't know" is so powerful.

[@haniffrazri6023]

nathanieldayspring00 that im totally agreed

[@rodschmidt8952]

I said that phrase once to my boss, and he used it against me.

[@Jamie-Russell-CME]

@Austin Martín Hernández No guy, It IS NOT, AND NEVER WAS, an argument from ignorance or a god of the gaps fallacy. Its an inference to the best explanation. Based on knowledge.

[@frank431]

dare to say "I don't know"? Buddy, you haven't met my wife.

[@tomkunich9401]

Why do you think that people against all reason believe that masks and social distancing do anything? Why would people give up their Constitutional rights to politicians who are generally the least competent? Who believe that power is far more important than working for the good of their electorate. Rather than protecting the vulnerable, they were convinced that they were protecting themselves. 99.9% of the population is perfectly safe, but they will stop working to feed and house their families because their state governors or county supervisors who haven't an ounce of knowledge say so.

[@lkytmryan]

“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard P. Feynman Covid comes to mind

[@JamesCappleman]

For the past several years, I've been puzzled about the rise in fake news and how easily people believe things that aren't true. I've read all types of articles and books about it, and this is the first piece of information that makes sense. This talk helps me to be more patient with those who both spread and so easily believe fake news, and it also challenges my own assumptions about what I know must be true.

[@helenamcginty4920]

I must admit to be a sceptic but there comes a point where you have to accept a set of evidence. When someone tells me something I do use the internet and look around, scroll down, go to page 2 etc until I either accept or reject what I am told.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

@@helenamcginty4920 Aristotle said: "Once you understand, you either accept or reject". I heard that from a true philosopher friend fifty years ago. It took me that long to actually start to practice it!

[@Dbb27]

Great comment. This certainly does put a mirror in front of one’s face.

[@decidrophob]

I am still puzzled by the "quantitative" increase of fake news in recent years. This video, I think, only shows that we can in principle easily have false beliefs. But then fake news could have been similarly prevalent since the birth of journalism.

[@Dbb27]

@@decidrophob if you read the recent book on Hamilton there were mini-papers that would be published every day and spread throughout the colonies. Much of it was false and misleading information disguised as news. The charlatans have always been amongst us. Often people who feel left out and are looking to undermine others in whatever way possible. Some pull a trigger; others pull a pen.

[@krelllab6366]

As someone who was involved with Project Apollo and putting a man on the moon, I can assure you there was no one man that understood more than 0.01% of the system. Apollo is arguably the greatest collaborative effort ever done by mankind. It took 410,000 people. To this day, project Apollo is studied from a management standpoint not just space exploration. A Saturn V moon rocket had approximately 4,000,000 parts. Compare that to a modern automobile which contains about 30,000 parts.

[@ashwayn]

And the computer on board was a powerful as a zx spectrum But all the bits worked! good job Yanks we were all glued to our TVs in UK in truth, really, on edge all the time a DEEP sigh they back yippee

[@ageofagesworldteacher7939]

All things are capable of being believed if you're transparent, also have nothing to hide.

[@xavierdaume2757]

That is just one way of many others that I use to convince believers of the Flat Earth Theory who also don´t believe that man landed on the Moon....How is it possible that 410,000 people from different professions and different nationalities contributed to the Apollo project and they still believe it to be a lie ??. They are missing the point, This was not only a gigantic success for NASA, this was an achievement for all the humanity.. this makes you feel proud to be a human being.....What a great effort by all those people ...Why can´t Flat Earthers see it that way ???

[@krelllab6366]

@@xavierdaume2757 ... Your post comes at an interesting time. I have lived a long time and I always thought that "Flat Earthers" was some kind of a put-down joke. Until the other day I met a family in a restaurant who in fact believe the earth is flat! I was very nice, and kind, and patient, but in the end, I tried to explain to them that if the earth was in fact flat, that ALL known physics would have to be disposed of. The wife asked me, how sure I was that the earth was a sphere and not flat, I said I'm as sure as that Wednesday comes after Tuesday.

[@amadeusguy1009]

I think the greatest collaborative efforts have been to build societies. Much larger than the Apollo project - involving millions of people.

[@VultureClone]

"We don't do enough to verify it." He summed it up in one sentence there.

[@jschuler53]

VultureClone Well put1

[@donnyboy2589]

I try not to verify anything that makes me feel good.

[@peNdantry]

Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Flat Earthers use in defence of their beliefs. "Go and do your own research," they all say.

[@tme98]

Problem is now that we do actually try to verify it. But the internet feeds of giving you the same information over and over again. This makes you feel like your worldview is correct, because you’re not given the opposite side unless you actively search it out, which most people dont do.

[@peNdantry]

@@tme98 There's a solution to that: don't use search engines that track you (and thus present you with biased results that keep you in a filter bubble). Try DuckDuckGo, for instance.

[@benevolent6705]

I love this quotation: "Ignorance is a feature of the human mind."

[@haidengeary8277]

Why? Its obvious. No other animal on the planet thinks as we do. You are too easily impressed.

[@Rudxain]

"An empty bowl is more useful than a soup-filled bowl because you can fill it with whatever you like" (idk who said it)

[@7788Sambaboy]

@@haidengeary8277 "No other animal on the planet thinks as we do" what difference does it make how other animals think and why do you think it is appropriate here or actually makes some sort of point - are you still in Jr High School trying to impress yourself with you cognitive neuroscience coloring book?

[@proculusjulius7035]

@@haidengeary8277 and we don't think like other animals. We're all different and unique.

[@KarusMBII]

@@haidengeary8277 Ever thought about practicing some intellectual humility? Seems like this talk may have gone over your head, though I may be wrong. In my opinion, there's nothing obvious about ignorance.

[@sanchezhandymen3444]

This is a great reminder that we all believe what we believe and we all think we are right!

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

One brother is an artist but sometimes doesn't see what's right in front of him if it's material (bank slips, accounting infor). Another brother is a financial genius, and still is.....after getting rid of two million US in family legacy "kash". I respected information all my life and got a debate scholarship..............but if you can't change someone's mind, what's the use of debate??

[@dawnemile4974]

That's why democracy is just a popularity contest not the reasoned voting of informed people.

[@orazha]

I agree with that...I think;-)

[@philmabarak5421]

@KVMVKVZ Half of this country votes against their best interests. All motivated by hate and blame instead of taking responsibility. Fascism makes them feel protected. And as a defense, always seem to throw out the "communism" card.

[@1MysteryMom]

That's why we don't live in a democracy in the US. Democracy is majority rule and that usually comes to mob rule. We live in are representative republic in which we democratically elected representatives. I'm not sure if these days, that system is great but it's better mob rule.

[@slave2truth4freedom]

Every moment of this video is as good as the last. I loved the moment when he said, "We can build Cathedrals, but we can also build Houses of Cards.", then the silence and the camera panning the audience. Powerful. Given that without the proper context such a statement or shot of a silent pensive audience would be unremarkable. Damn I'm hyped, what an extraordinary talk! So glad I stumbled across this precious gem of a video. Definitely worth sharing and bookmarking to rewatch.

[@kosmique]

yea but this goes for many ted talk guests ... a lot of gems out there...

[@onekerri1]

This would be a first lecture in a college philosophy class. I suggest you hit some educational institutes, so as to be more amazed. I do suggest you watch out for indoctrination, as it runs deep and rampant.

[@officialarchiemo]

But it was aliens that built the pyramids

[@orazha]

I had the same reaction. He put into words thoughts that I kinda had but cannot express. One thing he didn't talk about that I wish someone with knowledge would is our apparent reliance on opinion polls. We're making important decisions based on opinion polls from people who have little to no knowledge of the topic.

[@peterturner6497]

No it is just slush.

[@kermit1234]

"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing." - Socrates

[@Monkeygroover]

and how did he know he knew nothing? Right: his wife told him! :-D

[@raulcarlos1615]

@@Monkeygroover His wife was absolutely right, none of Socrates pupils have ever been called great, unlike Aristotles star pupil, who to history is not known as Alexander the Pretty Good! Lol

[@mauriciovirmond9244]

But if he knows ONE thing, How come he knows nothing????? Another way of asking this would be: If he knows nothing, How come he knows one thing????

[@Monkeygroover]

@@mauriciovirmond9244 it's philosophical, just Like Lao Tzu said in the Tao: 'Those who know don't speak, those who speak don't know ;-)

[@neilcreamer8207]

@@raulcarlos1615 It's seem pretty likely that someone has called Plato great at some point.

[@seeker1602]

This explains religion better than anything I've ever heard.

[@GJS234]

I'm afraid you are not aware how superficial your opinion is.

[@martykerns3802]

@@GJS234 I agree with Robert. Please, in the future, do not assault a person for stating an observation without you yourself making a comment that is factual.

[@richardmangan8188]

Religion IS a snare and a racket. But... there is a Creator, the Bible is his Word, and via his Son he will judge this earth.

[@MissAmazanda]

@@richardmangan8188I have to agree after studying the bible for years and what I know about science/the fossil record things couldn't have happened any other way than how the bible says it did, big bang and evolution is the belief of a madman, too much in the bible lines up with what we see in our world today

[@greg8938]

Yeah let’s believe some illiterate and superstitious goat herders who, over 2000 years ago, had a higher level of understanding of our world and universe than we do today. I don't believe God would want you to be that naive. You have been given free will, please use it to educate yourself.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

*Introspection is the greatest quality a human can own.*

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@Duribethin : Empathy is an ability, not a quality nor even an ideal. But to clarify, I say introspection is the greatest *quality* because it eventually leads us to understanding things such as how compassion is strength, why karma is a reality, and why we cannot take any better care of others than we take of ourselves. Introspection is where our humility and therefore our ability to learn new things comes from. If one is unwilling to look inside, they are unwilling to change, and therefore unwilling to learn anything new. This causes a person to stagnate and continually put up more and more impediments to learning to cover up the fact they are in such great denial. People who refuse to look inward are those who as the video title says: _"believe things that aren't true"._ But I have the impression (perhaps through being somewhat empathic myself) that you probably meant _compassion_ not _empathy_ Empathy is only the ability to sense what others are feeling and does not even imply that they care about anything. That said, I commend you and anyone else who may hold compassion as the best part of humanity. Compassion is the one quality that all heroes, real and fictional, have in common. *Compassion = strength.*

[@sirvapalot]

cannabis has instilled that in me but im a hopeless slacker apparently if your from the hard right

[@angrytedtalks]

I used to think I was wrong, but then I realised that thinking I was wrong meant I was actually right.

[@Michael-ih1it]

I am so amazed about how he literally stayed and stood still on one spot from start to finish. 🤓

[@anonymousjohnson976]

He is a very good speaker.

[@livethemoment5148]

I am amazed at how superficial you are

[@waynemyers2469]

I loved how he artfully dodged the opportunity to call any one of us the moron we most certainly are based upon politics.

[@Yourmom-tc4rn]

The answer has been around a long time: "It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere" Voltaire

[@JimCampbell777]

14:18 - "If we have a culture that values truth, we'll get things right more often than not." Now you know why America gets it wrong so many times.

[@blancaroca8786]

The whole world is exposed to media controlled by god knows who.

[@gaziger007]

I realize I will be in the minority here, but when the money favors a position the majority will take that position. That is what we are dealing with regarding the hoax that CO2 is a pollutant. CO2 is a primary plant food and the concentrations are 1:2500. Think about that for a minute. How much heat do you think 1 molecule in 2500 will bounce back to earth? But the money is calling for a carbon trading scheme which will raise the price of EVERYTHING. Just consider what a temptation that must be for those willing to overlook the data and the facts.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@ravenhawk007 : You believe you know these things based on what you've been fed by those who stand to make the most money from the continued pollution and destruction of our environment. You are right to follow the money as the reason why some people will do things, but you're putting your faith in those who care for nothing other than *their own* immediate monetary gratification. Just think about that.

[@Edward-qe8xg]

@@gaziger007 Yeah, there is a reason oil companies promote those theories, they are in it for the money. Trust science, not industry.

[@danpaulson927]

@@gaziger007 10:51 , This is for you.

[@wildfire60]

The word humility means being teachable. The key to dealing with our own natural ignorance is to remain humble.

[@richardfoley4752]

Awesome. Very good talk, examining a non-confrontational approach to dealing with public delusions. We need to *check* and verify our positions not simply bolster our opinions.

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

Yeah, I do check my sources. I never go into an "argument" without real backup and not just opinions. And when something new comes at me, I back up and look before replying.

[@Rob337_aka_CancelProof]

Agreed manners are free and a little humility goes a long ways

[@mikelloyd520]

Most folk feel inadequate so want their opinions agreed with. Sadly, this limits learning.

[@marko6489]

@@rickkwitkoski1976 Do you check sources of sources?

[@saintcyberchaos265]

I totally get what he means I am now also an expert on this topic

[@Biskawow]

I understand everything about this topic

[@soteriology1012]

I will never be an expert on any topic. I am not smart enough. I am only an observer with speculations.

[@DjamelBenFirst]

This comment is like the closing note of the talk it was a smart move from you.

[@sanleeyun1113]

wow I mean, I totally get almost everyone here so you guys must be right. I really am the first Terabyter ever. Don't worry guys this changes nothing, we still be equals. As proof I'll even make you pay fees like everyone else for all that extra Bytes of knowledge Gigabyter's are getting just by hanging around a Terabyter. To show my appreciation I will be freely accepting monthly fees for everyone equally.

[@DJMikeron]

Saint Cyberchaos we would all be silly to believe what you say :))))

[@norbertthomas6603]

Now that I've listened to him explaining this, I understand it completely.

[@patcomerford5596]

Over 50 years ago i was told by a teacher that understanding is not synonymous with faith'. It was a respectful effort by the teacher to deal with his frustration of attempting to answer my 'why' type questions for which he had no answers to. As I fast approach my graduation to being an 'old man' I now consider that people resort to faithing or believing when they do not understand. This faithing is an attempt to address the failure to understand and is also a response in the absence of actual knowledge/information. The unfortunate outcome of this believing is that the resultant beliefs are treated as 'facts', which in turn become dogma. This dogma is codified as canonical and must not be questioned. So to believe or to engage in faithing requires the person to suspend or pause for a lifetime their natural tendency for curiosity and questioning. It is the rationale and framework of all religions. So I adopted this proverb as my personal understanding: 'Ubi dubium ibi libertas', translated as: 'where there is doubt there is freedom'.

[@SSJfraz]

This really hits home for me. It's a problem that is forever growing. Get in an argument with anyone over just about anything and ask them to explain their own rational for arriving to the conclusion that they do and they won't be able to provide one.

[@jsmariani4180]

I believe that you are overgeneralizing.

[@williamspringer9447]

Ever consider why they were never taught to reason properly? Ever wonder why the science of classical logic isn't taught in our State controlled public schools?

[@papadakusb6264]

lol how dare you question the great hive mind!!!!

[@glennelliott7009]

Love it. Wish you mentioned the few that do look up facts. I never been confident in talking about stuff I don't know. I like facts before i speak.

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

It took hours and day to "glean" facts back in Univ. half a century ago. Now? We're buried in so much BS it's great to have a good BS filter, but we have no time!!

[@livethemoment5148]

how are you sure that what you "look up" are indeed facts? you see...you are part of the problem

[@user-ug2hk3go6i]

This seems to be one of the points in the presentation. How does one know if what is being offered as a fact, is indeed factual.

[@JohnCamacho]

"We can't eradicate false beliefs". Correct. What we can do is minimize them: 1. Take away religion's unearned privilege of being a taboo topic 2. The beliefs we do have...examine our reasons. What would drop our confidence level? 3. Listen to those with opposing beliefs. What are their reasons? You can learn from them and vice versa 4. Stop being afraid of being wrong

[@livi6440]

👍you got it

[@MikelSyn]

particularly with no. 2: For every belief that you have, come up with 3 hypothetical facts that, if true, would render that belief untrue.

[@JohnCamacho]

@DrFruedienslipJr 1. "There are no false beliefs" 2. "...all beliefs are false unless proven" Elaborate on your contradictory statement please

[@A2Z1Two3]

DrFruedienslipJr There is no such thing as ‘proof’ . How many ‘proven’ scientific facts have later been ‘proven’ to be wrong ? All we have is the latest best guess that we have ‘ proven’ with experiment that appears ( for now) to confirm our latest best guess.

[@slave2truth4freedom]

​@@A2Z1Two3 People frequently misuse the terms 'proof' or 'proven', but that doesn't mean the idea behind the terms is fallible. That's like saying seat belts don't save any lives because someone was wearing one and still died. Though, I agree with your sentiment that the people going around saying, "seat belts are guaranteed to save your life in an accident", are doing harm and are a problem. There are many things science has proven and remain as proof of the way the world around us works. Of course it is in the nature of science for hypotheses to be wrong. So when people, usually scientifically illiterate, try to 'participate' in the growing culture of science, let's say on a talk a show, they make common mistakes using parts of the language of science saying, "so and so from whatever university 'proved' X and so [insert wild speculations and personally derived conspiracy theories of ostentatious nature here]". Even if the talk show represented the study fairly saying this study showed evidence for x or a correlation between y and z, it is likely a good portion of their audience would misinterpret the information. General scientific literacy/illiteracy (not to be confused with 'belief in science' or accepting science as a valid lens through which to view the world) is an underlying theme and the great polarizing agent of our time I believe.

[@gaelstrarai]

After the past 5 years, I really needed to hear this. Thank you.

[@vivilonrane1330]

why 5?

[@AGDinCA]

11:05 - "And when contagious understanding is paired with individual ignorance, it can be a toxic recipe." 14:56 - "... practice a little more intellectual humility." This... this is good. 👍

[@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy]

I think it's good too. Reminds me of something Karl Popper wrote: “It might be well for all of us to remember that, while differing widely in the various little bits we know, in our infinite ignorance we are all equal.” - Karl Popper “True ignorance* is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it.” - Karl Popper “Ignorance* is not a simple lack of knowledge but an active aversion to knowledge, the refusal to know, issuing from cowardice, pride, or laziness of mind.” - Karl Popper *Psychologists now use the term “motivated ignorance”, sometimes called “willful ignorance”

[@AGDinCA]

@@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy Ignorance is an active aversion to knowledge... such an important distinction to make! _Active_ aversion...

[@gerudobombshell]

Amazing TED talk! Thanks for re-envigorating my skepticism! Keep up the great work

[@IsaacAsimov1992]

* thumbs up* I could have written what you did.

[@mikehess4494]

If you personally can't prove something have the maturity to keep it to yourself...

[@pennyo6868]

Mike Hess, Yeah, I agree. Ignorance is contagious. Don't contaminate others with false notions.

[@niteshpoonia6454]

Wow, just what an amazing explanation to such a complex issue. This really puts things into perspective.

[@dawnemile7499]

This young man talks from a young man's experience. Years of research and study can give us firm knowledge of what is true and what is false.

[@oscarmedina1303]

Unfortunately, voters do not spend the time to research what is true and what is false. They simply react with their emotions, as they are manipulated by politicians and special interest groups, and vote from ignorance.

[@user-ug2hk3go6i]

He is hardly a "young man," a denigrating term. Do you have counter arguements to what he has said or will name calling have to suffice?

[@treborironwolfe978]

Phillip, this may very well be the most personally all-inclusive enlightening and reinforcing presentation I have found to date. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing more of your talks in the future.

[@tomrhodes1629]

Very insightful video, indeed. And your comment informs me that you would probably enjoy my KZbin video on this same topic, entitled "Why Do People Believe Lies." An entirely different angle, chock full of insight.....

[@williamspringer9447]

Do you like being gas lighted? Ever wonder why they don't teach us the science of classical logic in our State controlled public schools?

[@Vivivofi]

@@tomrhodes1629 transhumanism

[@dmichael100]

Very underrated Ted Talk. This explains much of my observations regarding my own beliefs at times and especially those around me.

[@edselsantoni6138]

“Having access to that much information on the internet makes you feel like you’re knowledgeable when you really aren’t” Me having just watched 6 TED talks in a row: 👁 👄 👁

[@delarosa6254]

"Intellectual humility" that is something to remember

[@samhhaincat2703]

It's "funny" because ANY scientist/highly education person is the FIRST to admit what they don't know. Almost every question at a physics talk starts with "Well, this isn't my field of expertise, but....". It's the people who AREN'T smart that think they know the most.

[@markmarsh27]

"Everything Great we do as human beings depends on this ability to share knowledge and to collaborate." Philip Fernbach should be remembered FOREVER for that profound statement.

[@markleyg]

I always get my science from Rappers. For music, I go elsewhere.

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

ROFLMAO.

[@ComicGladiator]

No matter how high in elevation you are...rap always sounds terrible...sorry cadets...I didn't wanna believe it either.

[@TpoJioJio47]

I hope your life is good for you

[@LD-qj2te]

markleyg great line ! I love it ... you could go on all day with that one.... rappers have more free time to think about these things... since the don’t spend By time on music ...

[@RichardBlumbergAckermann]

Good one... hahaha

[@duanebidoux6087]

The speaker is good and he makes valuable points. However, just as the world is complex the question of why people believe untrue things is much more complicated than he has let on. But I want to focus on his point that the average brain has about one gigabyte of data, and that is not a lot-with which I agree. But let’s not pretend that all gigabytes are equal. A gigabyte of information concerning the last 20 years of Reality Television shows is not equal to a gigabyte of data when the comparative gigabyte consists of data on how to think about the world in ways that support reality. I have a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and a Master of Science in quantitative systems modeling. I probably read a thousand books with hundreds of thousands of discreet bits of information adding up to far more than a gig and chances are that the details and memorized data is gone forever and only a gigabyte remains. But the worldview, the thinking tools, the systems of thoughts learned are not gone. I studied, in depth, the archaeology of the six pristine civilizations and studied thousands of archaeological remnants that led to the understanding that the rise of monotheistic religions always corresponded with the needs of societies for large scale agricultural organization and infrastructure. That single bit of understanding may only take up several “bytes”-but the lens it gave me through which to view the world gives me added insight that changes how I perceive every waking moment. I took astronomy, simply as an elective science course on a topic that interested me. In that course we studied not only empirical data on planetary motion and the empirical evidence supporting current models but even the history of the original thinkers who gave us this knowledge. We did calculations predicting lunar and solar eclipses which were born out by prediction. 99% of this original knowledge is forgotten (no way could I now remember those equations). But the conviction that the Earth is spherical remains in me and with it a high and I believe justified level of confidence in the conclusion. The speaker is reluctant to criticize people who believe patently absurd things and tells us that it is just part of what it means to be a human being. Perhaps. But it doesn’t have to be so, and this needs to be made crystal clear if we are to win the battle against ignorance. It is the only way to move into a better future instead of re-trenching into a world of ignorance and superstition, and thus ultimately more death, suffering, and pain.

[@pdp977]

I think it's worse than you think: I know how much an 8 x 10-inch image at 300dpi will take in storage as a BMP. I also "know" how much the same image will take as a JPG (quotes due to degradation of the image as more compression is applied). I have no idea how efficient the storage of the brain is and how it compares to a hard drive. So 1GB of storage is meaningless without some idea of the efficiency of the storage. I suspect (from what I do know) that the brain is very efficient in storing information - this is what leads to memories being distorted. When we remember something we actually reconstruct it from its constituent parts, which are distributed where it's convenient. Unfortunately, similar memory chunks can become conflated, so you and your Mom remember a wedding very differently. No-one is lying: I went to three weddings one summer, all with the same groups of guests. The only one I can separate out is the one hosted in a London Italian restaurant - the other two were largely in the countryside and I had very little interest in them anyway.

[@duanebidoux6087]

@@pdp977 And I think these specific kinds of examples (misremembering the color of the dress my wife wore on our 5th wedding anniversary night out, etc.) ARE things all humans are very vulnerable to. But believing the Earth is flat? To me that's different and we are much less vulnerable to that when we have the fundamental thinking skills all education should deliver.

[@WesternAustraliaNowAndThen]

Very well expressed. Unfortunately education systems are designed to produce complaint workers not people capable of critical analysis. Political system have now learned to exploit this by encouraging divisions in society. How this will ever be fixed is beyond me.

[@Leoo117]

@Vaunnie Thayer You summed it up nicely. The speaker mentioned humility at the end though, which is basically the answer to most issues. People have this sense of pride or ego, and don't want to admit they are wrong, because they associate pain or feelings of stupidity with being wrong. Some people were raised since childhood to believe something, and if they are proven wrong, it scares them to believe that what they've been taught their whole life might be wrong. Most people will do more to avoid pain, than they will to gain pleasure. So they rationalize like you said. Or just plain ignore in some cases, or look for others to validate them. If people were humble, they would be ok with being wrong, or not knowing everything, which then opens up the possibility of understanding the truth to things. Sadly, this world does not teach humility. It's also true that a humble person tends to be happier.

[@boltaurelius376]

Learning formatted your drive, bro

[@ek-ym6yy]

"You may know enough about a subject to believe that you are right but not enough to know you're wrong! " Neil deGrassi Tyson.

[@jsmariani4180]

I would change the last part to know WHEN you're wrong. Indeed dilettantes are often right about many things - but not all.

[@paulbolton4929]

The difference is when people view themselves as a function of their beliefs. If their beliefs are challenged and falter, they loose something, maybe self identity. The see themselves as pillars of truth. Better to be more pliable.

[@planner812]

My fist day in a college philosophy class This was the lecture

[@hyweltthomas]

Ah yes, I remember fist days, very painful if memory serves.

[@cutl00senc]

Never underestimate the power of stupidity in large numbers….

[@hackerhesays731]

love these ted talks,defintely open my mind to a world and beauty of life , i otherwise wouldnt know about. thank you

[@robertwhite1810]

Key is to not "believe" anything. Accept certain propositions provisionally and always be prepared to change your perceptions as new evidence is revealed. It's the only rational position to take.

[@donaldolin4616]

Advertising depends on false beliefs. And it is very profitable.

[@kosmique]

this right here... typically a comment like this won't even have a handful of likes. cause people just dont get it.

[@johnreuter4916]

I would expand that to "marketing". A lot of BS is promoted by various lie factories because it makes somebody money.

[@markfoster1520]

@@johnreuter4916 How much are they paying you to say that!? (& Who are "they?")

[@paullanoue5228]

Public Relations firms remake the culture. People believe what we eat and when we eat it came about by a public consensus. Wrong these basic behaviors are propaganda created by Public Relations firms. They sculpt the culture. We walk through the maze they created and think we make our own decisions.

[@p.bamygdala2139]

Him: “We can’t eliminate false beliefs” Me: Challenge accepted. I’m working on it. And so should others.

[@PapaOsmubal.OscarBalajadia]

‘We built cathedrals, but we can also build houses of cards.’ Beautiful analogy to human knowledge and understanding.

[@missesangry]

Yes! I wish this man was in my circle! I have so many questions!

[@wesleycolemanmusic]

I see a few people in the comment section, who watched the video, talking about how people learn the majority of what they know never being able explain why they know it. Then I see those same people attacking another group based on an opposing belief. Look, I get it. I'm guilty of it too. Let's try to give eachother in the comments some respect. Even if you KNOW that their belief is beyond a shadow of a doubt flat out (you've studied the specific topic for twenty years) wrong... PLEASE do yourself a favor and stop and see what they can add to YOUR community of thought. :) Thank you, Wes

[@jschuler53]

Wesley Coleman I like the way you think. Opening your mind is difficult, but what greatness if we do.

[@chrisgraham2904]

I am sick of being told to respect people who have beliefs that I don't respect.

[@wesleycolemanmusic]

@@chrisgraham2904 "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle It's important to learn both sides of an argument to their fullest extent. Before then, you are just living in an echo chamber. As the old saying goes, "Beware the sound of one hand clapping." This means if you only hear one side of an argument, you will never get the full picture. What's worse, you may be living in errency. As for your main gripe. Respecting people with ideas you don't respect is the foundation for open mindedness. If you can't separate the person your talking to from their beliefs, there's no hope of changing their mind -- much less of you changing your own. If you truly believe they're misguided, you will learn their ideas to the best of your ability so you may discern where the fallacy lies in the foundation of their presuppositions. By doing this you may find that you change your mind. The beautiful thing about learning is that you're only wrong if you continue to associate with false belief. Learning is about growth, and there's no better way to grow then respecting other's pursuing truth. This cannot be done, however, with your current state of mind. I wish you well on your path to truth. Good day, Wes

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@wesleycolemanmusic When people are told to respect other peoples beliefs, they are being told to shut up and don't question their beliefs. I have to understand your belief before I can disrespect your belief. It's ok to "rock the boat".

[@wesleycolemanmusic]

@@chrisgraham2904 I never said you need to respect other's "beliefs", rather, you should learn their beliefs and respect others. However, by learning other's beliefs, you may find that you have a greater respect for their beliefs or even change your mind. I find either of those chance occurrences far outweigh the price of educating yourself on opposing ideas. You certainly don't need to understand a belief before you disrespect it. Indeed, disrespecting others for their beliefs is a sign of arrogance. And disrespecting other's beliefs is a sign that you don't value conversation and the pursuit of knowledge. No one has told anyone here to 'shut up'. In fact, only you have come close to this with your unwillingness to engage with people who think differently than you. There is a time for rocking the boat, but it should never be when you encounter someone with respect for others -- regardless of their beliefs. I appreciate your passion, but I believe it's misguided. Good day, Wes

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

I know why I believe what I believe. I can walk back the concepts. I read. I analyze. I question. And I know a lot of people who don't.

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

@@bulldogma99 Yes, An argument that has been refined and expanded upon since ancient times. An argument that works consistently across all circumstances and doesn't rely on ever stranger concepts or massive conspiracy theories to support. I deon't need a massive global conspiracy theory to justify my beliefs.

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

@@bulldogma99Yes, If someone wants to kick up the cash they can travel to space and see the globe turning below them. SPACEX is staking it's financial future on space tourism. Then we go to the most ancient and far chaper eperiment. Watch a ship appear mast first out of the ocean. That experiment dates back to the ancient Greeks.

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

@@bulldogma99 Going there in person and doing your own experiment are pretty much practical things. It is pointless to discuss a conspiracy theory involving every country in the world and a budget that would bankrupt a major nation. The world has gotten ever more complicated since the Renaissance. in old times people lived their entire live not venturing 5 miles from their v illage. All of there energy was spent just trying to survive. Science conquered disease. It helped people grow more and better cops. It earned its way. But it talked about things that peoples religion told them was false. How do you let go of a false belief that you have been told your entire life. The bible tells its adheremts that the mind of god is beyond the understanding of men. SO if I were a Christian and I wanted to reconcile religion and science I'd say science was documenting God's methods. I've worked the scientific building blocks up from the bottom. They dn't seem strange to me. There is a lot in life both in science and in religion that is counter intuitive. I find science to offer a consistent view of my world. From biology to chemistry to physics to astronomy.

[@aleleeinnaleleeinn9110]

@@bulldogma99 Ultimately, I've seen the flat earth argument before. It occurred about 500 years ago. And it is remarkablly similar to today. As more ws discovered the old theories kept having to invent new mechanism to explain what was seen. Finally, they gave up and accepted the phycal evidence. For the current argument we need a worldwide conspiracy involving millions of people whose purpose in life is to hide that the earth is round. Fake everything about space travel and satellites. Satellites that send GPS and cellphone signals. Those two things are largely taken for granted in technological society. I once read that bad science fiction is when you have to invent a new element of the world you are on to cover a flaw in the plot. That's what the flat earth theory seems like to me.

[@hyweltthomas]

Your confidence is worrying.

[@ztodd]

It is now December 2021. So much of this talk has become ever so much more relevant. KZbin has a Transcript feature. Find it, read through this talk again, analyze it, and use it. Apply it to yourself. Don't worry about anyone else. Always start with the man in the mirror. Then let people know how you have evolved in ways that you think and feel about things. You'll be surprised how much people respect you when you let them know you realize you don't know everything, but you're working hard to keep learning.

[@markplimsoll]

😅You don't understand Evolution. Use the words "change" when there is no selection or offspring to inherit change. 😮

[@LeeCarlson]

I understand enough to justify believing all three of Mr. Fernbach's arguments about why people think "fake news." Am I such an anomaly? Or have I taken advantage of the first two technological leaps in "off-site storage?" The first was the written word and the ability to record information. The second was the introduction of Gutenberg's press, which made the mass distribution of knowledge possible.

[@pauldiani]

Although he has a point , this will surely be abused by the "my ignorance equals your knowledge" brigade .

[@treich1234]

or my ignorance is smarter than your ignorance

[@NiKoNethe]

Hmm... Is that not a praise for his vast knowledge though? Surely anyone’s ignorance is by definition infinite.

[@Smitty65721]

Right. The problem is that smart folks are not listened to in the right ratio. That leads to a very slow, arduous, slog toward improvement. What is required is for each of us to have humility that others might be more intelligent than we are, and to seek out those folks and learn from them.......on any subject.

[@billyjoejimbob75]

I don't know what you people are talking about, but I know you're wrong. (:

[@livi6440]

Ya, what’s up with that brigade? They scoff at the learned and declare they know just as much, if not more.

[@Rob337_aka_CancelProof]

Thank you for your efforts it's good to know somebody else out there sees our biggest problem as clearly as I do and is also working to find a solution that said the solution won't be solved in any kind of a meaningful way until the majority see it also (and ideally 100% but wishful thinking is not an adequate substitute for realistic expectations)

[@williamspringer9447]

They should start teaching the science of classical logic in our State controlled public schools. But that would make us harder to lie to. The Underground History of American Education by John Gatto

[@franco8752]

im not sure you got his point

[@Rob337_aka_CancelProof]

@@franco8752 you could be right because I don't really remember a whole lot of this talk and like most days I'm sure I was distracted by things coming no one is prepared for. I am concerned with all kinds of things and don't have the inverted priorities that most share but for sure I know nobody's paying any attention to the important things that they should be.... but they will be soon because they will have no other choice

[@AndyCampbellMusic]

The truth, is independent of perception. It doesn't care whether you believe it or not or how you feel about it... That's what makes it truth and not opinion...

[@kylepatrickmccrary2781]

I just really like that he changes the quote to say "who," instead of "that."

[@DanielGallagherMusic]

I have a list of "Things I want my kids to know." I just took five quotes from this talk for that list. Also, I'd like to add that I really appreciate the breadth (or lack thereof) of his talk. He did not delve into any specific issues (e.g. religion and climate, which are popping up the comments a lot). Dealing with specific instances of false belief is not the point; that's treating the symptoms. Rather, he's trying treat the illness by improving the algorithm we employ for gaining knowledge (i.e. by incorporating intellectual humility), which I think is a far more important goal. Furthermore, to go through each point one-by-one would be counterproductive insofar as it would a) isolate many people who hold those beliefs (false or not) turning them off to anything else he says, and b) ironically put forth an air of intellectual arrogance on those issues. Anyway, this was absolutely great. One of my favorite TED Talks for sure.

[@onekerri1]

The man just tried to tie flat-earthers as the same people who deny man-made global warming, and those who believe vaccines are harmful.

[@YagamiKou]

​@@onekerri1 to me, they are the same thing, they all have the same amount of evidence, its all psudoscience, climate and vaccine deniers are the worst tbh because vaccine deniers may potentially kill thousands of people within 1 - 4 years and climate deniers may potentially kill 60% of all living creatures in 200 years and flat earthers believe in the literal word of god.... if they go to far they could kill thousands of people as well but dealing with bad religion in a world that is 1/6th atheist, is easier then dealing with climate and vaccine deaths tbh

[@williamspringer9447]

He did manage to use the Flat Earth strawman argument nicely though. Ever wonder why the science of classical logic hasn't been taught in our State controlled public schools?

[@oobrocks]

"Just learn how to find out," 1 of my college professors

[@AgonTheFirst]

Understanding is contagious.

[@billkeon880]

Which is why it’s valuable to rely on the overwhelming consensus of experts who’ve spent years or decades learning something. They may be very occasionally wrong, but they are more credible more often than those without that expertise. It’s also why it’s easy to be a faux skeptic

[@Economics21st]

I used to agree. Now I'm not convinced. For a start, how do you even know how to identify an expert, rather than someone posing as an expert? You'd have to become an expert yourself. Having spent a long time (over 13 years) studying economics with an open mind, I can say with confidence that many people presented as economic experts in the media really aren't.

[@williamspringer9447]

Every big money criminal court trial has "experts" who give diametrically opposed testimony , wile looking at exactly the same evidence. Experts need to get paid like everyone else. Ever wonder why they don't teach the science of classical logic in our State controlled public schools?

[@billkeon880]

@@williamspringer9447 the legal system in most countries incl US is what's called an 'adversarial' system ... so of course there will be diametrically opposed points of view, by definition. You should fire your lawyer if they don't. Your statement is empty. As far as teaching ANY formal logic or philosophy in high school.... they don't do this anywhere I know of. They should teach logic and critical thinking but instead under the right drum-beat over the decade of teaching the basic 3 R's reading-writing-rithmatic to survive daily life, or to prep for college teaching Biology, chem, physics, english, history. Teaching logic is left for university, which is where I took it.

[@williamspringer9447]

@@billkeon880 If you think that armies of experts lying under oath in court for money is an empty example of how unreliable expert testimony is , you don't have any understanding of the science of classical logic. But perhaps you're just being disingenuous? And the fact that the science of classical logic isn't taught in our State controlled public schools is an obvious profound threat to our democratic processes. Read The Underground History of American Education by John Gatto.

[@G_Demolished]

This is about science though. ​@@Economics21st

[@karlhadley7993]

One of the best Ted Talks video's I've seen. Really made me think about my own biases.

[@WTH1812]

"When contagious understanding is paired with individual ignorance it can be a toxic recipe." This is the foundation of 'aggressive stupidity', the refusal to accept new or different beliefs in the face of easily demonstrable evidence to the contrary and in spite of a complete lack of such evidence to support the belief currently held. ... Unfortunately, the echo chambers of social media and partisan politics completely disprove his final point that we can improve the quality of our discourse by understanding just how much of what we believe depends on those around us. The tribal nature of society pushes us all towards an 'Us versus Them' mentality. As a result the contagious understanding of individual ignorance is enhanced not ameliorated by algorithms and our own active choices that select for what we already believe, reinforcing ourselves with a virtual community that validates our point of view and excludes evidence to the contrary.

[@Ansatz66]

Despite all that pushes us to overconfident beliefs, people also have the intellect to recognize their own ignorance. We can never be rid of our biases, but we have the capacity to think about our biases and recognize them and compensate for them. We don't need to be slaves to our biases. We can escape the us-versus-them mentality if we try, and especially if we help others to see the wisdom of knowing nothing.

[@WTH1812]

@@Ansatz66 ...Two paths lay ahead, one of struggle and toil, the other of ease and comfort. Rail against the masses or follow the crowd. Which path would most people choose to make their way through life? ... While (some) people have the intelligence to recognize their own ignorance, the aggressive stupidity of the masses is revealed again and again by their own self- destructive choices. Anti-vaxxers spreading COVID and measles, people voting against their own self-interests to vote the Party line, fire fighters and police met at gunpoint by people who refuse to evacuate ahead of willdfires...

[@candicemitchell6093]

No. Thank YOU! for so eloquently expressing what I have been failing to for so long now. Over two decades of saying the same old things. "I know enough to know I don't know" is my favorite. "Shut up. Listen. And LEARN something" "Learn to learn, knowing you will never know" "Keep asking questions until you understand. Then, GO TO THE LIBRARY." and more. I don't think I ever really got my point across. :)

[@williamspringer9447]

It is possible to logically reason through evidence until proof beyond a reasonable doubt is achieved. Jurys do it all of the time. Ever wonder why the science of classical logic isn't taught in our state controlled public schools?

[@numberpirate]

As a society we need to start using scientific words correctly. If someone comes up with an idea of how to explain something they have a hypothesis, not a theory. A theory is essentially a set of facts that can be explained by a tested, non-negated hypothesis. This is why we have the theory of gravity, theory of physics(from which the globe model of earth comes from, as well as direct observation), theory of evolution (evangelicals go die) etc etc.

[@miked9000]

Memory is a strange beast. I have played guitar for about 30 years, and despite the fact that i rarely know off the top of my head what the date is, i know about three birthdays of the 30 or so people close to me, cant give any detail of most of my life, yet somebody can name almost any relatively popular song written between the early 60's to modern times, i can play it almost note for note. Not to mention the many hundreds of not so popular songs that i have listened to through my life. My family and friends call me the human juke box, and also say i have the worst memory of anybody they know. Always seemed strange to me.

[@leejacobus5305]

Mike D sounds compartmentalized. Almost as savant.

[@dribrom]

It's not that strange. We have two types of memories, short term memory and long term memory. Our short term memory is really bad. The average person can only remember 4 things that was just sad or shown to him or her. For the brain to store things from the short term memory into the long term memory two things have to happen. First of all repetioson and secondly you subconsciously have to find the information important. If we know that we can easily just access the information through the internet for an example we tend to forget it. "We don't attempt to store information in our own memory to the same degree that we used to, because we know that the internet knows everything... ...One could speculate that this extends to personal memories, as constantly looking at the world through the lens of our smartphone camera may result in us trusting our smartphones to store our memories for us. This way, we pay less attention to life itself and become worse at remembering events from our own lives." - Dr. Maria Wimber, University of Birmingham Just think about how many phone numbers you used to know by heart as a kid for an example and now I wonder if you even remember your own phone number because we have all numbers stored in the phone.

[@Leoo117]

You are just emotionally anchored to what you have a passion for, so you effortlessly remember those things, because you enjoy them so much. The date for example, isn't super important to you.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

We remember best what we treasure most.

[@debbiehenri7170]

I'm a gardener and have the same ability with plant names. I can remember many hundreds, probably thousands (never counted). I can also recognise many plants from seedlings - that is, from the seed leaves themselves, not the first true leaves. My hubby is the same with engines. I have walked into his workshop to see an entire tractor, lawnmower, car or motorbike in hundreds of pieces, bits scattered all over the floor. It's my idea of a lost cause, but he puts them back together again easy as anything. Neither of us can understand how the other is able to do what he or she does. But it's all down to having a special enthusiasm for our particular subjects, other stuff takes second place - and so birthdays, etc get forgotten.

[@palmsandboars]

"Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues."

[@chrisgraham2904]

Honesty is the foundation of all human virtues. Truthfulness is more difficult to recognize and acquire.

[@samrapheal1828]

The arch enemy of political leaders.

[@judithmaesen]

I choose to believe what helps me to be kind. Therefor what I believe can change all the time. I feel which thought and action is helpfull for the greater good at that moment. Often it is to listen and love.

[@johntaylor4997]

life is an infinite series of questions about who what and why we are here .we all have the right to make our own choices .informed or otherwise .Believe in what is right and makes sense to you the individual .Life is limited one time event for all of us so keep it simple ,understandable and be Happy!

[@chrisgoritz4381]

Getting closer to the truth for community. Thank you KZbin.

[@Lolleka]

Thinking is a social process. Damn, this is a powerful takeaway.

[@decidrophob]

Taking this video as commonsense once it is shared among us, the really hard question, which used to be taken for granted, is how we reach true beliefs when necessary -- like global earth instead of flat earth -- despite the minimal memory we have. Information literacy and media literacy are, I think, most important and basic skills we should all have today.

[@johnlinden7398]

I LIKE PHILIP AND THE MANNER IN WHICH HE DOMMUNICATES @ SIMPLE, COHERENT, ENLIGHTENED FACTS ABOUT OURSELVES AND OUR NEED TO SHARE A WIDENING PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN TO BRING ABOUT A COHESIVE, UNITED AND ENLIGHTENED WORLD CIVILIZATION !

[@peterclark4685]

I think a core understanding of our Western Culture was the connection between the truth and decency. We needed a certain level of integrity to discover the rest of the world with everyone doing their little bit as accurately as they could. That is not to say other cultures don't but it could be true that the one that got there first (or firmest) would be most successful in that voyage. Worth fighting for I'd say. Just based on achievement we maintain the most consistent Dopamine levels and went the furthest.

[@williamspringer9447]

For thousands of years the science of logic has been used to better infer truth from evidence. Interestingly, the science of classical logic hasn't been taught in our State controlled public schools for more than a century. The Underground History of American Education by john Gatto

[@michaelemonds]

An excellent lecture. Dispells the myth of the 'self-made person' as well.

[@richardcheek2432]

Not really. Wecan know that the Earth revolves around the sun because of the relative masses. The center of our Earth-Sun orbital is within the Sun, a little off center but so small we cannot really measure how far off center it is. The same is true for planets and their moons. The gravity of both affect each other proportionately. There are people who are obsessive and search for objective Truth that comes from an independent perspective. We call it 'High Functioning Autism'.

[@peterf90]

Awesome talk, very thought provoking. Thanks for posting.

[@JC-wr9fx]

this TedTalk is underrated. society talks about the dangers of misinformation but we don’t talk enough about how/why we become susceptible to misinformation.

[@williamspringer9447]

They don't teach the science of classical logic in our State controlled public schools. That probably has something to do with it .

[@0soloony]

This guy is preaching a new religion and there are many more like him out there. I say keep it up because the old ones do not work any more.

[@chrisgraham2904]

He's not preaching a new religion, but he is providing a pretty good explanation as to why religions exist.

[@tryintoreason9738]

This feels like a longwinded version of "My belief is as good as your reason." It's possible for humans to actually research and come to logical conclusions on certain issues. It's also possible - and far more honest - for people to say "I don't know" when they don't know. We don't, largely for the same reasons he says we come to conclusions in the first place: tribal identity. Religion, politics, sports, pick your poison, unless you can apply a method of reason to fact testing, you get assumption.

[@Lbnawki]

The keyword in your opening statement is "feels" ... your quote in that sentence is not what his argument is claiming. Are you aware of the poison you have picked here?

[@tryintoreason9738]

@@Lbnawki I understand the overarching point. That information is stored and transmitted by groups, rather than owned by individuals. The egalitarian, communal sharing of knowledge is worthy idea. It gave us libraries and colleges, etc. I'm for it. However, as a public speaker, we need to be aware of areas in our presentation that invite misunderstanding. It would be easy for some to walk away from this believing that no one really "knows" anything. That's not the case. Yet, that line of thinking comes up OVER AND OVER again in conversation with people who demand the right to believe (and enact legislation based on) what they haven't properly investigated.

[@serotta09]

Many people hold true beliefs and it's not by accident or luck. Beliefs can be formed correctly with openness, skepticism, critical thinking ability, time, effort, and humility. Only about 5% of people are willing to do this but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

[@adaptivelogic1354]

Einstein was asked by an interviewer "What is the speed of light?" He answered ... "I can't remember off-hand", waved to the bookshelves behind him and said "But I know exactly which book on that shelf to find the answer" Retaining the knowledge is not the issue ... it's being able to use that knowledge which is the key!!

[@Neuralatrophy]

I couldn't even begin to put a number on it myself, but I highly doubt you can constrain long term memory to a single gigabyte. The brain has a lot of nuance in its function that determines what we retain, what we forget and how long it sticks around... never have I come across or heard of a real life situation where someone has to forget something to put something new in.

[@HeliSimDriver]

We are constantly forgetting things, whether we know it or not, so there is always room for more information.

[@1doutlaw]

Your thoughts on this could be wrong according to this talk 😂

[@ericktippett4158]

Excellent presentation by this man , is he going to be invited to give this kind of talk in the universities and colleges of education where students are being taught how to teach young minds in this 'modern' society? Erick Dean Tippett Retired Musician/Teacher Chicago, Illinois

[@SirPhysics]

Most modern educational research does support this kind of epistemology. In my experience teachers are generally trained this way (when trained well). But this understanding of what it means to know things is at odds with the structure of our educational system where "knowing" means "memorizing facts someone else told you for a test". Because of its focus on standardized tests, the modern educational system values possessing facts over being able to evaluate claims based on evidence or synthesizing information. Sincerely, A physics teacher and teacher educator

[@jschuler53]

@@SirPhysics SirPhysics....very interesting comment. I share your belief--I think you are saying their is a systemic domain contributing to ways of knowing. I like your teacher example and agree with you, it is a shame that we feel the need for standardized tests when creative minds out there are coming up with other ways of evaluations. We also are beginning to verbalize that our history is so biased and spotty, and downright wrong. It is who gets to write the history is who gets to tell the stories. That is a systemic problem, because this way there is always going to some bias. We need to find another way of telling real stories of real events in a real manner.

[@williamspringer9447]

Yes, wonderful example of gaslighting people into blindly following authority figures. Ever wonder why the don't teach the science of classical logic in our State controlled public schools?

[@machintelligence]

What does it feel like to be wrong? It feels just like being right.

[@rodneyparker5313]

On this particular issue, it is inconceivable that one can have a credible conversation about cognitive failures without invoking or referencing the critical concepts of cognitive dissonance and cognitive bias. Yet here we are. No one will disagree that there are significant processes in play that have an impact on how people go about misinterpreting what's going on in the world, and yes ignorance or knowledge deficits play a part in cognitive failures. But to get to the real root of the failure we must ask ourselves why people not only believe things that are not true, but why they reject well-integrated and accepted facts as well as the proven processes as to how facts are tested and ultimately became part of a larger knowledge base. Taken a step further, why are they selective about the things they believe or reject? Even more nefarious is the question as to why they reject methodologies and studies which seek truthful answers?

[@paulneelon8343]

Only left-handed people are on the true path of enlightenment. If you are not left-handed, just use your rationality to simply become left-handed in all things and all ways. Perhaps, humans are bounded by evolutionary and psychological rules that govern our conscious understanding and dictate our viewpoints. To accept "facts", that deny "my personality" is as easy as becoming something that you are not.

[@dougrasmussen5444]

The stand alone importance of human memory began to erode with the first printed documents and has continued into the current computer age. Many scientists postulate that we are semi-android through an assimilation with technology. I might forget, but I know where to go to access and refresh information. So, the basic foundational key is in critical thinking skills and examination processes about the information we access as likely, and the criteria of what constitutes rational information.

[@catharsis21]

Always remember and never forget, I am always right and everyone else is simply wrong... unless they happen to agree with me. ;)

[@Egooist.]

Talking about "an epidemic of false belief", I'm (a little) disappointed that he didn't go after religion. But I guess he wanted to get his point across to as many people as possible, thus he tried to "repel" as few people as possible. "They [religions] can't all be true, but they can all be false."

[@LumenCache]

Reminds me of AHP decision making tool. It allows you to assign priorities comparing features of the two options, but the final decision is based on weighting by informed experts. So basically, you can have your feelings satisfied, but rationalized by a large body of knowledge and experience from many experts in that field. This technique only reduces the worst bad decision offenders. If we want to improve the choices then that's another process.

[@williamspringer9447]

We are at the mercy of experts who are bought and paid for. That's why the science of classical logic isn't taught in our State controlled public schools.

[@ChipmunkRapidsMadMan1869]

I would love to sit and have a challenging conversation with this guy.

[@gavinreid8351]

We don't want truth, we want certainty.

[@grahampilkington252]

People should research for the truth. Have it validated from different sources. Belief is just a strong opinion. Any opinion without research is a guess and many people will defend this. That’s why stupidity is social because believing something is right if others support it. Truth is the final answer. Stand you’re ground, even if one against many.

[@mrsteele1781]

One of the best TEDx talks I've seen. Sad it has under a million views...

[@treborironwolfe978]

For most of my life I have felt very frustrated in my ability to remember and recall information accurately.. dates, names, quotes, etc. Only recently has the thought occurred to me that perhaps this is not the debilitating "curse" or handicap that I have always seen it as being -- As I have always been interested in most "everything" from science to theology to psychology to creative thinking, I'm beginning to feel that I actually prefer my working ability to later recall my many hazy and discombobulated dreams and their meanings over the rarely remembered lucid and vivid ones.

[@haniffrazri6023]

Trebor Ironwolfe next time write it in some notebook or anything.. there will be usefull to counter comment in youtube these days..

[@jcm9356]

Great video and unfortunately a little too close to the truth about how I react to others thinking. At least I've been told.

[@harrypalmer3481]

One of the best videos of the way too many I've watched on KZbin!

[@marwamirgani999]

His talk is so humbling