Why do brilliant people sometimes make the most foolish decisions? Despite their intellectual prowess, highly intelligent people often fall prey to conspiracy theories, financial ruin, and irrational beliefs\u2014sometimes even more than those with average intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In The Intelligence Trap<\/em>, David Robson reveals how the very traits that make people smart can become their greatest weakness. Through research-backed insights, he exposes the hidden dangers of overconfidence, cognitive biases<\/a>, and motivated reasoning<\/a> that plague intelligent individuals, then offers practical strategies to think more wisely. Keep reading for a full overview of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n In The Intelligence Trap<\/em><\/a> (2019), David Robson explores why intelligent people are sometimes more prone to misguided, wrong, or irrational thinking than people of average intelligence\u2014and why the very traits that make them intelligent can lead them to fall for conspiracy theories, fake news, and misguided logic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a journalist, Robson has written about neuroscience and psychology for New Scientist<\/em>, Men\u2019s Health<\/em>, The Atlantic<\/em>, and The Guardian<\/em>. He\u2019s also the author of The Laws of Connection<\/em><\/a> and The Expectation Effect<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson writes that traditional psychology defines intelligence as <\/strong>strength in certain abstract skills<\/em><\/strong>, such as memory, vocabulary, and analytical reasoning. The general belief is that the better you are at these abstract skills, the better you\u2019ll be at learning, solving problems, being creative, and thinking rationally. Rationality<\/em> is traditionally defined as the ability to make decisions that will best achieve your goals<\/a>, and to draw correct conclusions based on evidence and logic. Rationality and intelligence are typically thought of as correlated, so that the more intelligent a person is, the more rational they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson notes, though, that it\u2019s not uncommon for highly intelligent people to make irrational decisions<\/a> and harbor irrational beliefs.<\/strong> For example, intelligent people are statistically more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs, miss mortgage payments, run up credit card debt<\/a>, and fall into bankruptcy. There are also countless intelligent people who believe in unscientific, unproven ideas, from medically unsound advice to the existence of underground lizard people who secretly run the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson goes further to argue that intelligent people can be even more<\/em> prone to irrational thinking than average people. This matters because intelligent people are often in positions of influence, so when they make mistakes, they can cause terrible consequences not just for themselves but for others\u2014leading to calamities such as medical errors, economic crises, and plane crashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson writes that one reason highly intelligent people get caught in the intelligence trap is that they use their superior analytical abilities to rationalize incorrect beliefs<\/strong> rather than to seek truth. The trap, therefore, happens when the strength<\/em> of high intelligence\u2014the ability to reason and analyze\u2014turns into a weakness<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson explores a few common reasons why intelligent people can be more prone to irrational thinking than average people, including overconfidence in their own expertise, cognitive biases, and motivated reasoning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson argues that expertise is a double-edged sword: The very skills and characteristics that make people experts can paradoxically undermine them<\/strong>. In particular, the pattern-recognition that experts often rely on to understand a situation can blind them to changes in those patterns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When mastering a skill<\/a> or knowledge set, experts often develop schemas<\/em>\u2014mental scripts or templates that prepare them to respond to different situations. To create these schemas, they \u201cchunk\u201d individual details into sets so that they can see broad patterns over individual items. Schemas allow them to process information quickly and intuitively. This is how, for example, chess masters are able to quickly decide their moves: They don\u2019t carefully consider each and every piece on the board individually, but instead, see templates of board layouts that they\u2019ve already determined how to respond to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson acknowledges that schemas are an effective tool for enabling quick responses, but people who rely on them can become inflexible<\/strong> and have difficulty adapting to changes. For example, doctors who have a set way of responding to certain symptoms may find it hard to adjust their response if presented with different <\/em>symptoms, or if the recommendations for treating the condition change. In addition, because schemas are designed to see broad patterns rather than individual details, experts who rely on them can miss details and nuances that make some problems unique from others. They\u2019ll then use solutions that aren\u2019t well suited for the problem at hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson notes that overconfidence can lead to poor decision-making<\/a> not just because it leads people to rely too much on schemas and patterns, but also because it makes smart people more resistant to negative feedback.<\/strong> People who are accustomed to being right grow to like that feeling and will often push back against feedback that suggests they may be wrong. They\u2019re then less likely to admit mistakes, take advice, or own up to logical flaws in their arguments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Overconfidence also leads intelligent people to believe that if they run into trouble, such as financial distress, their smarts will get them out of it. For this reason, they\u2019re more likely to take risks that can lead to bankruptcy, credit card debt, and the like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson writes that people who fall victim to irrational thinking often do so because they rely on cognitive biases and heuristics<\/a> (pattern-based rules that allow for quick decisions). Robson cautions that there\u2019s little scientific evidence that intelligent people are inherently more prone to cognitive biases\u2014everyone falls for them, at all levels of intelligence. However, research does confirm that intelligence doesn\u2019t <\/strong>protect<\/em><\/strong> against cognitive biases<\/strong>\u2014smart people are just as likely to fall for them as others. And, coupled with an intelligent person\u2019s instinct to dismiss alternative views and overstate their own expertise, the result is an increased likelihood to think wrongly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some common biases<\/a> that people fall prey to include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anchoring bias<\/a>: <\/strong>When you\u2019re presented with a number, any numbers you consider within a short time period afterward will be influenced by that first number. This is why salespeople start by mentioning a high number: to prompt you to subconsciously associate high value with their product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Availability heuristic<\/a>: <\/strong>People tend to overestimate the danger of risks based on how easily they can imagine them. This is why people are more afraid of flying than driving; though driving is more statistically dangerous, plane crashes are more memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunk cost fallacy<\/a>:<\/strong> When we\u2019ve invested a lot of time, effort, or money into a venture, we\u2019re reluctant to abandon it, even if it\u2019s clearly failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blind spot: <\/strong>Smart people typically know that they\u2019re intelligent and are accustomed to being more \u201cright\u201d than others. This overconfidence leads them to ignore flaws in their thinking, making them blind to their own blind spots. (This is one cognitive bias<\/a> in particular that Robson does suggest smart people are more prone to, as it aligns with expertise overconfidence.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another driver of irrational thinking that Robson names is motivated reasoning<\/em><\/strong>\u2014emotionally driven thinking designed to defend a belief rather than seek objective truth.<\/strong> You\u2019ll often see people using motivated reasoning to defend political or religious beliefs\u2014they\u2019ll ignore data that counters their already-held convictions while they tout data that confirms those ideas. Another term for this tendency is confirmation bias<\/a><\/em>\u2014the inclination to defend and confirm existing beliefs by selectively interpreting information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson says that people typically engage in motivated reasoning when the irrational idea they\u2019re defending in some way reflects their identity.<\/strong> For example, people who identify as conservative will defend conservative policies even if data shows they\u2019re ineffective\u2014and likewise, progressive-identifying people will defend progressive policies regardless of provable results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies have demonstrated the extent to which people will go to defend their identity beliefs: When presented with data that, for example, shows links between guns and crime, conservatives will interpret it to mean gun control doesn\u2019t work while progressives will see it as proof gun control does <\/em>work. If the data is manipulated so that the details are reversed, conservatives will still interpret it to mean gun control doesn\u2019t work, using alternative rationales, and progressives will do the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson argues that highly intelligent people can be susceptible to motivated reasoning because of the very traits that make them intelligent<\/strong>\u2014they\u2019re able to come up with creative arguments that follow streams of logic, even if that logic isn\u2019t sound. They then use their intelligence selectively to promote their own interests, prove their beliefs true, and dismiss alternative arguments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson writes that to avoid the intelligence trap, you must aim not just to be smart, but to be <\/strong>wise<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong> Wisdom is different from straightforward intelligence: While intelligence means you can reason analytically and remember things well, wisdom means you can accurately assess a situation and come up with effective solutions that lead to long-term benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, Robson notes that wisdom is not strictly correlated with intelligence.<\/strong> A person can struggle with some of the abstract skills that traditionally define intelligence but still reason wisely, and vice versa: A person can be highly intelligent in the traditional sense but not make wise decisions that effectively solve problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson also argues that although some people are naturally more inclined to wise thinking, it\u2019s a skill anyone can learn, and he recommends a number of techniques that can help you do so. In the following sections, we\u2019ll review a few of them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson argues that curiosity<\/em> is one of the most important traits a person can have; curious people learn better, remember things better, and are more likely to achieve their goals than people who may be more technically intelligent but less curious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson says this is because curiosity is linked to happiness:<\/strong> A person who\u2019s curious enjoys<\/em> pursuing knowledge. When a person enjoys an activity, their brain\u2019s dopamine-producing system is activated, releasing happiness hormones. These particular hormones do more than just improve a person\u2019s mood\u2014they also improve learning<\/a> and memory retention on a neurological level. This means a curious person will not only pursue knowledge enthusiastically and proactively, but also that they\u2019ll more easily retain what they learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, people who have curiosity also tend to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, people who approach the world from a position of curiosity enjoy<\/em> being challenged with new perspectives, insights, and questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson offers two ideas on how to foster your curiosity so that you become more interested in the world:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Play: <\/strong>Kids are naturally curious. It\u2019s when we age that our curiosity dries up. Robson encourages you to find the fun in your work\u2014see problems as puzzles to be solved, and find ways to add game-like qualities to your pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Purposefully look for gaps in your knowledge: <\/strong>When you\u2019re studying a new topic, whether it\u2019s for an exam or a professional project, write down everything you already know about it, then write down any details you\u2019re missing or questions you want to answer. When you consciously identify things you don\u2019t know, you create a mystery your brain wants to solve. This sparks the release of dopamine, making the experience more enjoyable and interesting while boosting your recall and learning abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson argues that one of the hallmarks of wise thinking is the ability to consider alternate perspectives, viewpoints, arguments, and possibilities.<\/strong> When a person understands how other people are thinking, they can imagine different ways a conflict might play out, which empowers them to come up with workable compromises to resolve disputes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson recommends using \u201cmoral algebra\u201d to help you weigh all possible angles of a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moral algebra<\/em> is a technique championed by American statesman and polymath Benjamin Franklin, who advised that you approach decision-making with a mathematical, quantitative mindset. His technique allows you to carefully consider your problem from all perspectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To use moral algebra, make a list of the pros and cons of your potential decision, then assign a number to each based on its importance. Cross off pros and cons whose values cancel each other out, and then see which side is left with the higher score. Franklin added another step, which is to take a day or so to consider what your analysis revealed. Once you\u2019ve had time to think it over, make your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson notes that moral algebra is more than a simple pro\/con list.<\/strong> There are two crucial differences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson then addresses a contradiction regarding emotions. He notes that most experts on rational thinking advise that you quell your emotions. This is usually valid advice, as our emotions often lead us to ignore rational reasoning and make us susceptible to influences like those discussed earlier: overconfidence, cognitive biases, and motivated reasoning. In addition, our emotions are sometimes influenced by factors unrelated to the choices we make, but which nevertheless affect our decisions\u2014such as bad weather, loud background noises, stress, fatigue, or the like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Robson argues that you shouldn\u2019t discount your emotions entirely. When they\u2019re properly understood and analyzed, emotions can be valuable sources of information.<\/strong> Emotions, he explains, are designed to help us recognize important signals quickly so that we can respond to dangers and opportunities without needing to consciously think about them. When you perceive an experience, your body reacts immediately with a physical response, which may include heart rate changes, increased sweating, or the like. These signals tell our conscious brains to watch out for something, resulting in \u201cgut feelings\u201d or intuition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although sometimes gut feelings can lead us astray, they can also indicate that your subconscious mind<\/a> is picking up something about a situation that your conscious mind hasn\u2019t clued into yet. The key is to know when to pay attention to your emotions<\/a> and when to ignore them.<\/strong> Robson writes that this is the primary difference between people who think wisely and people who don\u2019t. The good news is that it\u2019s a skill that can be learned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson writes that to determine which emotions you should pay attention to and which you should override, you can use a technique called \u201cself-distancing.\u201d To do this, when you find yourself in a situation that upsets you, pause and imagine you\u2019re watching the scene unfold from a distance, as if you\u2019re watching it in a movie.<\/strong> Then describe the situation to yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This simple process can have a profound influence on how you perceive and react to the world. It can help you see clearly what other people are doing so that you better understand where they\u2019re coming from. People who regularly practice self-distancing have less anxiety and can confront scary situations\u2014such as public speaking\u2014with more ease and confidence. Research has even shown that married couples going through difficult periods are able to revitalize their relationships to a far greater degree when asked to describe their disputes through the eyes of an observer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robson observes that people who are able to describe their emotions with clear, precise words are better able to distinguish emotions that convey important information from emotions that reflect background influences like cognitive biases or stress\u2014factors we\u2019re not consciously aware of but that have significant impacts on our thinking. He argues that this is because background feelings are influential only if they stay<\/em> in the background\u2014once we become consciously aware of our emotions, they lose their power to influence our decisions.<\/strong> Thus, when we consciously name them, we deprive them of power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The specificity with which we name our feelings seems to matter: Stock market investors who describe their emotions simply as \u201chappy\u201d don\u2019t pick stocks as well as those who describe their emotions with more specific language, like \u201coptimistic\u201d or \u201cexcited.\u201d Investors with more precise emotional language are also better able to bounce back after setbacks\u2014they\u2019re less likely to be overcome by negative emotions and then gamble on increasingly risky investments. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Intelligence Trap<\/strong>: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Intelligence Doesn\u2019t Guarantee Smart Thinking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Do Smart People Think Poorly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Overconfidence in Expertise<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Other Ways Overconfidence Leads to Irrational Decisions<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Cognitive Biases<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Motivated Reasoning<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How to Avoid the Intelligence Trap<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Be Actively Curious<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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How to Ignite Your Curiosity<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Seek Out Alternative Perspectives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Calculate Moral Algebra<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Listen to Your Emotions\u2014Sometimes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Find Emotional Distance<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Learn to Describe Your Emotions Accurately<\/h5>\n\n\n\n