Arguably our brain's greatest sense is the ability to
understand the minds of others - our real sixth sense.
In Mindwise, renowned psychologist Nicholas Epley takes
us on a tour of our incredible capacity for mind
reading. This is the kind of mind reading we do every
day of our lives, dozens of times a day, when we infer
what others are thinking, feeling, wanting, or
intending. The kind that enables you to build and
maintain the intimate relationships that make life worth
living, to maintain a desired reputation in the eyes of
others, to work effectively in a team, and to outwit and
outlast your competition. The kind that forms the
foundation of all social interaction. Yet, as great as
this sense may be, Epley reveals that it is still prone
to critical errors. We often misread social or work
situations, misjudge others' characters, or guess the
wrong motives for their actions. Sometimes, these
slip-ups are deadly serious, leading to violence and
conflict. Crucially, Epley shows how these errors are
not random, but systematic and avoidable. Relying solely
on our sixth sense can be a mistake. Drawing on the
latest in psychological research, he suggests that only
by learning more about our brain's greatest sense will
we have the humility to overcome our mistakes, fine-tune
our instincts and understand others as they actually are
instead of as we imagine them to be. Nicholas Epley is
the John T. Keller Professor of Behavioral Science at
the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He
has written for The New York Times, and has published
over 50 articles in two dozen journals in his field. He
was named a ''Professor to Watch'' by the Financial
Times, is the winner of the 2008 Theoretical Innovation
Prize from the Society for Personality and Social
Psychology, and was awarded the 2011 Distinguished
Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to
Psychology from the American Psychological Association.
He lives in Chicago. |
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