| Interesting read. They're basically proposing that our anti-rational behavior came out as a type of 'hyper-socialization'. I can believe it and, if true, would point to why things like changing the Overton window [1] and other mass public perception shifts change individual perception. I don't think it's the only way to change peoples minds and I hesitate to dive into "just employ emotional reasoning" as that seems dangerous. From personal experience, another effective way is to change people's minds is by giving them "skin in the game". I've tried, over the years, to convince friends of the solution to the Monty Hall [2] problem. After explaining the solution and them either not believing it or not understanding it, I then play the game with them with 100 doors and revealing 98 after the first pick. Once this game is played a couple times, they understand the solution much more readily. My take on this is that they suddenly have a personal stake in the game, even if it's weak. There's a personal cost that takes the form as social shame or loss aversion, even for a game that's played between friends with no money involved, that gives them a stake. Once they start wanting to actively avoid losing, they're much more willing to listen to reason. The article points out that our anti-rational behavior is at odds with survival but I would bet there's a level of abstraction below which our survival minded rationality kicks in and above which we don't have enough of a stake in the answer to use our rationality to good effect. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem |