How does the brain react to ambiguity? And are those reactions a good thing or a bad thing? Jamie Holmes takes a look at this and other concepts in Nonsense: The Power Of Not Knowing, an exceptionally relevant book these days due to the overwhelming prevalence of information overload.
We’re hard-wired to resolve contradictions quickly, which can often lead us to “latch on” to one fact and discard those that contradict it. This reduces our cognitive dissonance but can result in missed opportunities and the inability to grow and change perspectives. We have to learn to discard the instinct to jump to a conclusion and make better decisions in conditions of uncertainty, particularly when under pressure. The book sheds some light on how we can find the hidden upside of that dissonance and make better decisions when we are conflicted, angry, hungry, hangry, overwhelmed, exhausted… you get the idea.
The book is well-written, and draws you in immediately with anecdotes about familiar products like Absolut Vodka – and the invention of Mad Libs, among others. It’s an easy read even for those without a background in psychology, game theory, etc.
Learn more: Nonsense: The Power Of Not Knowing by Jamie Holmes
This book was provided by Blogging for Books; all opinions are our own.
