When I began reading Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense, I was surprised to discover people who I thought were
brilliant—like Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein—sometimes believed nonsense. They
might have been brilliant, but their thinking was also flawed at times in
significant ways. The number of examples J. Miller gives showing how successful
people succumb to fallacious thinking surprised me.
Dozens of illustrations of fallacious thinking
are cited, including misinterpreting data, drawing erroneous conclusions,
asking incorrect questions, exuding overconfidence, being under-confident,
married to brands, blinded by prejudices, and on and on. I had a few
"ouch" moments myself. I have fallen into some of these ridiculous
ways of thinking without even being aware of it.
As an author, I found many parts of the book
enlightening. For example, how to ask deeper questions when developing the
plot, taking the time to reflect and not make quick assumptions. I write historical fiction—know my sources,
if they are authentic. Are they accurate? (As I work on "The City in the Seventh Dimension Series," I found this especially convicting as I've come across many conspiracy series dealing with the last days).
J. Miller used the example of author Dan Brown
and “The Da Vinci Code.” Mr. Brown relied too heavily on conspiracy theories
and not enough on solid historical facts. Thus, his book lacked the
authenticity it needed to be true, and too many people "bought" into
the idea of it being accurate without a thorough examination of the
sources. This is just one example of
many that Mr. Miller expounded on to show why brilliant people believe
nonsense.
If the smartest people in history have made
some of these common mistakes, how many more have the rest of us made? And can
we become better thinkers? "Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense"
can make us aware of these fallacies and challenge us to think more creatively
and intuitively.
Hopefully, the insights I've gleaned will allow
me to write more thought-provoking books and be aware of the pitfalls of
erroneous thinking. “Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense” is a great read for
anyone who enjoys learning how to be a better thinker, and the fascinating
stories woven through the pages about people we all know and respect makes this
book a delightfully entertaining read.
