It's Hard to Be Humble

February 12, 2018
We can't all be above average. So why, in certain situations, do we think we're so special?

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The Battle of Midway. Saltine crackers. Carnival games. What do these seemingly unrelated things have in common? Well, they're connected by a common psychological trap—one that affects the way we all make decisions. In this first episode of Choiceology with Dan Heath:

  • We reveal this bias and explain how it affects decisions, big and small.
  • Jonathan Parshall tells the dramatic story of how it influenced the course of history during a World War II battle.
  • A ridiculous cracker-eating contest demonstrates the pitfalls of this cognitive bias in real time.
  • And Professor Don A. Moore explains the history and psychology behind the bias and offers advice on how to minimize its effects.

Choiceology is an original podcast from Charles Schwab.

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