WWhen we talk about conspiracy theories we tend to focus on what people believe instead of why, and, more importantly, why they believe those things and not other things. In this episode, we sit down with two psychologists working to change that, and in addition, change the term itself from conspiracy theory to conspiracy narrative, which more accurately describes what makes any one conspiracy appealing enough to form a community around it and in rare cases result in collective action.
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">How Minds Change: <a href="https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome">www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Show Notes: <a href="http://www.youarenotsosmart.com/">www.youarenotsosmart.com</a> </li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: <a href="https://davidmcraney.substack.com/">https://davidmcraney.substack.com</a></li>
</ul><a href="http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart" rel="payment">Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

240 - QAnon and Conspiracy Narratives (rebroadcast)

In the quiet moments of our lives, we can all sense that our hearts long for something, though we often don’t know what that something is. We seek an answer in our phones, and while they can provide some sense of extension and fulfillment — a feeling of magic — the use of technology also comes with significant costs in individual development and interpersonal connection that we typically don’t fully understand and consider.

My guest today will unpack what it is we really yearn for, how technology, when misused, can direct us away from the path to fulfilling those yearnings, and how we can find true human flourishing in a world in which so much works against it. His name is Andy Crouch and he’s the author of The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World. Today on the show we talk about the tradeoffs you make when you seek magic without mastery, and how we can understand our desires better once we understand ourselves as heart, soul, mind, and strength complexes who want to be loved and known. We discuss the difference between interactions that are personal versus personalized, as well as the difference between devices and instruments, and how to use your phone as the latter instead of the former. We end our conversation with why Andy thinks we need to redesign the architecture of our relational lives and create something he calls “households.”

#796: The Life We’re Looking For

241 - The Status Game - Will Storr

In this episode we sit down with <a href="https://rushkoff.com/">Douglas Rushkoff</a>, a media scholar, journalist, and professor of digital economics who has a new fire in his belly when it comes to the world of billionaire preppers, which comes across in his new book <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/survival-of-the-richest">Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires</a> – inspired by his invitation to consult a group of the world’s richest people on how to spend their money now to survive an apocalypse they fear is coming within their lifetimes.<ul><li>Live Event at Caveat: <a href="https://caveat.nyc/event/how-minds-change-9-20-2022">https://caveat.nyc/event/how-minds-change-9-20-2022</a></li><li>How Minds Change: <a href="https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome">www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome</a></li><li>Show Notes: <a href="http://www.youarenotsosmart.com/">www.youarenotsosmart.com</a></li><li>Newsletter: <a href="https://davidmcraney.substack.com/">https://davidmcraney.substack.com</a></li><li>Douglas Rushkoff's Website: https://rushkoff.com</li></ul>

242 - Survival of the Richest - Douglas Rushkoff

In the 19th century, the source of the Nile River remained one of the greatest mysteries of geographic exploration. The story of how the British eventually found it is one of adventure, danger, and bravery, but also arrogance, envy, and resentment.

Here to offer some snapshots from this dramatic expedition is Candice Millard, author of River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile. Today on the show, Candice shares how two men who were very much opposites, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, ventured together on two years-long expeditions to locate the source of the longest and most legendary river in the world, the harrowing obstacles they faced in their quest, and how their partnership devolved into a bitter rivalry. Along the way, we discuss what made Burton such a compelling character, why we remember his name but not Speke's, and the African guide who was the unheralded hero in the achievements of both men.

#804: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

Our correspondent meets with <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/10/10/peter-obi-a-man-who-carries-his-own-suitcases-could-be-nigerias-next-president?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Obi</a>, who has a handsome poll lead and an appeal that spans the country’s religions and ethnicities. But his presidential bid still faces obstacles. Myanmar’s ruling junta is doing more than suppressing the country’s people: it is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/15/an-economically-illiterate-junta-is-running-myanmar-into-the-ground?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">battering the economy</a> equally efficiently. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/10/06/brother-andrew-secretly-carried-bibles-behind-the-iron-curtain?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Brother Andrew</a>, who made daring deliveries behind the Iron Curtain.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Help them, Obi: one hopeful candidate in Nigeria

I recently sat down for a live event and Q&A with the great Annie Duke to discuss her new book, Quit: The power of knowing when to walk away. This episode is the audio from that event. Quit is all about how to develop a very particular skill: how to train your brain to make it easier to know which goals and plans are worth sticking to and which are not.  - Toronto Live Event: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/how-minds-change-a-conversation-lab-with-david-mcraney-misha-glouberman-tickets-410047431907- How Minds Change: <a href="https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome">www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome</a>- Show Notes: <a href="http://www.youarenotsosmart.com/">www.youarenotsosmart.com</a>- Newsletter: <a href="https://davidmcraney.substack.com/">https://davidmcraney.substack.com</a>- Annie Duke's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnieDuke

244 - Quit! - Annie Duke

Here’s a special bonus episode featuring my recent conversation with Tim Harford, author, economic journalist, and host of the Cautionary Tales podcast. We discussed at story from my new Book How Minds Change about a conspiracy theorist who was certain 9/11 was an inside job until he actually visited Ground Zero to meet architects, engineers and the relatives of the dead. Tim and I reflect on what Charlie can teach us about those who hold strong beliefs even in the face of damning contrary evidence and why persuasion, especially if attempted poorly, isn't always the right answer. • Hear more from Cautionary Tales at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/ctsmart• How Minds Change: https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome

245 - Cautionary Tales - Tim Harford

In this episode we sit down with Jeremy Utley of the Stanford d.school to discuss his new book, Ideaflow, which is all about how to create a practice for producing and trading ideas in massive quantities – whether in an organization or as an individual entrepreneur or content-creator – along with a system for sorting the garbage from the gold. We discuss, among many other things, why it is important to focus on input more than output, how to stop obsessing over quality while generating quantity, and peanut butter pumps.<ul><li>Jeremy Utley: <a href="https://www.jeremyutley.design/">https://www.jeremyutley.design</a></li><li>Ideaflow: <a href="https://www.ideaflow.design/">https://www.ideaflow.design</a></li><li>Stanford d.school: <a href="https://dschool.stanford.edu/">https://dschool.stanford.edu</a></li><li>How Minds Change: <a href="https://www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome">www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome</a></li><li>Show Notes: <a href="http://www.youarenotsosmart.com/">www.youarenotsosmart.com</a></li><li>Newsletter: <a href="https://davidmcraney.substack.com/">https://davidmcraney.substack.com</a></li><li>Jeremy Utley’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremyutley">https://twitter.com/jeremyutley</a></li><li>David McRaney’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/davidmcraney">https://twitter.com/davidmcraney</a></li><li>YANSS Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/notsmartblog">https://twitter.com/notsmartblog</a></li><li>Berkeley Alembic Event: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-minds-change-with-david-mcraney-tickets-443811591417">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-minds-change-with-david-mcraney-tickets-443811591417</a></li></ul>

246 - Ideaflow - Jeremy Utley

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You Are Not So Smart is a show about psychology that celebrates science and self delusion. In each episode, we explore what we've learned so far about reasoning, biases, judgments, and decision-making.

244 - Quit! - Annie Duke

You Are Not So Smart

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