The Unstuck Mind and The Power of Not Knowing

Whether we are willing to admit it or not, everyone has cognitive biases. The challenge is knowing how to work around them to achieve optimal thinking. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr. Jay Gordon Cone argues that one of the most pervasive biases is confirmation bias, which leads us to quickly notice and accept things that are consistent with our underlying beliefs-and to ignore or reject things that are not. This is of particular concern right now, because in an increasingly polarized world, we crave the comfort of having our worldview reinforced and embraced more than ever. The danger comes when we overlook evidence that we might not have all the facts-or we might just be plain wrong. Dr. Cone, who has advised The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GE and PepsiCo, provides practical tools for fighting confirmation bias and eradicating closed-mindedness-and puts readers on the path to maintaining a balanced worldview.