What actually drives your decisions and behaviors? Why do you believe you’re more capable and rational than others around you?
In his book You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney reveals the fascinating psychological phenomena behind our everyday thoughts and actions. He explores how our brains create false narratives, distort memories, and lead us to overestimate our abilities while doubting others.
Read on for an overview of this book that will help you discover the truth about your mind’s sneaky tricks—and learn how to overcome them.
Overview of You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney
Do you sometimes feel as though it’s you against the world—that you’re more complex, intelligent, and capable than most people? In the book You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney explains that most people hold these beliefs due to lies our brains tell us. He argues that we overestimate our abilities, logic, and importance and that these thought errors cause us to miss out on opportunities and make poor decisions. However, by being aware of them, you can overcome them and improve your judgment.
McRaney is a science journalist who focuses on psychology and culture. He started writing You Are Not So Smart as a blog in 2009 and published it as a book in 2011. In 2012, he launched the You Are Not So Smart podcast, where he talks to scientists about the psychology of decision-making, judgment, and reasoning. McRaney is also the author of You Are Now Less Dumb and How Minds Change.
In this book overview, we’ve grouped the thought errors McRaney discusses under four truths: First, we mostly make up meanings behind events and behaviors. Second, our brains’ “default functions” (such as memory) aren’t very reliable. Third, our moral compass is weak. Finally, we overestimate our abilities while underestimating others’ abilities. We’ll explain why we make these errors, their negative consequences, and how to overcome faulty thinking.
Truth #1: You Make Up Meanings Behind Events and Behaviors
The first truth McRaney shares in his book is that, most of the time, the reasons and meanings we ascribe to actions, events, and feelings aren’t real; we make them up to avoid ambiguity and the unknown. This can cause you to make faulty judgments and decisions and undermine your critical thinking skills. We’ll explore three common thought errors associated with this phenomenon so you can recognize when you’re making up meaning and use facts to make more rational judgments and decisions instead.
Thought Error 1: You Blame It on Fate
First, McRaney explains we commonly interpret random events by choosing to believe there’s a deeper meaning behind them—we attribute them to fate. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as the Texas sharpshooter fallacy, where we prefer to see events as meaningful instead of random. For example, if it rains on your wedding day, you might interpret it as a sign you and your partner will be together forever. It can also be seen in apophenia, where we prefer to see events as miraculous rather than coincidental. For example, you miss your plane but meet a new friend while you’re waiting for the next one—you might think this was meant to be.
Realistically, the events in these examples are completely random, but you choose to assign reason to them for two main reasons: 1) Our brains are wired to look for patterns, and 2) we like narratives where characters overcome hardships—missing the plane wasn’t so bad if you got a new friend out of it.
McRaney explains that this phenomenon has good and bad outcomes. Believing in fate is good when it helps you overcome hardships; however, it can be bad when you use it as a basis for making poor choices. For example, you find out a week after your wedding that your spouse has been cheating on you, but because it rained on your wedding day, you tell yourself your marriage must be destined to last, so you stay with them. In reality, the rain has nothing to do with your happiness and your spouse will likely continue cheating—so the better decision is to move on and find happiness with someone who respects you. McRaney recommends overcoming this faulty thinking by recognizing when you’re making up meaning and basing your perceptions on facts instead.
Thought Error 2: You Make Up Evidence
Another way we make up meaning, says McRaney, is by theorizing why certain events happen when we don’t know the whole story. We base our theories on our feelings and the information we do know. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as the argument from ignorance, where we’re likely to accept a strange explanation for unexplained phenomena if there’s nothing disproving it. For example, you hear whispers at night and believe it’s fairies because you can’t come up with a better explanation. This can also be seen in the just-world fallacy, where we assume that people naturally get what they deserve—so a neighbor who gets robbed must have done something to deserve it.
In his book, McRaney says that, while your guesses may occasionally be accurate, making assumptions can cause you to believe falsehoods and lead to misunderstandings and arguments. For example, believing the whispers you hear at night are from fairies would be ignorant, especially if there’s actually a stranger in your house. Further, believing your neighbor deserved to be robbed would be highly insensitive and could create tension if they heard what you thought. As with other phenomena, McRaney recommends increasing self-awareness to overcome this thought error.
Thought Error 3: You Self-Justify
According to McRaney, we also commonly make up reasons to justify our actions, thoughts, and feelings. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as confabulation, where we’re ignorant of the fact we’re misremembering. For example, you might believe you don’t like ice cream because you have a false memory of it making you feel sick when you were a kid. It’s also common with introspection, the illusion that we have insight into the origins of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. For example, you might think you feel irritable today because your favorite shirt wasn’t clean this morning, but the truth is that you just woke up in a bad mood.
In these examples, neither explanation is the definite root cause of its respective outcome, but you choose to believe it is to justify aspects of your reality (your food preferences and foul mood).
While self-justification doesn’t seem harmful, McRaney explains that it’s detrimental to your self-perception and growth. When you’re constantly making up mostly false justifications for your characteristics, preferences, feelings, and so on, you create a false narrative of who you are and become detached from your true identity. Further, you may close yourself off to opportunities for growth and self-development. For example, you tell yourself you’re irritable because your favorite shirt wasn’t clean, so you use this as an excuse to continue your bad attitude rather than trying to cheer up. Or, you tell yourself you hate ice cream because you hated it as a kid—but maybe you would enjoy it if you tried it today.
Truth #2: Your Brain Isn’t as Reliable as You Think
The second truth McRaney shares in his book is that our brains aren’t as reliable as we think they are. We often rely on our brains’ automatic processes to keep us safe and help us make good decisions. However, McRaney explains that automatic responses such as running from danger and our ability to accurately perceive and remember reality aren’t all that dependable—our biases and faulty thought processes often get in the way. Let’s explore the unreliability of the brain further.
Thought Error 1: You Underreact to Danger
First, McRaney explains that our brains aren’t as reliable as we think because our drive to rationalize situations often undermines our ability to appropriately identify and react to danger—we doubt the severity of threats and underreact in dangerous situations. This psychological phenomenon, called the normalcy bias, occurs for two reasons. First, we act based on our experience living in a fairly safe world—when danger arises, we underreact because our past experiences tell us the threat probably isn’t real. Second, when a threat presents itself, we want everything to go back to normal, so we pretend it’s normal to soothe ourselves. According to McRaney, this error is detrimental because it makes you more vulnerable to danger.
To avoid the normalcy bias, McRaney recommends preparing for the possibility of dangerous situations—research potential dangers, practice drills, and plan how you’ll act if a crisis arises. This will help you take the signs of danger seriously rather than ignoring them and act effectively when they occur instead of freezing.
Thought Error 2: Your Perceptions and Memories Are Often Inaccurate
Second, McRaney explains that our brains aren’t as reliable as we think they are because our perceptions and memories of reality aren’t complete and objective—they’re skewed by available information and external influences.
Faulty Perceptions of Reality
In his book, McRaney explains that our perceptions of reality are largely determined by our experiences. We’re more likely to believe an anecdote if we have even one example that proves it, we’re more likely to doubt things we haven’t experienced, and we’re likely to make judgments based on comparisons. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as the availability heuristic, a mental shortcut that helps us make quick but often inaccurate assessments based on the information most accessible to us, and the anchoring effect, our tendency to make judgments based on one specific reference. These biases developed as an evolutionary advantage—they allow us to make quick decisions that will keep us safe.
For example, someone tells you that people with dark hair tend to read more than others—you believe this because your mom has dark hair and loves to read. However, if your mom had blonde hair, you’d be likely to doubt this anecdote because it doesn’t fit with your experience. Further, imagine you want to buy a new perfume but its $100 price is out of your $50 budget; however, next week there’s a two-for-one sale—the cost of the perfume is still over your budget, but you perceive this is a cheap price because you’re getting more for the original price.
While you can’t help the fact that your brain is easily influenced by experience, McRaney says you can gain a more realistic understanding of reality and make more effective decisions by practicing critical thinking and keeping an open mind. Always consider what you don’t know, how you might be wrong, whether the information is coming from a reliable source, and whether it represents the whole picture.
Inaccurate Memories
McRaney explains that our memories are often inaccurate because they’re slightly different each time we recall them. This psychological phenomenon, called the misinformation effect, occurs because, rather than existing in an unchanging state in our minds, memories are reconstructed from scratch each time we recall them. This means that we might forget or alter certain aspects each time we recall a memory as we’re influenced by new experiences and knowledge. For example, you’re rehashing last week’s meeting with a coworker and they mention that the boss looked annoyed—you didn’t notice this, but since your coworker mentioned it, it becomes part of your memory.
This thought error suggests that your testimonies and those of others aren’t always reliable. As a result, you may inadvertently believe or spread misinformation. To overcome this, McRaney suggests using your knowledge of this error to be more skeptical about your memories and to more critically analyze them for inaccuracies and inconsistencies.
Truth #3: You’re Not as Good as You Think, Especially When Others Are Involved
The third truth McRaney uncovers in his book is that we aren’t as honorable as we believe ourselves to be—especially under the pressure and influence of others. We’ll discuss how this truth plays out in human behavior.
Thought Error: Your Motivation to Do Good Diminishes in the Presence of Others
McRaney explains that, despite wanting to do good, we’re less motivated to do so when we’re around others. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as the bystander effect (the more people are involved in the situation, the less motivated we are to act) and social loafing (the more people are involved in a task, the more we slack off). These phenomena occur for two reasons. First, the more people there are in a setting, the more we lose personal accountability and rely on others to act. Second, we’re shy—we don’t want to act in front of the group and garner attention.
For example, if 10 people are working together to clean a space, you likely won’t work as fast or as hard because you know there are others to pick up the slack. Likewise, if there’s a tree branch on the road and there’s a line of cars behind you, you’re unlikely to get out and move the obstruction—you don’t want to be a spectacle, and you tell yourself there are others to deal with it.
According to McRaney, the consequences of this thought error can be dire—not only does it decrease productivity, but it can lead to dangerous and even fatal outcomes. For example, if no one moves the tree branch, a car could hit it and get into a dangerous accident. McRaney says that to overcome the bystander effect, you should increase your self-awareness—if you’re stalling because others are around, recognize this behavior and push yourself to act instead. To avoid slacking off during group work, he recommends setting personal goals you’ll feel accountable to meet.
Thought Error 2: Your Crave Conformity
Next, McRaney explains that we like to believe we’re strong and make autonomous decisions, but our desire to fit in usually trumps the desire to be authentic and do the right thing. McRaney explains that this is because of our human instinct for security—when we fit in with others, we feel safe. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as conformity, where we change our beliefs to fit into a group, and groupthink, where we reach a consensus in a group without critical thought to avoid disagreements. For example, you’re less likely to voice disagreement in a group setting, more likely to conform to the wishes of a superior, and naturally prone to join groups such as cliques or even cults.
McRaney says that these behaviors harm not only yourself but also the collective. Feeling unable to voice your opinions stifles creative thought and could prevent a better idea from coming to light. Failing to question authority could trap people within flawed systems. Your willingness to join a group and share an identity could cause you to lose your sense of personal identity and judgment. To avoid falling prey to this phenomenon, McRaney recommends practicing self-awareness and critical thinking—staying aware of your true thoughts and values (without the influence of others), questioning authority and group consensus, and not being afraid to speak your mind.
Truth #4: You Overestimate Yourself and Underestimate Others
The fourth truth McRaney shares in his book is that our brains tend to overestimate our competence and importance while underestimating and oversimplifying others’. In other words, we think we’re better at things than we are, place ourselves at the center of situations that aren’t about us, and see ourselves as complex and nuanced individuals while denying others these considerations. We’ll discuss how related thought errors play out in real life.
Thought Error 1: You Believe Your Judgments Are Rational
In his book, McRaney explains that we tend to think that our judgments are always rational and based on logic and that we’ll change our minds when new evidence presents itself; however, we tend to form beliefs without much critical thought and cling to those beliefs without ever questioning their validity. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as confirmation bias, where we seek out and interpret new information to support our beliefs, and brand loyalty, where we remain loyal to certain brands out of familiarity rather than practicality.
For example, you notice the commercial saying your preferred brand has the cleanest water, but ignore the article about how it has an acidic pH that’s bad for you. Further, you continue buying this brand even when there are cheaper options—not because it’s better, but because you have an emotional attachment to it—especially if you’ve spent a significant amount of money on it.
This phenomenon is detrimental because it can lead you to defend invalid points, get into silly arguments, and maintain unproductive habits and beliefs—for example, you could save hundreds of dollars a year by getting store-brand water instead of your preferred brand. To overcome this thought error, McRaney recommends regularly questioning your beliefs and habits and seeking out counterarguments so you can gain a well-rounded perspective before making judgments.
Thought Error 2: You Overestimate Your Intelligence and Skill Level
According to McRaney, we tend to overestimate our skill, intelligence, and success—and when we learn that we were wrong about something, we convince ourselves that we knew that information all along. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such as hindsight bias, where we convince ourselves we knew new information all along, the Dunning-Kruger effect, where we overestimate our abilities in areas where we lack skill, and the self-serving bias, where we see ourselves in an overly positive light to boost our ego. For example, you think that a task will be easier to complete than it is, that you’ll score higher on an exam than you will, and that you were more successful in the past than you really were.
This kind of thought error happens for a few reasons. First, McRaney explains that overestimating ourselves is a natural human tendency. Further, we convince ourselves that we already know new information rather than admitting we were wrong because we crave consistency (we don’t want to change our mental framework by admitting we were wrong) and want to maintain high self-esteem. This also explains why we judge our past to be more successful than it actually was.
These phenomena are detrimental because they hinder your potential for growth and success—if you think you’re already good enough, there’s no room for improvement. To overcome this thought error, McRaney recommends adopting a mindset of constant growth where you can identify shortcomings and areas for improvement. Something you can do to help with this is compare yourself to experts—this will give you metrics to strive for.
Thought Error 3: You Crave Importance
McRaney explains that, instead of using logic, we often make assumptions and decisions based on our perceptions of self-importance. There are two ways we do this: First, we believe ourselves to be the center of attention. Second, we make decisions in order to protect our ego—our sense of self-importance.
We Think We’re The Center of Attention
McRaney explains that we have outsized views of our importance because of human nature—we’re the center of our own universe, so we believe ourselves to be more important to others than we actually are. This phenomenon is called the spotlight effect. For example, you’re likely to think those around will notice the small stain on your shirt or your bad mood. In reality, people are unlikely to notice you, let alone the stain or your mood—they’re focused on themselves, just as you’re focused on you.
According to McRaney, this self-centered thinking causes unnecessary stress about being judged and prevents you from paying attention to your environment. For example, you spend the night feeling bad about the stain that no one notices when you could be having fun. Likewise, your focus on the stain prevents you from noticing things such as how happy your friends are to see you—something you should be grateful for. McRaney suggests that when you start to feel self-conscious about others’ opinions of you, remember that strangers are paying about as much attention to you as you are to them—you’re too busy thinking about yourself to think about them, and so are they.
We Strive to Protect Our Ego
McRaney explains that our desire to protect our ego—our sense of self-importance—often causes us to make poor choices. We tend to base our decisions on how important the result will make us feel rather than practicality. This phenomenon is called the ultimatum game. For example, if you go to a new restaurant and your waiter offers you a voucher for a free drink upon your next visit, you’re happy and will return. If you’re a long-time customer and receive the same offer, you might see this as insulting—it’s not much compared to the amount of money you’ve spent there so you don’t return due to this perceived slight. Logically, a free drink is better than a drink at cost, but your sense of importance drives you to reject it.
McRaney explains that we engage in this thought error because it’s our nature to want to gain status—in tribal times, our survival hinged on our resources and status in the group. However, it’s detrimental in modern times because it causes us to miss out on opportunities. To overcome ego-serving thinking and make more practical decisions, McRaney suggests logically evaluating the pros and cons of your opportunities.
Thought Error 4: You Doubt Others Unfairly
Finally, McRaney explains that, despite overestimating ourselves, we underestimate others. This can be seen in psychological phenomena such the third person effect (we see others as more gullible than we are), the representativeness heuristic (we make generalizations and character judgments based on simple facts we know about a person), and the fundamental attribution error (we believe that a person’s actions fundamentally reflect their character although we tend to make excuses for our own actions that preserve our character).
In his book, McRaney explains that we fall prey to these thought errors because they’re mental shortcuts that allow us to make quick judgments and decisions that help us understand and navigate our world safely. For example, if someone yelled at you once, you assume they’re a mean person and avoid them to protect yourself. However, people are more complex than this. You can see this in yourself—raising your voice one day when you’re upset doesn’t mean you’re a cruel person.
These thought errors can be detrimental for numerous reasons. For example, they can lead to prejudice and make you underestimate and therefore deny opportunities to others. The misunderstandings you have as a result of these errors can also damage relationships. To avoid this, McRaney suggests refraining from making snap judgments about people—consider what you don’t know and what you need to learn to make an accurate judgment. Further, don’t censor people based on what you think they’re capable of; instead, give people the opportunity to make judgments and decisions based on their own rationale.
Exercise: Overcome Your Biggest Cognitive Barrier
While we likely all experience the thought errors McRaney discusses to some extent, some may be more impactful on your life than others. In this exercise, we’ll identify and make a plan to overcome the faulty thinking that’s the biggest obstacle to your success.
- Which of the four truths McRaney discusses do you encounter most often in your life? For example, do you often try to explain phenomena in your life (Truth #1)? Do you struggle to react appropriately, remember correctly, or agree with others on the state of events (Truth #2)? Do you often fail to meet your moral standards or fail to express your true thoughts (Truth #3)? Do you often doubt others or overestimate yourself (Truth #4)?
- Based on your answer to the question above, which relevant thought error do you think you experience the most? For example, if you struggle the most with Truth #3, is it because your motivation to do good decreases in the presence of others, because you crave conformity, or because of some other thought error?
- What steps can you take to overcome the error that you identified in the previous question? For instance, if you struggle with craving conformity, how can you start living more authentically?
