On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right When You're Not

Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not

Robert Alan Burton

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right When You're Not" by Robert Alan Burton explores the fascinating and often perplexing nature of certainty. In this thought-provoking book, Burton delves into the psychology behind our unwavering convictions and the feeling of being absolutely right.

Drawing from neuroscience and psychology, Burton challenges the widely held belief that certainty stems from rational thinking and logical evidence. He argues that our sense of certainty is largely grounded in emotions, influenced by social conditioning and cognitive biases.

Burton examines the flaws in our perception and the dangers of unwarranted certainty, highlighting how it can lead to closed-mindedness, prejudice, and even fanaticism. He delves into cases where people hold firm convictions despite contradicting evidence, shedding light on the complex interplay between belief and knowledge.

Navigating through various studies and experiments, Burton peels back the layers of certainty, revealing how our brains construct a sense of truth and how it can sometimes mislead us. Through captivating anecdotes and scientific insights, he offers a profound exploration of the limits of certainty and the inherent fallibility of human judgment.

Ultimately, "On Being Certain" challenges readers to reexamine their own certainty, encouraging a greater awareness of the complexities of belief and a deeper understanding of the nature of truth. This enlightening and accessible book is a must-read for anyone interested in the workings of the human mind and the intricacies of our convictions.

Explore More Books

See All
Radical Uncertainty
Information
It's Earnings That Count
Entangled Life
The Signal and the Noise
Nothing To Lose
The 80/20 Principle
Think Like a Rocket Scientist
A Matter of Degrees
Writing My Wrongs
Mindfulness in Plain English
The Power of Broke
Call of the Reed Warbler
The Forgotten Man
World Order
Startups
Anthropic Bias
P53
Energy And Civilization
Why We Sleep
The Golden Compass
Sexual Personae
Smart People Should Build Things
The Trap
Saving Capitalism from Short Termism
Fahrenheit 451
A Woman Makes a Plan
Models. Behaving. Badly.
The Death of the Artist
Chasing Hillary
How To Talk to Anyone
Strength In Stillness
Grit
Ford vs. Ferrari
Public Opinion
Lean Thinking
Dopamine Detox
Intellectuals and Society
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
Tools of Titans
The Dragons of Eden
Defend The Border and Save Lives
How Google Works
Out of the Crisis
Poor Charlie's Almanack
The Third Chimpanzee
Pippi Longstocking
The Power of Relentless
The Billionaire Shell Game
A Whole New Mind
The Inflamed Mind
Old Man and the Sea
Bad News
Being Aware of Being Aware
The Blind Watchmaker
United States of Socialism
Moonwalking with Einstein
Fallen Dragon
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
Out of Mao's Shadow
Adaptive Markets
The Vision of the Annointed
Fertility Pastures
The Act of Creation
Central Banking 101
River Out of Eden
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
A Story Lately Told
The Boys Vol. 1
The Discovery of France
The Wisdom of Life
Work Hard. Be Nice.
Dog Man
Talent
Frames of Mind
The Book of Five Rings
Architects of the Web
The Second World War
The Grapes of Wrath
Bitcoin and Black America
Americana
Defender In Chief
Under Saturn's Shadow
Who
The Master and Margarita
Platform Revolution
The Making of Europe
Globalizing Capital
The Viral Storm
Planta Sapiens
Experimental Man
In Praise of Slowness
An Inconvenient Truth
Mohandas K. Ghandi
The Rise of the Rest
Can't Hurt Me
The City In History
The Survivor
Washington