Look Again by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sunstein

LOOK AGAIN by Tali Sharot (The Optimism Bias) and Cass R. Sunstein (Nudge, Noise) is the stimulating result of the joint effort between professors of cognitive neuroscience (at University College London and MIT) and of law (at Harvard), respectively.  Extolling “The Power of Noticing What Was Always There,” they advocate for consciously making changes (vacations, a walk, a new book) to enhance life experiences. Even though we may not always fully appreciate it, breaking habits can be rejuvenating. Sharot and Sunstein give other examples like how the number of accidents dropped when Sweden switched the side of the road for driving or “how satisfaction with material goods falls sharply over time, [while] satisfaction with experience does not decline.” A particularly pertinent section deals with why we tend to believe lies if we hear them often enough. Sharot and Sunstein write, “this is partly because when a statement is repeated again and again, your brain processes it less and less as is no longer surprising or new.” It is not a big leap to think about that statement (called the illusory truth effect) and then look at polling results regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Another section deals with metacognitive myopia … the likelihood of giving less weight to a statement debunking a falsehood, especially if it involves repeating the lie. As they point out, even size and color of text can influence our perception of truth. LOOK AGAIN received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“a revelatory investigation of a phenomenon that’s as complex as it is common”).

– PLEASE NOTE: Cass R. Sunstein will be speaking about this new book with Ayelet Fishbach on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 7:00 PM CT on ZOOM in a program sponsored by Family Action Network. Registration is required and the presentation will be recorded and available on FAN’s website.