Did you know that professional swimmers don't have perfect bodies because they train extensively; rather they are good swimmers because of their physiques? Similarly, when you are in a group you tend to replicate the behaviour of others even though you may not feel like behaving in that particular way. Have you ever thought that why you bite more than you can chew or why does the last cookie in the jar make your mouth water?
These are a few examples of fallacies from the book, "The Art of Thinking Clearly" by Rolf Dobelli. This book highlights different kinds of errors and biases that influence our thinking ability and introduces the reader to 99 mental biases. According to Dobelli, once we are aware of these biases and errors, we will be able to spot them and avoid them so that we can think clearly and start taking better decisions and better choices - whether dealing with a personal or professional problem, understanding what we want or don't want in our lives.
The message that this book tries to convey is that don't focus on the problem, but focus on everything that is not part of the problem and keep working on it. This will help us eliminate our errors and think clearly. From why one should not accept a free drink to why one should walk out of a movie one doesn't like or why it is so hard to predict the future, The Art of Thinking Clearly is a good read which helps you understand why people are less rational.
Rolf Dobelli is a Swiss author and businessman who began his writing career in 2002. He has an MBA from the University of St. Gallen and has a PhD in Economic Philosophy. The Art of Thinking Clearly was originally published in German and was the bestselling non-fiction book in Germany and Switzerland in 2012 before it was translated into English in 2013.
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