Truth-Driven Thinking
An Examination of Human Emotion and Its Impact on Everyday Life
by
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Chapter 1 WHAT IF WE ARE WRONG? Just for a moment, think about an area of life in which you hold a philosophy, and feel particularly strongly about your beliefs. Not a value, such as "people should be honest," but something you really believe about cause and effect in our world. Perhaps it’s related to the environment or nutrition, socioeconomic issues or religion. It might be a business or management-related opinion, a social issue such as gay marriage or drunk driving, or specific beliefs about how the educational system should work. Whatever belief set you’ve identified, consider the following. Imagine you are faced with astonishing and extensive new data, fresh arguments and research that demonstrate much of what you believe on an issue is largely wrong. The evidence contradicts your convictions on the real origins of various cancers; our exact degree of human impact on global warming; what really motivates employees or customers; what you believe about health, exercise or nutrition. How would that make you feel? Would you care? Would it change who you are? Would you feel angry? Would you be relieved and happy to know more? Or does the thought make you uncomfortable? "But I’m not wrong," you are probably thinking. While I’m sure I could find a highly educated, bright, likeable, objective, articulate expert to show you the error of your ways, you very well may be right. But isn’t it interesting to consider the emotional reaction we all have to being told we’re wrong? Isn’t our first reaction to feel threatened, or even come out swinging? Indeed it makes us wonder if any amount of data coul
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About the Book
Truth-Driven Thinking is a straightforward, readable examination of human emotion and its impact on everyday life. Emotion impacts healthcare choices, investments, careers, businesses, and virtually every corner of public policy, because it largely defines the nature of public dialogue. Indeed as the old saying goes, conventional wisdom can be more conventional than wise. Gibson guides us on a compelling journey through case studies and examples of our human tendencies toward emotion-driven thinking, ranging from simple beliefs in Santa Claus and psychic nonsense, to fears of crime waves and vaccine risks unfounded in science and reason. Beyond the entertaining anecdotes, Gibson illustrates the larger point that only by acting upon true facts, as opposed to untrue conventional wisdom, can we maximize goodness and minimize devastating unintended consequences.
About the Author
In addition to promoting his Truth-Driven Thinking mission, Steve Gibson owns and operates a specialty multimedia company, along with his wife and Co-founder Julie Gibson. They created People Power Productions in 2001 with the goal of helping real people share and preserve their own special stories and treasured family media. Steve believes in being an active participant in ones community, and is involved in various organizations and service clubs, including continued service as Trustee on the local Board of Education. He is also an experienced pilot who holds Commercial and Flight Instructor Pilot Certificates, enjoys skiing, golf, and outdoor work. Steve and Julie have two children and reside in Michigan.