Collective Illusions

Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions

By: Todd Rose

Narrated by: Jay Ben Markson

Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience, behavioral economic, and social psychology research, acclaimed author, former Harvard professor, and think tank founder Todd Rose reveals how so much of our thinking about each other is informed by false assumptions that drive bad decisions that make us dangerously mistrustful as a society and hopelessly unhappy as individuals.

The desire to fit in is one of the most powerful, least understood forces in a society.

Todd Rose believes that as human beings we continually act against our own best interests out of our brains’ misunderstanding of what we think others believe. A complicated set of illusions driven by conformity bias distorts how we see the world around us. From toilet paper shortages to kidneys that get thrown away rather than used for desperately needed organ transplants, from racial segregation to the perceived “electability” of women for political office, from bottled water to “cancel culture,” we routinely copy others, lie about what we believe, cling to tribes, and silence others.

We are so profoundly social that when we are incongruent with the group that we do lasting damage to our self-worth, diminish our well-being and never realize our full potential. It’s why we all too often chase the familiar trappings of money, fame, and success that leave us feeling empty even when we do achieve them. It’s why we’ll blindly espouse a viewpoint we don’t necessarily believe in so that we blend in with the group. We trap ourselves in prisons of our own making that prevent us from living the happy, fulfilled lives we envision.

The question is, Why do we keep believing the lies and hurting ourselves?

Todd Rose reveals the answer is deeply hard-wired in our DNA, with brains that are more socially dependent than we realize or dare to accept. Most of us would rather be fully in sync with the social norms of our respective groups than true to who we are.

Using originally researched data, Collective Illusions shows us where we get things wrong and just as important, how we can be authentic in forming our opinions while valuing truth. Rose offers a counterintuitive, empowering, and hopeful explanation for how we can bridge the inference gap, make decisions with a newfound clarity, and achieve fulfillment. Only then can we transform ourselves, and ultimately, society.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Todd Rose (P)2022 Hachette Go

Fascinating!

Read this book! Now! Just do it! You will not regret it and maybe we can collectively heal our country.

The message

Everyone on the planet can improve their lives by reading this book. It was a game changer for me.

Extremely relevant book

I really enjoyed this book. I think it was spot on. I’m planning to gift to my family.

Eye Opening

I throughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! Every chapter was very well told and kept me interested. The narration delivery was perfect. A great listen about important topics without sounding preachy.

Extremely Insightful and Relevant

A bunch of stories and studies about collective illusions and conformity, with the final chapter answering the question we all asked ourselves throughout the book; What can I do about it?

I've come to find -and this book validates it- that we are further dividing ourselves when we cut off people based on assumptions of their beliefs. For the most part, and with a few loud outliers, we all carry the same core beliefs. There are many friendships I cherish today that I would have been appalled by 5 years ago, simply because I was ignorant and made assumptions. You will grow more wise when you listen to everyone and don't look to others to form your opinion.

I would reccomend this book to anyone, really. Its incredibly politically and socially relevant. I've been constantly spitballing fun facts that I've learned here and speaking up more about what I believe. Some of these stories are incredible. The book's more of an eye-opener rather than a 'here's 5 things I learned about conformity and how you can become a confident individual,' so be patient.