num_pages: 336
description: Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli's The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information and delusional thinking that has become a common feature of everyday life.This is the perfect moment for...the psychology of detecting fake news in the world around usand false beliefs about ourselves too.Adam GrantBullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions that leads to health consequences financial losses legal consequences broken relationships and wasted time and resources.No matter how smart we believe ourselves to be were all susceptible to bullshitand we all engage in it. While we may brush it off as harmless marketing sales speak or as humorous embellished claims its actually much more dangerous and insidious. Its how Bernie Madoff successfully swindled billions of dollars from even the most experienced financial experts with his Ponzi scheme. Its how the protocols of Mao Zedongs Great Leap Forward resulted in the deaths of 36 million people from starvation. Presented as truths by authority figures and credentialed experts bullshit appears legitimate and we accept their words as gospel. If we dont question the information we receive from bullshit artists to prove their thoughts and theories we allow these falsehoods to take root in our memories and beliefs. This faulty data affects our decision making capabilities sometimes resulting in regrettable life choices.But with a little dose of skepticism and a commitment to truth seeking you can build your critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills to evaluate information separate fact from fiction and see through bullshitter spin. In The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit  experimental social psychologist John V. Petrocelli provides invaluable strategies not only to recognize and protect yourself from everyday bullshit but to accept your own lack of knowledge about subjects and avoid engaging in bullshit just for societal conformity.With real world examples from people versed in bullshit who work in the used car real estate wine and diamond industries Petrocelli exposes the red-flag warning signs found in the anecdotal stories emotional language and buzzwords used by bullshitters that persuade our decisions. By using his critical thinking defensive tactics against those motivated by profit we will also learn how to stop the toxic misinformation spread from the social media influencers fake news and op-eds that permeate our culture and call out bullshit whenever we see it.
language: English
title: The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit
publisher: St. Martin's Press