In the book “The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Are Foolish and How to Avoid It”, it is indicated what leads wise people to make mistakes.
What do Albert Einstein, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Thomas Edison have in common? All of them were characters acclaimed for their intellect.
Einstein spearheaded modern physics, Conan Doyle created a brilliant fictional saga, and Edison developed the light bulb, as well as more than 2,000 other patented inventions. However, their astronomical IQ isn’t the only similarity. Despite his indisputable intelligence, all three had very wrong beliefs about the main aspects of life.
Einstein spent several years unsuccessfully demonstrating the great theory of the unification of the laws of Physics by following his intuition, Conan Doyle believed in fairies and went five or six times a week to a medium, and Thomas Edison insisted, after fabricating the first electric light bulb, to campaign against alternating current because it believed that direct current had more of a future.
These examples and more anecdotes are collected in the book The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Are Foolish And How To Avoid It, where its author David Robson, an English journalist specializing in neuroscience and psychology, offers enlightening answers to the following question: Why do intelligent people do stupid things?
In this essay, the writer, drawing on well-researched scientific studies, synthesizes concepts from sociology, biology, education, science, philosophy, and psychology, illustrates them with stories about famous people, and instructs on how to be wiser than we are no matter our intelligence.
What is the intelligence trap
Another example that the textbook collects is how Steve Jobs approached the treatment of his pancreatic cancer. Your official biographer, Walter Isaacson, revealed that for nine months in 2004 (the year his neuroendocrine tumor was discovered), Jobs, one of the great geniuses of the twentieth century, had refused to undergo surgery because the intervention was too “invasive” and had decided, instead, treat the disease with acupuncture sessions, spiritualists and natural juices. Seven years later he passed away.
“How could such a smart man do something so stupid?”Isaacson was once asked. “He believed that if you ignore something, if you don’t want something to exist, there is a magical thought that eliminates it,” he replied.
In an interview with El Mundo newspaper from Spain, David Robson explained that Jobs was a victim of the so-called intelligence trap, which is “a pattern of attitudes and behaviors that leads educated and intelligent people to act stupid because of their intellectual capacity and not in spite of it.”
“They believe they are licensed to ignore evidence that questions their views, leading to a narrower mind, and they use their brainpower to justify their opinions, even if they are demonstrably wrong,” he says.
The most common mistakes smart people make
Robson, making use of the parts of a car to explain his theory, considers that the brain is our engine, the raw power, because the more strength it has, the further and faster it will take you; however, other equipment is also required. “You need brakes, direction and a GPS to follow the correct route. Otherwise, it could end up on a cliff, ”he explains.
The Canadian Psychologist Keith Stanovich He was one of the first to distinguish between rationality and IQ tests. From the analysis of the university entrance exams, he observed that people with higher grades had a higher grade than others, what he called “a blind spot bias “.
That is, they were unable to see their own flaws and were guided by their instincts, as happened with Steve Jobs.
Robson’s essay now attributes to that bias not only countless individual errors, but also the worst accidents in recent times, such as the Columbia shuttle disaster in 2003.
“When the intelligence trap goes from the individual level to group management, the problem is even greater,” warns the English journalist.
“Whether to achieve higher productivity or as a result of arrogance, many companies discourage critical thinking and punish employees who raise concerns. And we know that an unquestionable and uncritical position can be a huge source of errors. This phenomenon is known as functional stupidity“To seek short-term performance, potential risks that could have serious consequences are overlooked,” he says. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
