Nikita Nepryakhin’s book “Anatomy of Delusions” is a study of the world of illusions and the peculiarities of human thinking and a practical guide to overcoming the laziness of your own mind.
Excerpt for reference
It is important to understand one thing: the majority can be wrong. It is enough to mention a few historical examples. It was once believed that the earth stood on three whales and a large turtle and was the center of the Universe. Once upon a time, virgins were sacrificed to obtain a rich harvest. Slavery once flourished. Once upon a time, doctors practiced bloodletting to treat any disease. Once upon a time, everyone believed in alchemy. Chinese girls' feet were once bandaged and deformed to look like lotus buds. It is difficult to say that these are illustrations of common sense. What we now call nonsense was once shared by the majority. Moreover, these ideas were considered a norm, a dogma, a standard. And somewhere they still do female circumcision. And some still believe that offspring can inherit the genes of all those with whom a woman has had sexual contact (I mean telegony, which we will talk about at the very end of the book). And some still consider this an unshakable truth. And who knows, maybe time will pass, and what we now consider “common sense”, what is categorically shared by the majority, future generations will remember with misunderstanding and surprise.
People tend to make many mistakes in the process of learning about the world around them. Failure to recognize that we have cognitive biases is, paradoxically, also a cognitive bias called the blind spot effect. This is why rational thinking and recognition of the right to make mistakes are so important.
Although Nikita Nepryakhin is not a scientist or even a researcher in the traditional sense of the word, this may rather be a plus for the reader. As a business coach and entrepreneur, the author of Anatomy of a Misconception focuses on practical skills that can be learned through reading. Nepryakhin literally proposes to “dissect” your own brain for distortions and begins with mega-popular myths, for example, that the left and right hemispheres have some special roles in logical or creative thinking.
Based on scientific research, the author explains why people make mistakes and how they become victims of manipulation in discussions. And, as a trainer, he strives to give the audience the tools to avoid logical errors and cognitive distortions, or at least to realize that everyone is susceptible to them. This in itself is a big step towards living in reality, and not in myth.
You can read a fragment of the book or buy it on the publisher's website.
