
Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep133 "Why do people hold misbeliefs?" with Dan Ariely
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Dec 8, 2025 Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, known for his groundbreaking work on irrationality, dives into the fascinating world of misbelief. He discusses how misbeliefs can provide comfort amidst chaos and reveals the psychological ingredients behind their adoption, including stress and social factors. Ariely shares personal experiences that ignited his research and emphasizes the dangers of confirmation bias. He also proposes solutions for combating misinformation, advocating for intellectual humility over media literacy as a means to foster understanding and trust.
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Stress Drives Narrative Acceptance
- Under stress our brain prioritizes coherence and threat detection over evidence.
- Narratives that promise clarity become sticky because they reduce uncertainty and restore agency.
Targeted During COVID
- Dan Ariely describes receiving online accusations that he collaborated with pharmaceutical companies to harm people during COVID.
- He spent a month trying and failing to convince accusers, which motivated his study of misbelief.
Stress Creates Pattern Seeking
- Misbeliefs often begin with stress and provide a villainous explanation that restores control.
- Stress increases pattern-seeing and overinterpretation, making conspiratorial stories appealing.







