False Beliefs in a Post-Truth World: Psychological Causes and Antidotes

Why is the human brain so vulnerable to false beliefs and conspiracy theories despite evidence to the contrary? And what can be done to protect ourselves, our families, and society from our collective propensity to fall into these seductive traps?

Dr. Joe Pierre, health sciences clinical professor at UCSF and a specialist in delusions and delusion-like beliefs, will be returning to the Club to discuss these issues with us. His first talk on the topic, a few years ago, was a sold-out, extremely informative success, so we asked him to return for a deeper look into the personal and societal effects of mistrust, misinformation, and motivated reasoning. Equally important, he is going to outline how we can avoid the pitfalls of acting on false beliefs, both as individuals and as a society.

So if you've been puzzled by how "otherwise-intelligent" friends and relatives have fallen into the trap of a false belief, or if you're searching for a way to reach out to someone who has fallen for one, or if you're wondering how society can defend itself, join us for this event and discussion. We'll learn why "just the facts" doesn't usually work, and we'll learn how to view our ideological opponents with compassion while still vigorously defending society.

Organizer: Eric Siegel

A Personal Growth Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.

This program contains EXPLICIT language.

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