

How Smart People Can Make Dumb Choices & The Serious Dangers of Social Media
10 snips Aug 28, 2025
Christopher J. Ferguson, a psychology professor and author, dives into why even the smartest individuals make poor decisions under pressure, revealing the psychological traps that escalate their mistakes. Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler shares his gripping experience with social media addiction, explaining its brain-altering effects and the challenges of balancing online fame with real-life relationships. Together, they explore the nuances of decision-making and the pervasive impact of social media on our perceptions and mental health.
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Emotion Shrinks Rational Thinking
- Heightened emotion narrows thinking and increases reliance on familiar responses.
- Evolution favored fast, heuristic decisions that can misfire in complex modern problems.
Air France 447: Repeated Panic Response
- Christopher Ferguson described Air France 447 where the pilot repeatedly pulled back, worsening the stall.
- The example shows panic can lock skilled people into harmful repeat actions.
Vivid Events Distort Risk Perception
- The availability heuristic makes vivid events seem more frequent than they are.
- Media salience drives misplaced fears like overestimating plane crashes or mass homicides.