In a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power\, disadvantages\, and highlights of magical thinking\, Amanda Montell now t urns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biase s in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
\n&ldquo\;Magical thinking&rdquo\; can be broadly defined as the belief that one&rsquo\;s in ternal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: think o f the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty\, stave of f cancer with positive vibes\, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can th eir own peaches\, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms\, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos\, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking\, Montell argues that in the modern information age\, our brain&rsquo\;s cop ing mechanisms have been overloaded\, and our irrationality turned up to a n eleven.
\nIn a series of razor sharp\, deeply funny chapters\, Mon tell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains\, from how the &ldquo\;halo effect&rdquo\; cultivates worship ( and hatred) of larger-than-life celebrities\, to how the &ldquo\;sunk cost fallacy&rdquo\; can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we&rs quo\;ve realized they&rsquo\;re not serving us. As she illuminates these c oncepts with her signature brilliance and wit\, Montell&rsquo\;s prevailin g message is one of hope\, empathy\, and ultimately forgiveness for our an xiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability t o reason\, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds\, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacop hony for a while\, or even hear a melody in it. \;
\nDon't be ir rational\, register now for a conversation you just don&rsquo\;t want to m iss! \;
\nAbout the Author: Amanda Montell is a writer and lingu ist from Baltimore. She is the author of the acclaimed books Wordslut\, Cu ltish\, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Along with hosting the podcas t Sounds Like a Cult\, her writing has also appeared in The New York Times \, Marie Claire\, Cosmopolitan\, and more. She holds a degree in linguisti cs from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner\, plants\, and pets. Find her on Instagram @Amanda_Montell.
\nThis program is sponsored by the Friends of Duncan Library and the Friends of Beatley Central Library.
\nUpcoming and previously broadcast aut hor talks can be viewed here< /a>.
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