Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things [Paperback]

Madeleine L. Van Hecke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2007

A woman planning a dinner party calls a gourmet caterer and learns that 'Chateaubriand' can be ordered. To which she responds, 'No, thanks. We're going to take care of the wine ourselves'. The dead silence at the end of the phone is her first clue that something is amiss. A CEO attempts to put an end to complaints from employees about the demeaning behaviour of certain managers by berating the managers before the staff - thus reinforcing the very behaviour he's trying to correct. We often criticise such incidents with remarks like 'How dumb!' or 'What was he thinking?'. But psychologist Madeleine L Van Hecke argues that much of what we label stupidity can better be explained as blind spots. Just as the blind spot in the driver's side mirror can swallow up a passing car, patterns in the way we think can likewise become blind spots, sifting out information and observations that to other people seem obvious. Drawing on research in creativity, cognitive psychology, critical thinking, child development, education, and philosophy, Dr Van Hecke shows how our assets as thinkers create the very blind spots that become our worst liabilities. She devotes a chapter to each of ten mental blind spots that afflict even the smartest people: not stopping to think, jumping to conclusions, my-side bias, getting trapped by categories, and much more. At the end of each chapter she offers tactics for overcoming that specific blind spot, so we can become more creative and competent thinkers. Full of funny, poignant stories about human foibles, "Blind Spots" offers many insights for improving our social and political lives while giving us fresh slants into the minds of people who are poles apart from ourselves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Clinical psychologist Van Hecke has compiled a list of 10 mental glitches that have infiltrated contemporary society, afflicting even the smartest among us, limiting thought, success and relationships. Van Hecke devotes a chapter to each blind spot, including "Not stopping to think," "Not noticing," "Jumping to conclusions" and "Missing the big picture." Examining each in detail, Van Hecke details the root causes of these unconscious habits ("information overload," "our tendency to habituate") and tactics for overcoming them, using humorous anecdotes and other real-life examples to drive her points; the key is remaining open to new ideas and taking a step back from our busy lives in order to process information, situations and people. Filling in "the big picture" herself, Van Hecke demonstrates how embracing and understanding our weaknesses can not only improve personal and professional relationships, but also entire communities; this self-help is a welcome, highly readable first step.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"I have no reservations about wholeheartedly recommending this book. Behind each stupid mistake, each wrongheaded viewpoint, is a person every bit as rational as we think ourselves to be. This book allows us to see ourselves more clearly, and assess others more tolerantly." -- Wendy Northcutt, best-selling author of the Darwin Awards and creator of www.DarwinAwards.com

"If we don't understand blind spots, we don't understand human nature. Madeleine Van Hecke does a beautiful job of opening our eyes to this fascinating--and troubling--aspect of personality." -- Eric Maisel, PhD, author of Ten Zen Seconds

"This delightful romp through the maze of human fallibility should be sent to every CEO of the Fortune 500 companies, along with all of the members of Congress. Van Hecke's engaging writing style, personal anecdotes, and real-world examples of the numerous blind spots that all of us have--including and especially intelligent and educated people--brings to a wide audience decades of scientific research on cognitive fallacies and critical thinking. A fun read!" -- Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, and author of Why People Believe Weird Things

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1 edition (April 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591025095
• ISBN-13: 978-1591025092
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

212 of 228 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much common sense & too little insight, June 4, 2008

By 

Donald Bailey (Provo, UT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

I must start by saying I only read the first 65 or so pages (about 1/3rd of the book) before the author lost my attention. She filled the first several pages with a shallow discussion of commom tenets your parents or teachers probably already shared with you. I paraphrase: 'Stop and think before you act'; 'What you don't know CAN hurt you'; 'Don't miss the forest for the trees.'

In the subsequent chapters, she attempted to dive more deeply into the reasons these tenets ring true. As I read through the discussion, I came away with the distinct impression that I was stuck in an entry level class on human behavior at a community college. Her analysis lacked depth; her analogies were flat or did not fit. She offered little insight into an intriguing topic.

Based on the reviews I read before purchasing the book, I expected more rigor and critical analysis than I found. The book's concept has promise. Unfortunately, the author did not deliver.

Because I was intrigued by the topic, I've continued to look for books that could better help me understand common blind spots. Although narrowly focused on the idea of self-deception, I thought "Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)" gave a thorough analysis of a common blind spot many of us experience.

I also found meaningful insights about the physiology of the brain that creates some of our blind spots in "On Being Certain." The author's statements were supported by conclusions drawn from peer-reviewed studies - the type of rigor I expected but did not find in 'Blind Spots.'

74 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get ...and stay...Smart!, March 29, 2008

By 

Carolyn Thornlow "Concinnity Services" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

If every person in a position of responsibility read this book, perhaps there would be fewer catastrophes! Granted, there are so many things at play in complex situations, a mere human may not be able to change entire outcomes. However, there are so many stupid decisions that contribute to ruin ... and that can be changed. That's why this book is so important.

Van Hecke presents 10 Blind Spots:

1. Not Stopping to Think

2. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

3. Not Noticing

4. Not Seeing Yourself

5. My-side Bias

6. Trapped by Categories

7. Jumping to Conclusions

8. Fuzzy Evidence

9. Missing Hidden Causes

10. Missing the Big Picture

While listing the chapters may seem like the Cliff Notes, it would be a mistake to conclude that the list is the whole story. The author does a complete, substantiated and entertaing job of describing each blind spot and shows how prevalent (sadly) they are. This book is a great way to keep you grounded when the smart people around you are doing dumb things, and, of course, to prevent you from making the same mistakes.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things, May 23, 2007

By 

S. Fyksen "Tool Junkie" (Naperville, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

To say I recognized myself and so many others I know in this book would be an understatement! It has changed the way I think about many things, especially when driving. I'm prone to road rage, and after reading this, it put a different spin on the guy in the other car; it has saved many people already. Every chapter was a revelation, and I really enjoyed the example stories. They made it easy to see the ways in which we bypass our own intelligence. A good book for business groups, or anyone wishing they didn't stumble over their own "forehead smacking" blunders. This could be a good gift for colleagues who think they know it all, or those who don't and need help.