Nicholas Epley

Mindwise

1. IDEA 1

   We read minds constantly

   Epley argues that humans have a remarkable ability to think about what others think and feel. This sense helps us cooperate, but it is much less accurate than we believe.

2. IDEA 2

   We overrate our accuracy

   Epley shows that people are often confident in guessing others' thoughts while being wrong. Even close partners misjudge each other's feelings more than they expect. Confidence and accuracy are often unrelated.

3. IDEA 3

   We assume others think like us

   Epley explains egocentrism, the tendency to project our own views onto others. Because we know our own minds best, we often assume others share our perspective. This leads to misunderstandings at home and at work.

All 8 ideas from Mindwise →