The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone

“TheKnowledgeIllusionisfilledwithinsightsonhowweshoulddealwithourindividualignoranceandcollectivewisdom.”—StevenPinkerThekeytohumanintelligenceliesinthefascinatingwayswethinktogether.Humanshavebuilthugelycomplexsocietiesandtechnologies，butmostofusdon’tevenknowhowapenworks.Sohowhaveweachievedsomuchdespiteunderstandingsolittle?CognitivescientistsStevenSlomanandPhilipFernbacharguethatwesurviveandthrivedespiteourmentalshortcomingsbecauseweliveinarichcommunityofknowledge.We’reconstantlydrawingoninformationandexpertisestoredoutsideourheads：inourbodies，ourenvironment，ourpossessions，andthepeoplewithwhomweinteract—andusuallywedon’tevenrealizewe’redoingit.Thehumanmindisbothbrilliantandpathetic.Wehavemasteredfire，createddemocraticinstitutions，stoodonthemoon，anddevelopedgeneticallymodifiedtomatoes.Andyeteachofusiserrorprone，sometimesirrational，andoftenignorant.Thefundamentallycommunalnatureofintelligenceandknowledgeexplainswhyweoftenassumeweknowmorethanwereallydo，whypoliticalopinionsandfalsebeliefsaresohardtochange，andwhyindividuallyorientedapproachestoeducationandmanagementfrequentlyfail.Butourcollaborativemindsalsoenableustodoamazingthings.Thisbookcontendsthattruegeniuscanbefoundinthewayswecreateintelligenceusingtheworldaroundus.