
Neuroscientist Tali Sharot reveals why facts fail but emotions persuade in this award-winning exploration of influence. Endorsed by Harvard's Cass Sunstein as "an instant classic," discover why your brain resists data but responds to curiosity - and how that changes everything about persuasion.
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Picture this: A doctor presents compelling data about vaccines to skeptical parents. The statistics are clear, the evidence overwhelming. Yet afterward, the audience remains unmoved. This scene, witnessed by cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot, reveals a fundamental truth about human influence: those with the most important messages aren't necessarily those with the greatest impact. Despite our information-saturated world-with billions of Google searches daily-we remain stubbornly resistant to facts that contradict our existing beliefs. Why? Because our brains aren't designed to process information objectively. When presented with new data, we quickly accept evidence confirming our prior beliefs while scrutinizing contradictory information with skepticism. This confirmation bias creates a polarization that expands over time as people consume more information. The "boomerang effect" occurs when contradictory information actually strengthens original beliefs. Today's digital environment exacerbates this problem through personalized "filter bubbles" that reinforce existing views. Google customizes search results based on past activity, meaning Democrats and Republicans searching for "presidential debate" receive entirely different results-each confirming their existing views. Counterintuitively, intelligence doesn't mitigate confirmation bias-it amplifies it. Research shows people with stronger analytical abilities are actually more adept at twisting data to fit their opinions. When beliefs are difficult to change, seeding new ones may be more effective than challenging old ones.