Do you know how a bicycle works?  Many of us think we do. However, scientific evidence indicates that our knowledge of even the most simple of objects in our everyday lives is minimal and, remarkably, significantly lower than our subjective estimates of our knowledge. In short, we don’t know what we don’t know. This phenomenon has been demonstrated across a range of topical areas, from the mundane to the abstract (i.e., global warming). In their book The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone, cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach argue that human cognition — especially the accumulation of knowledge, is largely communal-based, i.e., arising from our connection with others’ expertise and the larger social and cultural landscape. Sloman explains that most people “know” the earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa, but he argues that this knowledge is more based on faith rather than some other form of observation or logical reasoning.  “We are cognitive team players,” Sloman explains in an interview, and in being so we naturally mesh, organize, and navigate ourselves within complex social systems (like crossing a busy urban intersection). Yet, the downside of our “knowledge conflation” is significant: assumptions dampen our critical thinking and, often, actual data and statistical evidence do not refute subjective opinion, the stuff of “confirmation bias” and other forms of faulty reasoning. In the next virtual meeting of the Men’s Group Seminar on Saturday, March 6, 2021 (10:15 AM to 11:30 AM), we will explore the “knowledge illusion” with an eye toward overcoming the illusory nature of our cognitive tendencies.

*Registration Directions: If you would like to attend the next virtual meeting of the Men’s Group Seminar on Saturday, March 6, 2021, 10:15 to 11:30 AM, please RSVP to me at 949-338-4388 or jt@jamestobinphd.com no later than Thursday, March 4, 2021.  The fee is $25.00 (payable before entering the virtual meeting) and informed consent for participation in this telehealth event must be completed prior to the seminar. Please note that the Men’s Group Seminar is psychoeducational in nature, not therapeutic, and does not constitute psychotherapy or counseling.