“It seems that knowing a lot is simply not as helpful in making predictions about human behaviour as people tend to assume. Too much knowledge can actually trip you up, because it gets enlisted on behalf of your favorite hunches- or fears- instead of being evaluated objectively. Having mere facts at their disposal, experts are able to support their theories more ingeniously; they are more reluctant to change their minds, even when proven wrong. And finally, experts- no different than laymen-tend to grab onto facts that support their views and pass on those that don’t.”

from Mobs, Messiahs and Markets by William Bonner and Lila Rajiva

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