The Scout Mindset

Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't

By: Julia Galef

Narrated by: Julia Galef

"...an engaging and enlightening account from which we all can benefit."—The Wall Street Journal

A better way to combat knee-jerk biases and make smarter decisions, from Julia Galef, the acclaimed expert on rational decision-making.

When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe—and shoot down those we don't.

But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the soldier, a scout's goal isn't to defend one side over the other. It's to go out, survey the territory, and come back with as accurate a map as possible. Regardless of what they hope to be the case, above all, the scout wants to know what's actually true.

In The Scout Mindset, Galef shows that what makes scouts better at getting things right isn't that they're smarter or more knowledgeable than everyone else. It's a handful of emotional skills, habits, and ways of looking at the world—which anyone can learn. With fascinating examples ranging from how to survive being stranded in the middle of the ocean, to how Jeff Bezos avoids overconfidence, to how superforecasters outperform CIA operatives, to Reddit threads and modern partisan politics, Galef explores why our brains deceive us and what we can do to change the way we think.

Best Book Ever, wait um probably.

I've been a Scout for 2 years and I'm so excited to finally read a book about people like me and how to improve as a Scout. Thank you, Julia Galef!

Looking forward to listening again!

Julia did an amazing job with writing and then reading this book. My next book? This one again!

A great read, well-read

Very enjoyable. Julia narrated her own book, and her years of podcasting paid off. The book itself is upbeat, to the point and I found it very inspirational.

Book of the Year

This is the best book I have read in a long time. It had a profound impact on me, and has made me yearn to see the world clearly instead of through the lenses of tribalism and bias. Wonderful narration, thoughtfully curated arguments, and humble and rational claims make this book a masterclass in honest persuasion.

A very practical book on how to be less wrong

A very practical book on how to be less wrong and more right. Highly recommended