Full size book cover of The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality}

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality

Amanda Montell

3.48(20109 readers)
From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.

Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.

“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external Think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.

In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “Halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger than life celebrities, to how the “Sunk Cost Fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.

Publisher

Atria/One Signal Publishers

Publication Date

4/9/2024

ISBN

9781668007976

Pages

259

Categories

Social Sciences

About the Author

Portrait of author Amanda Montell
Amanda Montell
Amanda Montell is a writer, linguist, and podcast host living in Los Angeles. She is the author of three nonfiction books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, and The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality (forthcoming April 9, 2024 from OneSignal). She is also a creator and host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Amanda’s books have earned praise from The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR, was shortlisted for several prizes including the Goodreads Choice Awards and getAbstract International Book Award, and is currently in development for television. Sounds Like A Cult won “Best Emerging Podcast” at the 2023 iHeart Radio Podcast Awards and was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Marie Claire, and others.

Amanda’s essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and elsewhere. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell or Substack at amandamontell.substack.com.

Questions & Answers

The author explores 'magical overthinking' as a modern phenomenon rooted in cognitive biases and information overload. She links it to the "Information Age" where the vast amount of information leads to overthinking and underthinking the wrong things. The author attributes this to cognitive biases like confirmation bias and the sunk cost fallacy, which can lead to irrational beliefs and actions. She further illustrates this with examples of celebrity worship, manifestation techniques, and the use of social media. The author suggests that magical overthinking can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, burnout, and a sense of disconnection from reality, emphasizing the need for awareness and critical thinking to navigate this modern challenge.

The book discusses various cognitive biases that contribute to the author's experiences and observations. Key biases include:

  1. Halo Effect: This bias leads to positive assumptions about a person's overall character based on a single trait, often leading to extreme admiration or criticism of celebrities.

  2. Proportionality Bias: This bias causes individuals to overestimate the importance or impact of certain events or phenomena, leading to exaggerated reactions.

  3. Sunk Cost Fallacy: This bias makes people continue investing in something (like a relationship or project) because of the time and resources already invested, even if it's not beneficial.

  4. Zero-Sum Bias: This bias leads individuals to believe that one person's gain is another's loss, fostering competitiveness and social comparison.

  5. Survivorship Bias: This bias causes people to focus on successful examples and overlook failures, leading to incorrect conclusions about the likelihood of success.

  6. Recency Illusion: This bias makes individuals overestimate the importance of recent events or information, often leading to short-term thinking and ignoring long-term trends.

  7. Overconfidence Bias: This bias causes individuals to overestimate their own abilities or the likelihood of success, often leading to poor decision-making.

  8. Illusory Truth Effect: This bias makes individuals believe information is true simply because it is repeated frequently, even if it's false.

  9. Confirmation Bias: This bias leads individuals to seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs.

  10. Declinism: This bias makes individuals believe that things are worse now than in the past, often leading to nostalgia and ignoring progress.

These biases contribute to the author's experiences by explaining irrational behaviors, societal trends, and personal choices, providing a framework for understanding the complexities of human thought and decision-making.

The author argues that social media and the internet have significantly influenced the development and perpetuation of cognitive biases and mental health issues in several ways:

  1. Information Overload and Cognitive Biases: The internet's vast amount of information can lead to cognitive biases like confirmation bias, where individuals seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and ignore contradictory information.

  2. Social Comparison and Zero-Sum Bias: Social media platforms encourage constant social comparison, fostering zero-sum bias, where individuals believe that their success is tied to others' failures. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.

  3. Celebrity Worship and Magical Thinking: The internet facilitates extreme celebrity worship, which can lead to magical thinking, where individuals attribute supernatural qualities to celebrities, further reinforcing cognitive biases.

  4. Toxic Stress and Mental Health: The constant exposure to curated, idealized lives on social media can cause toxic stress, contributing to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

  5. Misinformation and Confirmation Bias: The spread of misinformation on the internet can reinforce confirmation bias, as individuals are more likely to believe information that aligns with their beliefs, regardless of its accuracy.

  6. Overconfidence Bias: The ease of access to information can lead to overconfidence bias, where individuals overestimate their knowledge and abilities, leading to poor decision-making and potential disasters.

Overall, the author suggests that the internet and social media exacerbate cognitive biases and contribute to mental health challenges by promoting unrealistic expectations, fostering social comparison, and spreading misinformation.

The author suggests several strategies to overcome cognitive biases and improve mental health in the modern world. She recommends:

  1. Critical Thinking: Develop a habit of questioning and critically evaluating information, especially when it aligns with pre-existing beliefs.
  2. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to become aware of cognitive biases and their impact on decision-making.
  3. Social Connection: Build and maintain healthy social connections to counteract loneliness and toxic stress.
  4. Optimism Practice: Cultivate an optimistic outlook by focusing on personal agency and creating pleasurable changes within one's control.
  5. Time Management: Use time management techniques to prioritize tasks and differentiate between what is urgent and important.
  6. Humility: Embrace humility to avoid overconfidence and recognize the limitations of one's knowledge.
  7. Nostalgia with a Twist: Use nostalgia as a coping mechanism but also recognize its limitations and the need to focus on the present and future.
  8. Self-Reflection: Reflect on personal experiences and narratives to understand the influence of cognitive biases on one's life.

By implementing these practices, the author believes individuals can better navigate the complexities of the modern world and improve their mental health.

The author's personal narrative significantly contributes to the book's message by illustrating the real-world impact of cognitive biases and mental health challenges. Through her experiences with overthinking, celebrity worship, and relationship issues, the author demonstrates how cognitive biases can lead to irrational decisions and emotional turmoil. This personal reflection serves as a relatable narrative, making the complex concepts of cognitive biases more accessible and relatable to readers. By sharing her journey towards understanding and overcoming these biases, the author underscores the importance of self-awareness and critical thinking in maintaining mental health. Her narrative also highlights the interconnectedness of cognitive biases and mental health, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to mental well-being.

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