Book quiz
The Art of Thinking Clearly Quiz
The Art of Thinking ClearlyRolf DobelliWhy do we finish a bad film because the ticket is paid for, and trust a crowd even when it shouts nonsense? Rolf Dobelli collected dozens of thinking errors discovered by psychologists and economists, presenting each as a short story. This is a popular collection rather than scientific research, but it can reveal…
Question 1 of 5
A friend quit her job and became a successful blogger. What would Dobelli have you remember before doing the same?
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Right answer: Those who didn't make it simply aren't heard
Success is visible, failures are silent. Loud stories are true, yet the people who tried and quietly went back are out of sight, so the odds look better.
Question 2 of 5
A course promises: "Our graduates earn twice as much." What question would Dobelli ask?
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Right answer: Do people already on the way up enroll?
This is the swimmer's body trap: selection is easy to mistake for cause. Maybe the course doesn't make people successful; strong people just enroll more often.
Question 3 of 5
You've been taking a language course you dislike for three years. Which question, per the book, is more honest?
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Right answer: Is it worth investing more if deciding from scratch?
What's spent can't be recovered whatever you decide. So the honest question looks only forward: is it worth investing further?
Question 4 of 5
An office pays bonuses for the number of closed tickets. What will most likely happen, per Dobelli?
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Right answer: Tickets get closed without always solving the problem
People respond to what they're paid for, even when something else was wanted. A rule that rewards a number may get the number instead of the result.
Question 5 of 5
According to the book, what shows more honestly how much we knew before an event?
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Right answer: A forecast written down in advance
After an event, memory adjusts to the outcome. A forecast written down in advance shows more honestly how much we really knew.
Want all of the book's key ideas? Read or listen to its retelling in Livria.