Ideas change everything

What to trust in a "post-truth" world

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Alex Edmans |

TEDxLondonBusinessSchool

• May 2017

Only if you are truly open to the possibility of being wrong can you ever learn, says researcher Alex Edmans. In an insightful talk, he explores how confirmation bias -- the tendency to only accept information that supports your personal beliefs -- can lead you astray on social media, in politics and beyond, and offers three practical tools for finding evidence you can actually trust. (Hint: appoint someone to be the devil's advocate in your life.)

Only if you are truly open to the possibility of being wrong can you ever learn, says researcher Alex Edmans. In an insightful talk, he explores how confirmation bias -- the tendency to only accept information that supports your personal beliefs -- can lead you astray on social media, in politics and beyond, and offers three practical tools for finding evidence you can actually trust. (Hint: appoint someone to be the devil's advocate in your life.)

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxLondonBusinessSchool, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Finance professor, editor

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Alex Edmans uses rigorous academic research to influence real-life business practices -- in particular, how companies can pursue purpose as well as profit.

Learn more

May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases―And What We Can Do About It

Alex Edmans | Penguin Random House (2024)

Alex Edmans - *May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases―And What We Can Do About It*

Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit

Alex Edmans | Cambridge University Press (2020)

Alex Edmans - *Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit*

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxLondonBusinessSchool, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Visit Full Fact to check commonly-claimed facts.