Nonsense

Author of the bestseller How Expensive is Free?

What leads people to believe misinformation and conspiracy theories?

Disinformation affects us every day, both on a personal and societal level – from the world of social media to political debates, from everyday conversations in supermarkets to personal relationships within the family. While we recognize some of the dangers that disinformation poses, the magnitude of this problem is much greater.

Leading social scientist Dan Ariely argues in his book Meaninglessness that if we want to understand the nature of the irrational appeal of false information, we must first understand the problem. It turns out that disinformation taps into something that is innate in all of us – whether we are politically right or left wing – and only when we understand this psychological phenomenon can we begin to combat its effects.

The Book of Meaninglessness, which is based not only on the author' s long-term study, but also on Ariely' s personal experience, when he himself was the target of disinformation, opens our eyes and comprehensively analyzes the psychological factors causing, that otherwise rational people embrace deeply irrational beliefs.

DAN ARIELY is a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. He is the founder of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, co-author of the documentary film (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies and his books have been on the prestigious New York Times bestseller list three times. His bestsellers include How Expensive is Free? or Money and Common Sense. Ariely' s TED Talks have been viewed over 27 million times.