Ask HN: Any recommendations for books about rationality / scientific thinking?

2 points

11 years ago

My father is 60 and brainwashed himself over years into esoteric thinking. He thinks that his "way of thinking" is superior to everyone else. He is convinced that he discovered the truth about reality. It's all kind of bullshit he talks about, which I'd sum up as "cognitive biases" he fails to see (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases), while blaming everyone else to be incapable of understand his world view.

Tthe older he gets, the less flexible he becomes in his thinking, and the more arrogant he becomes. He has a deeply flawed understanding of what science is and how it works and – like many esoterics – he'd abuse some scientific concepts to explain his world view, but reject other concepts if they don't fit the world view. E. g. Quantum Theory as a wishy-washy explanation for "supernatural phenomenons", if you know what I mean.

I know, it's impossible to change someone, if he isn't willing to do change himself. But maybe a good book could show him some flaws in his thinking and act as a trigger to at least reconsider some of his world views.

Does anyone have recommendations for books that teach basic rational thinking and core scientific concepts? Or any other tips for a situation like that when you find a family member detached from reality?

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