#87 - Gullibility, Belief, and Conformity (with Hugo Mercier)

from Increments · host Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani

Ben and Vaden test their French skills and have Hugo Mercier on the podcast to discuss who we trust and what we believe. Are humans gullible? Do we fall for propaganda and advertising campaigns? Do we follow expert consensus or forge ahead as independent thinkers? Can Vaden go for one episode without bringing up Trump? Hugo Mercier is a research director at the CNRS (Institut Jean Nicod, Paris), where he work with the Evolution and Social Cognition team. Check out his two books: The Enigma of Reason and Not Born Yesterday . We discuss Mercier's thoughts on the cognitive bias literature Open vigilance mechanisms Criticism of the System 1 vs System 2 dichotomy Why Kahneman misinterpreted the bat and the ball thought experiment Do flat earthers really believe the earth is flat? The Asch conformity experiment Preference falsification vs internalization of professed beliefs How important is social signaling? Trump, MAGA, gullibility, and Tariffs How effective are advertisements? How effective is propaganda? Is social science reforming? References The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber Not Born Yesterday Our previous episodes on Not Born Yesterday and The Enigma of Reason Socials Follow us on Twitter at @hugoreasoning, @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here. Click dem like buttons on youtube How much system 2 thinking does it take to misunderstand system 1 vs system 2? Tell us at [email protected] Special Guest: Hugo Mercier.

What this episode covers

Ben and Vaden test their French skills and have Hugo Mercier on the podcast to discuss who we trust and what we believe. Are humans gullible? Do we fall for propaganda and advertising campaigns? Do we follow expert consensus or forge ahead as independent thinkers? Can Vaden go for one episode without bringing up Trump? Hugo Mercier is a research director at the CNRS (Institut Jean Nicod, Paris), where he work with the Evolution and Social Cognition team. Check out his two books: The Enigma of Reason and Not Born Yesterday . We discuss Mercier's thoughts on the cognitive bias literature Open vigilance mechanisms Criticism of the System 1 vs System 2 dichotomy Why Kahneman misinterpreted the bat and the ball thought experiment Do flat earthers really believe the earth is flat? The Asch conformity experiment Preference falsification vs internalization of professed beliefs How important is social signaling? Trump, MAGA, gullibility, and Tariffs How effective are advertisements? How effective is propaganda? Is social science reforming? References The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber Not Born Yesterday Our previous episodes on Not Born Yesterday and The Enigma of Reason Socials Follow us on Twitter at @hugoreasoning, @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here. Click dem like buttons on youtube How much system 2 thinking does it take to misunderstand system 1 vs system 2? Tell us at [email protected] Special Guest: Hugo Mercier.Support Increments

NOW PLAYING

#87 - Gullibility, Belief, and Conformity (with Hugo Mercier)

0:00 54:13

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Ep 129 | What If 3 Days In the Right Environment Could Do What 3 Months Of Willpower Couldn't?

Jun 26, 2026 ·19m

Worship & Word Wednesday | What Jesus Said Changes Everything About Weight Loss: Luke13

Jun 24, 2026 ·35m

Ep 128 | Strong Women - Secret Struggles : Why Isolation Keeps Weight On

Jun 19, 2026 ·24m

Worship & Word Wednesday | How Rebellion In Jeremiah Mirrors Our Weight Loss Journey

Jun 17, 2026 ·32m

Ep 127 | The Real Reason You Eat Your Feelings — And How Faith Breaks It

Jun 12, 2026 ·25m

Worship & Word Wednesday | Why You Can't Stay Committed To Weight Loss : The Biblical Truth

Jun 10, 2026 ·27m

Similar Podcasts

Bible Read Me Charles Van Deursen Most people may have never read the Holy Bible from cover to cover for several good reasons. A couple of hinderances might be that the texts reflect an ancient culture and that much of it is not in chronological order. Here you will enjoy listening to a summary of daily portions of Scripture grouped in one week increments, chosen in the order that they occurred in history. By this time next year you will have gained a better understanding of the big picture of the Bible narrative as well as intriguing details that will help you to connect the events of ancient days with the life that you are now living. Just as wise King Solomon wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun," but many times it can be difficult to find the time to dig out and apply these nuggets of golden truth to your daily life.Charles Van Deursen presents the Scripture summaries in a literal, grammatical-historical context while using the language in the way that Christian Women’s Weight Loss | Faith, Food, Fitness Ondrea Lynn - Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach for Christian Women Are you tired of fighting the scale 24/7? Are you sick of fad diets that only get you temporary results? Do you wish you had an easy plan to follow so you don’t have to stress out about how to lose weight? Are you looking for a simple foundational weight loss framework that can fit into your busy day so it becomes a lifestyle? Do you wish you could workout in 15-minute increments instead of hours at the gym? Do you wish you have an exercise plan that gets you results while working out at home? Are you looking for ways to naturally speed up your metabolism? Do you want your pizza and spinach too? Are you ready to break free from binge eating, over eating, and sugar addiction? Are you ready to be free from past trauma and hurts that drive you to sabotage? Do you desire a stronger relationship with Jesus, even on your weight loss journey but unsure how that looks? Hey, I’m Ondrea Lynn and I’m so excited that you are here with me on Christian Women Weight Loss! I remember what Increments with Alishah Novin Alishah Novin Increments is a show for technologists about leveraging the in-between moments. Those moments you come up for air, and take a beat.They say music is about the space between the notes, and just like music - growth happens in those moments between projects. Increments won't always give you answers, but will create the space for you to find them Siblinghood of Recovery Angie Reno When I found out my son was deep in the throes of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), chaos became the norm. As each step became more challenging, the information on SUDs, treatment, healing, and basically everything that comes with an SUD Family crisis, became overwhelming. Inundated with so much information, I felt like I had crossed space and time and landed in a new world. I actually had: I had entered the world of Recovery. My goal through this Podcast is to condense what I learned into small increments, and provide anyone willing to listen a message of hope. The world of Recovery is filled with parents, children, and family members who walk together. We share what we learn, listen with heart, and provide a community of support. We are a Siblinghood of Recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Increments?

This episode is 54 minutes long.

When was this Increments episode published?

This episode was published on June 20, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Can I download this Increments episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.

URL copied to clipboard!