This week on forward.

Calling people conspiracy theories is not helpful.

I agree.

These are kind, intelligent, wonderful people. And if we say it's them versus us, it doesn't help

us understand what's going on. And we shouldn't discount those people and we shouldn't

discount their theories part of the story of this misbeliefs is that it's about the

belief in the outside world and something that is aimed so,

but it's also taking that as a central theme in somebody's life

and using that to look at the world is their perspective. It is my pleasure to welcome to the podcast psychologist and behavioral economics

professor from Duke University best-selling author of

predictably irrational in his latest book which we're going to discuss

misbelief. What makes rational people believe irrational things?

Dan Ariale, you welcome Dan. My pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.

I've been a fan of your work for a long time. I read predictably irrational before I quote unquote knew who you were. There's obviously the TED Talks. You're one of the foremost thinkers on why people behave

quote-unquote irrationally. But this book I think got very personal and it's something that I was fascinated by because I've been through

at least my own versions of it. So you stumbled upon some misinformation about yourself, including from people that actually

knew you, were like, hey Dan, didn't know that you were doing such nefarious things.

And then you were like, what nefarious things?

Then you started digging into it and it led you down a deep rabbit hole

that did result in this book.

Yeah. First of all all it was terribly painful, but you're very right to point out that the accusations for the people who knew me was extra tough was something about it was extra tough.

And by the way it doesn't stop. It started in early COVID days. We are now toward the end of 23. Last week my

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