#322: Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong

Assessing Advice

Eric Barker shares his insights on evaluating advice, emphasizing the importance of understanding the source and context of information. He highlights the need to discern whether research comes from credible institutions or if it has potential biases, such as corporate sponsorships. Eric explains that his experience in reviewing numerous studies has honed his intuition, allowing him to identify reliable advice by checking if it aligns with established knowledge or if it's an outlier.

For me, I'm usually looking at where's the research coming from? What does it have around it? Who's the researcher who did it?

--- Eric Barker

Brett McKay and Eric also discuss how personal traits and stable personality factors play a crucial role in determining the applicability of advice, suggesting that individuals should focus on enhancing their strengths rather than trying to change inherent weaknesses 1 2.

   

Myths in Advice

Eric explores the persistence of misleading advice online, noting that cognitive biases and the desire for affirmation often lead people to accept incomplete or incorrect information. He argues that many websites prioritize engagement over accuracy, thus perpetuating myths that don't necessarily apply to everyone.

We have the cognitive biases that we all have in our brains... Sometimes we don't want to hear the truth.

--- Eric Barker

Eric's blog, "Barking Up the Wrong Tree," aims to sift through this noise by providing nuanced and research-backed insights into success and personal development. He believes that while answers to many of life's questions exist, they are often hidden in academic circles, and his goal is to make this knowledge accessible 3 2.