The level of dissonance that he experienced could have been great. He presented a very successful presentation. Therefore, continuing to be critical of the person who prepared the presentation would have been a contradiction of his self-image. He would have been viewed as inconsistent and insincere—if not by others than certainly by himself. So, he changed his beliefs and began talking positively about the customer service program. What was abundantly evident was that this individual was unaware of this psychological change within himself.
While MINDSPACE does not provide all of the answers for the challenges we face in confronting our own ignorance and selecting our own courses of action, it does offer some value ideas regarding how psychological and behavioral economic principles (in particular) can be applied in a manner that acknowledges the emotional and social nature of the human condition (System 1), while encourages and often helping to introduce and maintain the thoughtful use of valid information (System 2). As we have illustrated in offering our own stories as members of and consultants to many different kinds of organizations, the MINDSPACE strategies can make a difference.
Conclusions
We have focused in this essay on the interplay between expertise and ignorance. It appears that being smart is more about understanding the body of knowledge that exist and being aware that there is much more to know. In this essay we have just touched the surface of how we humans are influenced unknowingly by a myriad of factors beyond our awareness. Beginning to understand these factors makes us smarter and reduces over-confidence, ignorance and poor decision-making. Given the resistance to these techniques, leadership coaches and consultants are in a position to nudge their clients to apply these tools for better awareness understanding and decision-making.
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