it is important to understand what is being measured or counted, and how.

by organizing and presenting the data, we are inviting people to draw certain conclusions. And just as a verbal argument can be logical or emotional, sharp or woolly, clear or baffling, honest or misleading, so too can the argument made by a chart.

Facts are valuable things, and so is fact-checking. But if we really want people to understand complex issues, we need to engage their curiosity. If people are curious, they will learn.

one of our stubborn defenses against changing our minds is that we’re good at filtering out or dismissing unwelcome information. A curious person, however, enjoys being surprised and hungers for the unexpected. He or she will not be filtering out surprising news, because it’s far too intriguing.

we make a forecast with the facts that are in front of our nose.

All this suggests that one cure for conformity is to make decisions with a diverse group of people, people who are likely to bring different ideas and assumptions to the table.

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”)

The illusion of explanatory depth is a curiosity killer and a trap. If we think we already understand, why go deeper? Why ask questions?

It is not easy to master our emotions while assessing information that matters to us, not least because our emotions can lead us astray in different directions.