Outsmarting Human Minds

Over the past 50 years, psychological research has ushered in new understanding of the human mind: that it is just as fallible as it is extraordinary. The same mind capable of incredible feats of ingenuity and compassion is also capable of decisions that defy rationality and go against our best interests as individuals and organizations. So how does the mind work – and what are its blindspots? Outsmarting Human Minds (OHM) was founded by Mahzarin Banaji to bring together growing public desire to understand and improve decision-making with insights from the mind sciences. With initial support from PwC and Harvard University, this educational material is designed – via short videos and podcasts – to explore the quirky and sometimes surprising aspects of how our minds work. The hope of this project is that by knowing the science, we can take steps to recognize and even conquer our blindspots. Our minds can learn and change. Knowledge is only a first step, but by understanding our minds, we can take steps – as individuals and as organizations – to change our behavior and policies and improve the decisions we make in life and at work.