The Certainty Trap cover art

The Certainty Trap

Why We Need to Question Ourselves More—and How We Can Judge Others Less

Preview
Subscribe now Free with 30-day trial
Offer ends on 14 April, 2026 at 23:59.
Prime logo
Pay ₹5/month for 2 months and ₹199/month after 2 months, Cancel anytime. Offer ends on 14 April 2026 at 23:59. Take this offer!
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep.
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks.
Download titles to your library and listen offline.
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks
Download titles to your library and listen offline
₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

The Certainty Trap

Written by: Ilana Redstone, Joe Walsh - foreword
Narrated by: Lisa Larsen, Qarie Marshall
Subscribe now Free with 30-day trial

Pay ₹5/month for 2 months and ₹199/month after 2 months, Cancel anytime. Offer ends on 14 April 2026 at 23:59.

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹1,641.00

Buy Now for ₹1,641.00

LIMITED TIME OFFER | Get 2 Months for ₹5/month

About this listen

When we’re in the Certainty Trap, we tend to view people who disagree with us as hateful, ignorant, or just plain stupid. When it comes to heated social and political issues in particular, many of us know this feeling well—a consuming state of righteous indignation and moral outrage. And this response makes sense because our very certainty tells us that there are simple and obvious causes and solutions to the hot-button issues we care about most.

But the things we care about the most are—far more often than not—morally and ethically complex. If the problems that divide us are inherently complicated, then a sense that the answers are obvious—and that anyone who disagrees must be deficient in some way—is misplaced. It's an oversimplification that both leads to and reflects faulty thinking. When we’re certain, we not only fail to recognize the possibility that we’re wrong but also fail to be clear about the principles and values that drive our disagreement in the first place.

By committing to challenging and clarifying our thinking—by avoiding the trap certainty sets for us—we can increase social trust, reduce political polarization, and better address the world’s pressing challenges.

©2024 Ilana Redstone (P)2024 Dreamscape Media
Civics & Citizenship Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions
No reviews yet