The Two Colors of Truth

When what’s Right may Not Be Right

By C.A. Huntley

 

We have a very wrong idea of what it means to be right! Why do smart people (e.g., parents, teachers, and managers) often disagree about what is right? And why do a group of people who disagree with one another often seem almost equally correct?

The answer, according to the author of this book, is not that some people are less sane or saintly than others, or that some brains are more dull or dusty than others. Rather, it is that there are different types of rightness. The book highlights two of the more important types. Specifically, it argues that what is rationally right may not be effectively right, and vice versa. For instance, while it is rationally right to either say an investment has an 80% chance of making money or a 20% chance of losing money, the former is more effective in appealing to investors. Similarly, while leaving a message for your nasty colleague that says “Boss wants to see you" is rationally identical to one that says "BOSS WANTS TO SEE YOU,” the latter is more effective in making him faint.

Written by the author of Psych Talk, this book is guaranteed to make you rethink the concept of rightness and look at things from an utterly new perspective. It's a must-read for those who are keen to know how to improve just about any aspect of life, including career, relationships, business, and more.

Snippets from the Book

  • Truly, human behavior can sometimes be counterrational. More information, less insight. More Analyses, less accuracy. More Money, less interest. More comparison, less clarity.

    C.A. Huntley, The Two Colors of Truth

  • Here's a simple truth that most of us are unable of. Oftentimes, being absolutely rational can still get us nowhere. It can even lead us the wrong way to the wrong end.

    C.A. Huntley, The Two Colors of Truth

  • We have been trying to be right for the wrong reason or trying to get it right for the wrong purpose for a long time. We have been using the 18th Century brain to guide our thinking in the 21st century.

    C.A. Huntley, The Two Colors of Truth

  • In sum, humans are psychological beings that are often influenced not by the rational weight of an information alone, but also by the psychological force that wraps the information.

    C.A. Huntley, The Two Colors of Truth

  • Indeed, the world can be said to be divided into two types of people - those with a right and those with a wrong sense of what it means to be right or wrong.

    C.A. Huntley, The Two Colors of Truth

What People Are Saying

“A very mindful book that is also a joy to read, The Two Colors of Truth shows there’s an important difference between rationality and sensibility.”

— Ellen Langer, Harvard University

 

“A very engaging and well-written book, The Two Colors of Truth tells us what we need to know about the difference between rationality and effectiveness, with many easy-to-understand real-world illustrations and psychological insights.”

— Barry Cohen, New York University

“Being right is truly not the same thing as being realistic. This well-researched book tells us why and will help us to be both.”

— Jacob S. Hacker, Yale University

 

“Ever wondered why sometimes the more you try the less you achieve? Or why the rational approach fails while the emotional one succeeds? In The Two Colors of Truth, the author cleverly explains with an engaging narrative style why and how this can happen, so we can be more effective more often.”

— Emily Balcetis, Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of Clearer, Closer, Better