Book Buzz

Sharon D. Kruse
Executive Board, Learning Forward Ohio

Everything is Obvious *Once You Know the Answer: How Common Sense Fails Us
By Duncan Watt

Everything is Obvious follows the tradition of Blink by Malcom Gladwell, The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons and Switch by Dan and Chip Heath.  In each of these readable volumes the authors set out to tell you why everything you believe to be true about how individuals and organizations work is incorrect.  Perhaps that is a bit of an overstatement, but stay with me.  In each of these books the authors challenge our basic understandings  about how people experience the world and, based on solid research studies, explain why things don’t always turn out the way we think they should.  Watt’s latest addition to this genre is no exception.  In well written and engaging prose, he takes a careful look at how common sense can fail us and offers the reader solid reasons why we should rethink our basic assumptions about our world. 

Watt’s basic argument is that no matter how well we understand the parts of any situation or decision, we cannot add them up in any rational way that can fully explain the whole.  Ranging from how much movie theater popcorn we are willing to ingest (A scary amount if we are provided a very large tub.) to  why the Mona Lisa is famous (If we agree that paintings with characteristics like the Mona Lisa are in fact, important and well done, then of course the Mona Lisa must be a great painting, because in the end it is more like the Mona Lisa than any other painting,) Watts asks us to consider both the underlying assumptions behind our actions and decisions alongside the data we have about any given circumstance.  Watts wants us to step back from our attachment to the conclusions we draw that appear to be common sense and asks us to consider that perhaps, we think we are right because, well, that’s what we think.

If we accept the idea that our own common sense may not be, as the old saw has it, either common or based on much sense, Watt’s suggests that we can make better decisions.  Additionally, by holding our own common sense up for examination and critique we may well be better able to understand the actions and thinking of others. 

For leaders this has important implications.  Not only does it suggest that we need to collect more data about the circumstances that surround us prior to making a decision, Watts’ argument also suggests that fielding the ideas of others who are willing to challenge our thinking has the potential to help us make better choices.   However, this volume does not only suggest an argument for listening more broadly and closely, it also suggests that the influence of the individual matters as well.  In other words, the outcome of any decision choice is less about how good the decision was and more about the circumstances that surround each choice point and how influential individuals react to the outcome. 

Everything is Obvious reads well and offers leaders solid insights into the ways in which we can step back and consider our own thinking.  It’s well worth reading. 

An additional note:  The executive board of Learning Forward Ohio is reading Everything is Obvious this year and study guides are being generated  for our discussion.  If you are interested in obtaining them, feel free to email me and I’ll send them along as they are completed.