Cambridge Scholars Publishing Can We Cope with the Complexity of Reality? Why Craving Easy Answers Is at the Root of our Problems

Education for a viable future has never been more important than in our era of climate change, fake news, self-illusions, and political upheaval. Whether humanity will have a dignified future hangs in the balance. The urgency of finding sound solutions to a number of complex problems is obvious. We can’t really allow ourselves to get it wrong, but the temptation to fall for easy, convenient answers is considerable. This book focuses on emerging insights from various fields which allow us to collectively build evidence-based and wise solutions. This requires us to clarify how to arrive at a sound understanding of reality, which belief-systems and ideologies impede this understanding, and which issues need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. We cannot solve the climate crisis or any other pressing problems besetting humanity by using mental models which are demonstrably flawed. We ignore important findings and insights in fields unfamiliar to us at our peril. Whatever our professional field, we need to self-critically reflect on the conclusions presented in this book in order to increase the quality and efficacy of our educational interventions for a better world. Review “This is a timely book in that it explores the relationship between intelligence and rationality. Why is this so important? Because, humanity is facing an existential crisis; a pending Armageddon which threatens our very existence on planet earth as a result of our unsustainable lifestyles. And, yet humanity has so far failed to respond to this threat at scale and with urgency. Rolf Jucker frames this book from the standpoint of future proofing our education systems, so that current and future generations might learn and so create a more sustainable future, for all life on earth. The book argues that we are beset by a huge array of false news, self-illusion, echo chambers, myths and stories. Our beliefs do not map onto the actual structure of the world (reality). This makes it increasingly difficult for us to make rational, evidence based and logical decisions. This cognitive dissonance between belief-systems and rational thought and action is a major issue for education and learning for a sustainable future. The book explores how intelligence can be a tool for both propaganda and truth-seeking. A cutting-edge book which all who promote education and learning as a major tool in influencing our behaviour and actions should read.”Dr Stephen Martin, Hon FSE, FRSB, FIEnvSciHonorary Professor, University of Worcester; Visiting Professor in Learning for Sustainability, University of the West of England; President, Change Agents UK; WWF Fellow; Policy Advisor to the UK National Commission for UNESCO“How come we are not able to make sound decisions and enact the necessary change rationally, despite knowing so much about climate change and sustainable development? Rolf Jucker's slim but thoroughly insightful book tackles a topic on which we often capitulate: the complexity of the world we live in and the challenge to deal with these complexities in an adequate way. This respected expert on education for sustainable development is a lateral thinker who easily crosses interdisciplinary boundaries. He focuses on the key point that only very little of the above mentioned change happens, although we know a lot and are capable of doing a lot. He reveals the several layers of underlying reasons: first, our practices and actions are often not informed by the best scientific knowledge which is actually at our disposal. Second, we hardly ever succeed in overcoming our neurological simplifications and barriers in perception and cognition when we try to solve problems. Third, we are blind to irrational fallacies caused by ideological, religious or un-systemic thinking. Lastly, we ignore structural factors, such as overpopulation or (un-)democratic preconditions, when it comes to making the decisions necessary for the survival of our planet.