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Nicholas Epley

WSB Exclusive Speaker

Professor of Behavioral Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business; Author

Nicholas Epley shares his groundbreaking research on why we so routinely misunderstand what's going on in the minds of others, from our coworkers, customers and competitors, to even our family members and friends.

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Nicholas Epley Profile Photo

You are a mind reader, born with an extraordinary ability to understand what others think, feel, believe, want and know. It’s a sixth sense you use each day in every professional and personal relationship—but how well do you really know what your coworkers, employees, competitors or customers want or are thinking? How good are you at knowing the minds of others? How well can you guess what others think of you, your business or your product? In this illuminating exploration of one of the great mysteries of the human mind, University of Chicago award-winning psychologist Nicholas Epley introduces audiences to what scientists have learned about our ability to understand the most complicated puzzle on the planet—other people—and the surprising mistakes we often make. Why are we sometimes blind to the minds of others? Why do we so routinely believe that others think, feel and want what we do, when in fact they do not?

In his presentation modeled after his new book, Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want (February 2014), Epley will not turn other people into open books, but will give you the wisdom to revolutionize how you think about them—and yourself. He is the John T. Keller Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and was named a “Professor to Watch” by The Financial Times and Poets & Quants named him as one of the “Top 40 Most Outstanding Business School Professors Under 40 In The World.” His research has appeared in more than two dozen journals, including The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Science, Psychological Review and The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,and has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Wired and NPR, among many others. Epley was awarded the 2008 Theoretical Innovation Prize from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the 2011 Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution from the American Psychological Association.

Featured Videos

Nicholas Epley Profile Photo
Nicholas Epley

Nicholas Epley on Are People Social Enough?

Nicholas Epley Profile Photo
Nicholas Epley

Nicholas Epley on Gratitude Letters

Nicholas Epley Profile Photo
Nicholas Epley

Nicholas Epley on Gratitude Letters

Nicholas Epley on Are People Social Enough?

Nicholas Epley on Gratitude Letters

Nicholas Epley’s Speech Topics

  • Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want

    You are a mind reader, born with an extraordinary ability to understand what others think, feel, believe, want and know. It’s a sixth sense you use each day in every professional and personal relationship—but how well do you really know what your coworkers, employees, competitors or customers want or are thinking? In this high-energy, illuminating presentation, Nicholas Epley takes the audience on an exploration of one of the great mysteries of the human mind. How good are you at knowing the minds of others? How well can you guess what others think of you, know who really likes you or tell when others are lying? How well do you really understand the minds of those closest to you at work or at home? Why are we sometimes blind to the minds of others? Why do we sometimes talk to our cars, or the stars, as if there is a mind that can hear us? Why do we so routinely believe that others think, feel and want what we do, when in fact they do not? And, why we do we believe we understand our fellow workers, customers, competitors, spouses, family and friends so much better than we actually do? While Epley’s presentation will not turn others into open books, it will give you the wisdom to revolutionize how you think about them—and yourself.

  • An Ethical Organization, By Design

    Ethical organizations are sustainable organizations. Doing good leads to doing well in the long run, while also producing happier and more motivated employees in the short run. The problem, argues Nicholas Epley, is that there are four common myths about morality that lead to misunderstandings about how to create more ethical organizations. Instead of treating ethics as a problem about people’s beliefs, we should treat it as an issue about the systems in which people live and work. Epley explains how businesses, and individuals, can design their policies and structures to ensure they are both doing good and feeling good. This approach offers constructive, concrete ideas for designing ethical systems that keep all of us engaged, effective, and happier. 

  • Understanding Misunderstanding from the Inside Perspective

    Understanding why people buy what they buy, think what they think, and act as they do requires understanding how those people evaluate the world through their own eyes and from their own inside perspective.  One reason companies misunderstand their consumers, leaders misunderstand their followers, and managers misunderstand their clients is because they inherently evaluate other people from an outside perspective. In this presentation, Epley addresses what behavioral scientists have learned about these two differing perspectives, describes how they create systematic misunderstanding between people, and shares with audiences how you can align your perspective with others to understand them better in both your professional as well as personal life.

Works by Nicholas Epley

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