logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
17m 51s

History's Seductive Beliefs

Morgan Housel
About this episode

My deepest forecasting belief is that you can better understand the future if you focus on the behaviors that never change instead of the events that might.

And those behaviors have a common denominator: They follow the path of least resistance of people trying to simplify a complex world into a few stories that make sense and make them feel good about themselves.

Simple stories, feel-good stories. Those are some of history’s most seductive beliefs, and they always will be.

Here are a few that stick out.

Up next
Oct 7
Out Now: The Art of Spending Money (First Full Chapter Here)
This is a full-chapter preview of my new book, The Art of Spending Money, out today. Click here to buy the book. 
15m 57s
Oct 1
Two Big Stories That Help Explain Today's World
We became aware of each other at the same time we grew apart financially, and the psychology of when news went from local to national to global. 
13m 9s
Sep 12
Playing Your Own Game
From the archives: one of my favorite topics -- the importance of playing your own game. Thanks to my friends at Public.comAll investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-di ... Show More
20m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
Shocking Events That Made History Series | Episode 5
<p>Welcome to a new episode of our series Shocking Events That Made History. Belief systems have been with us since the start of civilization—and for just as long religion has been a source of immeasurable joy and challenges. Corrupt leaders, blind persecution—the stories are as ... Show More
32m 9s
Feb 2022
The Positives—and Perils—of Storytelling
Jonathan Gottschall, a distinguished fellow at Washington & Jefferson College, has researched storytelling and its unique power to inspire. But as he spoke at business conferences and grew aware of the popularity of storytelling in the corporate world, he came to realize just how ... Show More
25m 55s
Jun 2023
When We Kill History
There's a growing culture war over history with efforts throughout western nations to revert to "virtuous origin" stories. IDEAS explores what happens when we sanitize history and remove criticism and doubt from the myth. If we kill history, how can we look to the future? 
54m 8s
Sep 2023
If You Want Culture Change, Create New Stories
Many leaders realize they need to change their organization’s culture to save the business. But employees usually resist change and stick to past norms. Jay Barney, professor at the University of Utah’s Eccles School of Business, studied leaders who successfully led culture chang ... Show More
30m 37s
Oct 2019
Introducing: Cautionary Tales
Coming November 15 from Tim Harford and Pushkin Industries, Cautionary Tales relates a true story of a time when something did not go according to plan. Some of these true stories are tragic, some are comic, but like the great fables and parables, each of them has a moral. Equipp ... Show More
2m 57s
Nov 2020
Find Yourself Again
<p>"To change your life you have to first change the stories you tell yourself" - EP</p> <p>This episode is about the simple understanding that people don't see what has occurred, rather, we see the implications of what has occurred. We bend and manipulate life so that it fits in ... Show More
6m 36s
Dec 2023
556: Morgan Housel - A Guide To Human Behavior, Telling Great Stories, Becoming a Reasonable Optimist, Writing Advice, Mr. Beast, & What Never Changes
<p>Text Hawk to 66866 to become part of "Mindful Monday." Join 10's of thousands of your fellow learning leaders and receive a carefully curated email from me each Monday morning to help you start your week off right...</p> <p>Full show notes at <a href= "https://www.LearningLead ... Show More
56m 30s
Feb 2024
American History Tellers
The Cold War, Prohibition, the Gold Rush, the Space Race. Every part of your life - the words you speak, the ideas you share - can be traced to our&nbsp;history, but how well do you really know the stories that made&nbsp;America? We'll take you to the events, the times and the pe ... Show More
4m 16s
Aug 2023
Superstitions: Witch Marks, Touching Wood & Lucky Pants
<p>Many of them pre-date modern religions and defy what science tells us about the world - from saluting magpies, to wearing lucky pants. Yet why do superstitions still have such a strong hold on our lives?</p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Sally Coulthard, author of <em>Superstiti ... Show More
40m 11s