56 pages • 1 hour read
Amanda MontellThe Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: “Sorry I’m Late, Must Be Mercury in Retrograde: A Note on Confirmation Bias”
Montell loves and is awed by dinosaurs; she argues that humans are destroying the planet and, unlike dinosaurs, deserve to go extinct. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Montell went to a dinosaur exhibit with her friend Kristen. Kristen, raised in a fundamentalist home, explained that she was told that dinosaurs and humans lived together and that dinosaurs went extinct because Noah didn’t let them on the arc. When dinosaurs were first discovered, religions needed to come up with an explanation that worked with their doctrine. This, Montell argues, is an example of confirmation bias, or the tendency to search for, interpret, and favor information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or opinions.
Everyone is susceptible to confirmation bias, and it can result in highly irrational behavior—“from Mafia bosses committing murder to conspiratorial zealots detecting ‘proof’ of their convictions everywhere they look” (173). Montell learned about confirmation bias while researching for her book Cultish, and it helped her better understand how people get entrenched in cults. It also humbled her, helping her recognize her own irrationality.
Montell and Kristen went to a Chili’s restaurant for dinner and drinks after the exhibit, and they continued to compare their childhoods, discussing the constant threat of the coming apocalypse that Kristen experienced in her youth. Montell notes that confirmation bias contributes to the perception that the world is dystopian. She reflects on Y2K—her first experience with the idea of an apocalypse—discussing how many believers manipulated information to explain why the world didn’t end. Astrology, which is popular in Los Angeles, also relies on confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias serves an evolutionary purpose, bringing one’s internal and external worlds into alignment. Without the bias, making even minor decisions, like what food to order at a restaurant, would be lengthy and difficult. While confirmation bias can help individuals make “timely” decisions, timeliness is not always the most important factor—for instance, when making political decisions, during which time confirmation bias becomes a threat. Confirmation bias strengthens in-group relationships; however, this often occurs at the expense of critical thinking. Ironically, learning more scientific information, at times, increases confirmation bias, as people use such research to support their views and formulate stronger oppositions to the other side. Montell, citing author Emily St. John Mandel, suggests that reality has become fractured rather than shared. Although it is difficult to change someone else’s mind, one can overcome confirmation bias by practicing self-awareness and avoiding taking in too much information, which Montell has put into practice with some success.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Nostalgia Porn: A Note on Declinism”
Montell and Casey discussed the low levels of happiness among Americans, which Casey found surprising given that quality of life has arguably increased. While progress does not seem to increase people’s happiness, nostalgia does. Citing John Koenig’s The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, Montell introduces the term “anemoia,” which refers to nostalgia for a time that one has never experienced. Montell argues that anemoia is both common and irrational and that it is linked to declinism, or the illusion that society is in a state of continual decline, with the past being perceived as better or more virtuous than the present. Declinism is exacerbated by the fading affect bias, which is the tendency for negative memories to fade more quickly, leaving people with an overly positive view of the past. It is also impacted by the present bias, which is the tendency for people to dramatize the present.
Romanticizing the past can have negative impacts, such as “tempering” art, and many times, nostalgia is weaponized by the marketing industry or by political figures pushing certain agendas. However, Montell notes one accurate sector of declinism—climate change.
Montell has noticed declinism in modern language, with people talking about the “world burning” and other doomsday concepts. She suggests that some people want the world to end “so at least they know it can’t get worse” (194). This, she warns, could become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as doomsday attitudes may encourage some to behave antagonistically.
Citing multiple thinkers, like Maggie Nelson and Max Roser, Montell argues that the world is improving—there is less poverty and illiteracy, for example. This may be because happiness is not rising alongside quality of life. Happiness is often tied to freedom, and modernity does not offer additional freedom, especially freedom from consumerism and capitalism. Montell suggests that modern anemoia arises from a desire to escape consumerism. She coins a new term, “tempusur,” encouraging people to hold nostalgia for the present moment.
Chapter 11 Summary: “The Life-Changing Magic of Becoming a Mediocre Crafter: A Note on the IKEA Effect”
Montell was advised by a therapist to work with her hands to help focus her attention on the present. Montell tried to start crafting but did not click with any potential hobbies until she discovered furniture flipping. She and Racheli began flipping furniture during the COVID-19 quarantine. After selling a flipped lamp to a college student on Facebook Marketplace, Montell understood what her therapist meant about working with her hands. She attributes the positive feelings to the IKEA effect. Named after the iconic Swedish furniture store, the IKEA effect is the tendency for people to place higher value on something they’ve partially created or assembled themselves.
A prominent example of the IKEA effect is when Betty Crocker cake mix initially sold poorly but then sales improved after General Mills instructed customers to add eggs, making them feel more involved in the process. Montell also attributes the modern “do it yourself,” or DIY, trends to the IKEA effect, suggesting that people like to feel that they are important—“To feel like we’re contributing to the world, lending a hand at cultivating our vegetable medleys and video games, is searingly important” (211). While she notes the flaws of capitalism and productivity culture, Montell also asserts that people, along with several other species, find fulfillment through productivity.
Montell writes that the IKEA effect helps justify effort, similar to the sunk cost fallacy. However, the IKEA effect also fosters social connection, countering the social disengagement caused in part by specialization and automation. For instance, Montell crafted herself a seat cushion, and she enjoys showing it off to her houseguests because she is proud of her work.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, Montell writes, will likely soon surpass humans’ artistic abilities; however, many argue that AI cannot surpass human imagination. Casey, a composer, often feels threatened by AI. Montell soothes him by stressing that his music will always be more special to her than AI-generated songs. Montell also counters that human potential can be expanded by AI rather than threatened. Montell suggests that humans perpetually feel as if we are “losing touch with our primal selves,” quoting Sylvia Plath, who, in 1962, argued that humans had “reached an unprecedented point of inhumanity” (217). Although society does change, humans have been able to adapt.
Chapters 9-11 Analysis
Montell continues to weave together personal anecdotes and social criticism to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. Her reflections encourage readers to confront their own cognitive biases, promoting a more thoughtful and intentional engagement with the modern world.
One of the dominant themes throughout the last three chapters of The Age of Magical Overthinking is The Impact of Digital Culture on Perception and Decision-Making. Montell draws on examples of confirmation bias and how algorithms play a role in entrenching users’ beliefs, particularly within political and social spheres. The comparison between confirmation bias and a “sleeper hit indie song” captures how pervasive this bias has become in everyday discourse (172), to the point of subtly creeping into mainstream culture. Montell emphasizes the way technology shapes perceptions by reinforcing beliefs, suggesting that digital platforms foster division rather than open-minded discussion. This aligns with her larger critique of how technology manipulates thought processes, as seen in her analysis of AI art, where she fears that human creativity may one day be overshadowed by AI. By emphasizing how digital culture blurs the line between reality and belief, Montell encourages readers to consider how their online habits shape their perceptions.
This digital critique ties into The Challenges of Maintaining Rationality in an Era of Overwhelming Information and Connectivity. In this time of information overload, Montell argues, rational thinking has become increasingly difficult. Political narratives that weaponize nostalgia for the past, as she points out, are often used to manipulate the public into believing that a return to some mythical “better time” is possible, particularly through populist and capitalist agendas. This distortion of historical truth, fed by algorithms and confirmation bias, heightens irrational thought and encourages fear-based decision-making. Montell urges her readers to reflect on the complexity of the present, resisting the seductive simplicity of such narratives. This section highlights how humans are cognitively wired to seek straightforward explanations and solutions, often resulting in a distortion of truth and reality.
While Montell critiques aspects of digital culture, her overall perspective on The Psychological Effects of Social Media is balanced, as she implicitly acknowledges its benefits. For example, when she and her friend Racheli flipped furniture and sold it on Facebook Marketplace, Montell found the experience to be positive, a way of staying connected and finding purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic. This positive portrayal contrasts with her earlier critiques of social media, demonstrating that it is not an entirely negative force. Instead, Montell offers a nuanced view, recognizing that while social media can contribute to anxiety, it can also facilitate meaningful connections and personal growth when used in healthier ways. This balance shows Montell’s intention to encourage thoughtful engagement with technology rather than condemning it outright.
The theme of The Social and Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic is also apparent in these chapters. The pandemic serves as a backdrop for Montell’s reflections on productivity and purpose, especially since she navigated furniture flipping as a therapeutic way to manage stress and isolation during the lockdown. Her crafting activities helped her stay grounded in a time when many people felt unmoored by uncertainty and isolation. Montell’s therapist suggested that she work with her hands to stay present, and the DIY projects, like flipping furniture, gave her a sense of fulfillment she hadn’t experienced before. This echoes the broader psychological effects of the pandemic, where people sought new ways to cope with the overwhelming disruption of normal life. Montell weaves in personal anecdotes, such as her journey with Rachel, to show how even small, productive acts can help combat feelings of helplessness. Her reflections on the IKEA effect resonate deeply within the context of a society suddenly forced to find new ways of staying occupied and connected.
Montell brings her discussion of cognitive biases full circle in these chapters by revisiting key figures and earlier concepts like the sunk cost fallacy. She compares the IKEA effect to the sunk cost fallacy, noting that both are forms of effort justification biases, where individuals rationalize their efforts to avoid feeling that their time and energy were wasted. This reinforces the cohesiveness of the book, as Montell’s personal stories and reflections reappear throughout, reminding readers of the psychological patterns that impact both their personal and collective decisions. For example, Montell recounts her experience of taking online quizzes to determine whether to break up with Mr. Backpack, only to favor the one quiz result that told her to stay in the relationship. These stories tie together earlier chapters and highlight the irrational thought patterns that Montell critiques throughout the book.
Finally, Montell’s social criticism continues to play a crucial role in her analysis, encouraging readers to question the ideologies and cultural norms that shape their lives. Her critique of capitalism, where she highlights the conflation of self-worth with employment, and her reflection on the taboo of women rejecting domesticity reinforce her ongoing challenges to societal expectations. These critiques reflect the broader ideological context of the book, where Montell encourages critical thinking and self-reflection in the face of deeply ingrained cultural and social beliefs. By intertwining her personal experiences with cultural criticism, Montell creates a space for readers to explore their own biases and assumptions, challenging them to rethink what they take for granted in their daily lives.
