Julia Galef is an author, podcaster, and consultant focused on improving reasoning and judgment. Her book,
The Scout Mindset, argues that a critical part of good judgment is your motivation -- are you motivated to defend your pre-existing beliefs against threatening evidence ("soldier mindset"), or to figure out what's actually true ("scout mindset")? Julia's 2016 TED Talk introducing the concept of scout mindset, "
Why You Think You're Right -- Even If You're Not" has been viewed over 4 million times.In 2012, Julia co-founded the
Center for Applied Rationality, a nonprofit based in Berkeley, CA that runs workshops on improving decision-making. She has consulted for organizations such as OpenAI and Open Philanthropy, and spoken at companies including Twitter, Cruise, MongoDB, Cisco, and BlackRock. For over a decade, Julia has been the host of
Rationally Speaking, a podcast devoted to exploring important issues with nuance and rigor.