Society today makes heavy demands on people's self-reliance and that is only expected to increase in the years ahead. 1 In this book, we have studied which mental capacities are needed to be self-reliant in our society. It is generally acknowledged that intelligence and the ability to read, write and understand maths are critical to self-reliance. A minimum capacity to think is a prerequisite for being able to function in modern-day society. To be self-reliant, people must be capable of gathering and understanding information and assessing its worth. Figure 6.1 illustrates this. Fig. 6.1 Capacity to think The limits of the human capacity to think and judge have generated considerable interest in recent years. 2 Research in the behavioural sciences shows that there are limits to people's capacity to assess information and make rational decisions. Such insights are also increasingly being incorporated into policy. The United Kingdom established a Behavioural Insights Team in 2010; inspired by its example, the Netherlands has set up a Behavioural Insights Network (BIN-NL).