The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday LifeOxford University Press, 01/12/2017 - 288 من الصفحات Human beings are primates, and primates are political animals. Our brains, therefore, are designed not just to hunt and gather, but also to help us get ahead socially, often via deception and self-deception. But while we may be self-interested schemers, we benefit by pretending otherwise. The less we know about our own ugly motives, the better - and thus we don't like to talk or even think about the extent of our selfishness. This is "the elephant in the brain." Such an introspective taboo makes it hard for us to think clearly about our nature and the explanations for our behavior. The aim of this book, then, is to confront our hidden motives directly - to track down the darker, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights. Then, once everything is clearly visible, we can work to better understand ourselves: Why do we laugh? Why are artists sexy? Why do we brag about travel? Why do we prefer to speak rather than listen? Our unconscious motives drive more than just our private behavior; they also infect our venerated social institutions such as Art, School, Charity, Medicine, Politics, and Religion. In fact, these institutions are in many ways designed to accommodate our hidden motives, to serve covert agendas alongside their "official" ones. The existence of big hidden motives can upend the usual political debates, leading one to question the legitimacy of these social institutions, and of standard policies designed to favor or discourage them. You won't see yourself - or the world - the same after confronting the elephant in the brain. |
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الصفحة 9
... function of school is to teach valuable skills and knowledge . Yet stu- dents don't remember most of what they're taught , and most of what they do remember isn't very useful . Furthermore , our best research says that schools are ...
... function of school is to teach valuable skills and knowledge . Yet stu- dents don't remember most of what they're taught , and most of what they do remember isn't very useful . Furthermore , our best research says that schools are ...
الصفحة 10
... functions as an excuse to affiliate with impressive people and as a sexual display (a way to hobnob and get laid). Education isn't just about learning; it's largely about getting graded, ranked, and credentialed, stamped for the ...
... functions as an excuse to affiliate with impressive people and as a sexual display (a way to hobnob and get laid). Education isn't just about learning; it's largely about getting graded, ranked, and credentialed, stamped for the ...
الصفحة 18
... function : • • Most primates spend far more time grooming each other than nec- essary for keeping their fur clean . Gelada baboons , for example , devote a whopping 17 percent of their daylight hours to grooming each other . Clearly ...
... function : • • Most primates spend far more time grooming each other than nec- essary for keeping their fur clean . Gelada baboons , for example , devote a whopping 17 percent of their daylight hours to grooming each other . Clearly ...
الصفحة 19
... function at play . The primatologist Robin Dunbar has spent much of his career study- ing social grooming , and his ... function of grooming helps explain other data points that don't make sense according to the strictly hygienic ...
... function at play . The primatologist Robin Dunbar has spent much of his career study- ing social grooming , and his ... function of grooming helps explain other data points that don't make sense according to the strictly hygienic ...
الصفحة 32
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