The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday LifeHuman 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 7
What will emerge from this investigation is a portrait of the human species as strategically self- deceived, not only as individuals but also as a society. Our brains are experts at flirting, negotiating social status, ...
What will emerge from this investigation is a portrait of the human species as strategically self- deceived, not only as individuals but also as a society. Our brains are experts at flirting, negotiating social status, ...
الصفحة 9
Plenty of other thinkers have examined self- deception in the context of our personal lives and individual behaviors. But few have taken the logical next step of using those insights to study our institutions.
Plenty of other thinkers have examined self- deception in the context of our personal lives and individual behaviors. But few have taken the logical next step of using those insights to study our institutions.
الصفحة 17
Individual primates can (and do) groom themselves, but they can only effectively groom about half their bodies. They can't easily groom their own backs, faces, and heads. So to keep their entire 1 Animal Behavior.
Individual primates can (and do) groom themselves, but they can only effectively groom about half their bodies. They can't easily groom their own backs, faces, and heads. So to keep their entire 1 Animal Behavior.
الصفحة 19
For example, it explains why higher- ranked individuals receive more grooming than lower- ranked individuals.10 When low- ranking primates choose to groom one of their superiors, they're less likely to be groomed in return— so they must ...
For example, it explains why higher- ranked individuals receive more grooming than lower- ranked individuals.10 When low- ranking primates choose to groom one of their superiors, they're less likely to be groomed in return— so they must ...
الصفحة 22
What's in it for the individual babbler who competes to do more than his fair share of helping others? The answer, as Zahavi and his team have carefully documented, is that altruistic babblers develop a kind of “credit” among their ...
What's in it for the individual babbler who competes to do more than his fair share of helping others? The answer, as Zahavi and his team have carefully documented, is that altruistic babblers develop a kind of “credit” among their ...
ما يقوله الناس - كتابة مراجعة
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LibraryThing Review
معاينة المستخدمين - Paul_S - LibraryThingThere is nothing surprising or even taboo in this book. What sheltered lives do the authors lead? This is one step above a bloke in a pub. An interesting, articulate guy but still not any kind of expert in the field. Scholarly paper - this is not. قراءة التقييم بأكمله
LibraryThing Review
معاينة المستخدمين - Tytania - LibraryThingI really didn't learn anything. We are primates who seek to elevate our status. Almost anything we do can be viewed in this light, if you squint hard enough. This really didn't add any "a-ha" moments ... قراءة التقييم بأكمله
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