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 3
We'll examine it in more detail in Chapter 14. What's important is getting a feel for the kind of explanation we're proposing. First, we're suggesting that key human behaviors are often driven by multiple motives— even behaviors that ...
We'll examine it in more detail in Chapter 14. What's important is getting a feel for the kind of explanation we're proposing. First, we're suggesting that key human behaviors are often driven by multiple motives— even behaviors that ...
الصفحة 9
(These and many other puzzles will be discussed in Chapter 13.) Again, something doesn't add up. This focus on large- scale social issues is, in fact, what most distinguishes our book. Plenty of other thinkers have examined self- ...
(These and many other puzzles will be discussed in Chapter 13.) Again, something doesn't add up. This focus on large- scale social issues is, in fact, what most distinguishes our book. Plenty of other thinkers have examined self- ...
الصفحة 17
In this chapter, we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard to decipher. ... as we dig below the surface—the same way we'll approach our own behavior in later chapters— we'll find extra layers of complexity.
In this chapter, we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard to decipher. ... as we dig below the surface—the same way we'll approach our own behavior in later chapters— we'll find extra layers of complexity.
الصفحة 23
We'll discuss this more thoroughly in later chapters. But before moving on, there's one last crucial point to make. When we study the behavior of other species, we can't help putting ourselves in their shoes, in an attempt to feel what ...
We'll discuss this more thoroughly in later chapters. But before moving on, there's one last crucial point to make. When we study the behavior of other species, we can't help putting ourselves in their shoes, in an attempt to feel what ...
الصفحة 32
It's a measure of respect and influence. The higher your status, the more other people will defer to you and the better they'll tend to treat you. As with the babblers we met in the previous chapter, 32 Why We Hide Our Motives.
It's a measure of respect and influence. The higher your status, the more other people will defer to you and the better they'll tend to treat you. As with the babblers we met in the previous chapter, 32 Why We Hide Our Motives.
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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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activities actually advertise animal asked become behavior beliefs benefit better body brains Chapter charity competition consider conspicuous consumers conversation cost course deception don’t donate effect entirely especially example expect experience explain face fact feel friends function getting give given going hand happen hard human important impressive individual interest it’s keep kind language laugh laughter least less listeners live look loyalty male mates means medicine minds motives natural norms ourselves parties patients percent person play political prefer Press question reasons religion religious result sense signal similar simply social someone speaking spend status subjects talk there’s they’re things tion turn typically understand voting we’re what’s