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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... especially if something more serious were to happen. And the mother, for her part, is eager to show that she's worthy of her son's trust. This small, simple example shows how we might be programmed both to seek and give healthcare even ...
... especially if something more serious were to happen. And the mother, for her part, is eager to show that she's worthy of her son's trust. This small, simple example shows how we might be programmed both to seek and give healthcare even ...
الصفحة 11
... especially the parts that are otherwise counterintuitive. Why do people laugh? Who's the most important person in the room (and how can I tell)? Why are artists sexy? Why do so many people brag about travel? Does anyone really, truly ...
... especially the parts that are otherwise counterintuitive. Why do people laugh? Who's the most important person in the room (and how can I tell)? Why are artists sexy? Why do so many people brag about travel? Does anyone really, truly ...
الصفحة 12
... especially polarized ones like politics, we're quick to point out when others' motives are more selfish than they claim. But in other areas, like medicine, we prefer to believe that almost all of us have pretty motives. In such cases ...
... especially polarized ones like politics, we're quick to point out when others' motives are more selfish than they claim. But in other areas, like medicine, we prefer to believe that almost all of us have pretty motives. In such cases ...
الصفحة 17
... especially useful to study other species because we have fewer preconceptions about them. Think of it as a “training wheels” exercise, if you will. In this chapter, we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard ...
... especially useful to study other species because we have fewer preconceptions about them. Think of it as a “training wheels” exercise, if you will. In this chapter, we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard ...
الصفحة 37
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