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 ix
... human motives and institutions . Yet , we find it hard to imagine the book's central thesis becoming widely accepted among any large population , even of scholars . As better minds than ours have long advanced similar ideas , but to ...
... human motives and institutions . Yet , we find it hard to imagine the book's central thesis becoming widely accepted among any large population , even of scholars . As better minds than ours have long advanced similar ideas , but to ...
الصفحة x
... human minds and cultures must contain sufficient antibodies to keep such concepts at bay . Of course , no work like this comes together without a community of support . We're grateful for the advice , feedback , and encouragement of a ...
... human minds and cultures must contain sufficient antibodies to keep such concepts at bay . Of course , no work like this comes together without a community of support . We're grateful for the advice , feedback , and encouragement of a ...
الصفحة 3
... human behaviors are often driven by multiple motives - even behaviors that seem pretty single - minded , like giving and receiving med- ical care . This shouldn't be too surprising ; humans are complex creatures , after all . But second ...
... human behaviors are often driven by multiple motives - even behaviors that seem pretty single - minded , like giving and receiving med- ical care . This shouldn't be too surprising ; humans are complex creatures , after all . But second ...
الصفحة 4
... human beings , are a species that's not only capable of acting on hidden motives - we're designed to do it . Our brains are built to act in our self - interest while at the same time trying hard not to appear selfish in 4 Introduction.
... human beings , are a species that's not only capable of acting on hidden motives - we're designed to do it . Our brains are built to act in our self - interest while at the same time trying hard not to appear selfish in 4 Introduction.
الصفحة 5
... human behavior . We'll be forced to distort or deny any explanation that harks back to our hidden motives . Key facts will remain taboo , and we'll forever be mystified by our own thoughts and actions . It's only by confronting the ...
... human behavior . We'll be forced to distort or deny any explanation that harks back to our hidden motives . Key facts will remain taboo , and we'll forever be mystified by our own thoughts and actions . It's only by confronting the ...
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