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 ix
Unlike a conventional dissertation, however, this work makes less of a claim to originality. Our basic thesis— that we are strategically blind to key aspects of our motives— has been around in some form or another for millennia.
Unlike a conventional dissertation, however, this work makes less of a claim to originality. Our basic thesis— that we are strategically blind to key aspects of our motives— has been around in some form or another for millennia.
الصفحة 1
Meanwhile, non- medical interventions— such as efforts to alleviate stress or improve diet, exercise, sleep, or air quality— have a much bigger apparent effect on health, and yet patients and policymakers are far less eager to pursue ...
Meanwhile, non- medical interventions— such as efforts to alleviate stress or improve diet, exercise, sleep, or air quality— have a much bigger apparent effect on health, and yet patients and policymakers are far less eager to pursue ...
الصفحة 2
less eager to pursue them. Patients are also easily satisfied with the appearance of good medical care, and show shockingly little interest in digging beneath the surface— for example, by getting second opinions or asking for outcome ...
less eager to pursue them. Patients are also easily satisfied with the appearance of good medical care, and show shockingly little interest in digging beneath the surface— for example, by getting second opinions or asking for outcome ...
الصفحة 4
In fact, we're able to act quite skillfully and strategically, pursuing our self- interest without explicitly acknowledging it, even to ourselves. But this is odd. Why should we be less than fully conscious of such important motives?
In fact, we're able to act quite skillfully and strategically, pursuing our self- interest without explicitly acknowledging it, even to ourselves. But this is odd. Why should we be less than fully conscious of such important motives?
الصفحة 5
The less we know of our own ugly motives, the easier it is to hide them from others. Self- deception is therefore strategic, a ploy our brains use to look good while behaving badly. Understandably, few people are eager to confess to ...
The less we know of our own ugly motives, the easier it is to hide them from others. Self- deception is therefore strategic, a ploy our brains use to look good while behaving badly. Understandably, few people are eager to confess to ...
ما يقوله الناس - كتابة مراجعة
لا تتحقّق Google من المراجعات، ولكنها تتحقّق من المحتوى المزيّف وتزيله في حال رصده.
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
معلومات المراجع
| العنوان | The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life |
| المؤلفون | Kevin Simler, Robin Hanson |
| الإصدار | معاد طباعته |
| الناشر | Oxford University Press, 2017 |
| رقم ISBN (الرقم الدولي المعياري للكتاب) | 0190496010, 9780190496012 |
| عدد الصفحات | 288 من الصفحات |
| تصدير الاقتباس | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |