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 21
... better able to forego food and fight off predators. And so, by taking on more of the burden (even if they have to fight for it), they're actually helping their weaker groupmates. The problem with this hypothesis is that babblers compete ...
... better able to forego food and fight off predators. And so, by taking on more of the burden (even if they have to fight for it), they're actually helping their weaker groupmates. The problem with this hypothesis is that babblers compete ...
الصفحة 27
... better against the harsh external world, and improve outcomes for everyone”: win- win- win. But many signs suggest that the keys to our intelligence lie in the harsh, unflattering light of social challenges, the arena of zero- sum games ...
... better against the harsh external world, and improve outcomes for everyone”: win- win- win. But many signs suggest that the keys to our intelligence lie in the harsh, unflattering light of social challenges, the arena of zero- sum games ...
الصفحة 32
... pole. 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.
... pole. 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.
الصفحة 34
... better tools, and polishing their charms. Now, our competitions for prestige often produce positive side effects such as art, science, and technological innovation.16 But the prestige- seeking itself is more nearly a zero- sum game ...
... better tools, and polishing their charms. Now, our competitions for prestige often produce positive side effects such as art, science, and technological innovation.16 But the prestige- seeking itself is more nearly a zero- sum game ...
الصفحة 37
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