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 8
... we're consciously aware of what's going on. These behaviors include laughter, blushing, tears, eye contact, and body language. In fact, we have such little introspective access into these behaviors, or voluntary control over them, that ...
... we're consciously aware of what's going on. These behaviors include laughter, blushing, tears, eye contact, and body language. In fact, we have such little introspective access into these behaviors, or voluntary control over them, that ...
الصفحة 11
... we're already living with them— and life, for most of us, is pretty good. So if we can accurately diagnose what's holding back our institutions, we may finally succeed in reforming them, thereby making our lives even better. Of course ...
... we're already living with them— and life, for most of us, is pretty good. So if we can accurately diagnose what's holding back our institutions, we may finally succeed in reforming them, thereby making our lives even better. Of course ...
الصفحة 12
... we're ready to say to others. As Trivers puts it, “We deceive ourselves the better to deceive others.”8 4. In some areas of life, especially polarized ones like politics, we're quick to point out when others' motives are more selfish ...
... we're ready to say to others. As Trivers puts it, “We deceive ourselves the better to deceive others.”8 4. In some areas of life, especially polarized ones like politics, we're quick to point out when others' motives are more selfish ...
الصفحة 13
... We're just taking some time to dwell on the parts of human nature that don't get quite as much screen time. All in all, we doubt an honest exploration will detract much from our affection for these fine creatures. If we're being honest ...
... We're just taking some time to dwell on the parts of human nature that don't get quite as much screen time. All in all, we doubt an honest exploration will detract much from our affection for these fine creatures. If we're being honest ...
الصفحة 17
... we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard to decipher. In each case, the animals appear to be doing something simple and straightforward, but as we dig below the surface—the same way we'll approach our own ...
... we're going to take a quick look at two animal behaviors that are hard to decipher. In each case, the animals appear to be doing something simple and straightforward, but as we dig below the surface—the same way we'll approach our own ...
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