Cognitive psychology and social psychology are whats popular right now. Psychology of the self psychology oxford bibliographies. Stub icon, this article about a psychology book is a stub. In the earlier portion of the book, trivers traces the way in which selfdeception involved in human beings and other animals, particularly as a tool to make the transmission of the species genes continue in. The what and why of selfdeception harvard business school. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life 2011, basic books, isbn 0465027555 by robert trivers is a book that examines the evolutionary explanations for deceit and selfdeception. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self deceivebut deceit and self deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. In this series of blog posts i shall be examining some of the most important methods of self deception, starting today with the ego defence of rationalization. Explanations are argued for in terms of the consequences for evolutionary fitness contributing to individual survival within the.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading why we lie. Selfdeception lies at the heart of psychology, but if you read. Steven pinker, bestselling author of the blank slate and the language instinct. The evolutionary roots of deception and the unconscious mind. Oct 07, 2011 robert trivers is one of the few scientists able to take command of an evolutionary perspective on subterfuge, and in his new book deceit and selfdeception. The logic of deceit and selfdeception in human life. For sigmund freud self deception was a fundamental. I critiqued evolutionary psychology in the new social darwinists, an. You have likely noticed this puzzling behavior in others, that is, cases in which people apparently believe something that they must know is false. The author does distinguish it from clinical confabulation, and after reading this chapter this demarcation becomes justified. Newton, trivers recalls, was a master at propagating deception, he was a master at seeing through. Evolutionary psychology approaches self deception as an adaptation that can improve ones results in social exchanges.
The term selfdeception describes the puzzling situation in which a person appears both to know and not know one and the same thing. Self deception lies at the heart of psychology, but if you read. Self deception lies at the heart of psychology, but if you read only. Selfdeception definition of selfdeception by lexico. Selfdeception definition selfdeception is the act of lying to yourself. Is robert trivers deceiving himself about evolutionary. Jul 27, 2017 in this video we examine the phenomenon of self deception, looking at why we deceive ourselves, the detrimental effects that arise from it and whether we can rid ourselves of our deceptions to.
Robert trivers explains the evolutionary benefits of self deception. Whatever stance one adopts regarding the selfs ontological status, there is little doubt that the many phenomena of which the self is a predicateselfknowledge, selfawareness, selfesteem, selfenhancement, selfregulation, selfdeception, selfpresentationto name just a few, are indispensable research areas. It is the kind of lying that comes from not being psychologically strong enough to be. We deceive ourselves to better deceive others new research provides the first evidence for a theory first put forward in the 1970s by matthew hutson on april 4, 2017. This is an experienced fact and cannot, without dishonesty or selfdeception, be denied.
The book encompasses scientific research, on deception in nature, and laboratory research on deception and selfdeception. For sigmund freud self deception was a fundamental key to understanding the unconscious, and. Fooling yourself the better to fool others by trivers, robert isbn. Fooling yourself the better to fool others, he does exactly that. And of the false historical narratives all nation states tell themselves. Author humanstupidy admin posted on november, 2011 november, 2011 categories evolutionary psychology tags dan sperber, hugo mercier, argumentative theory of reason, evolutionary psychology, self deception 2 comments on human logic evolved to. Selfdeception, false beliefs and the origins of the human mind. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Mining research in biology, neurophysiology, immunology and psychology, mr. Self deception poses longstanding and fascinating paradoxes. Selfdeception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument it has been argued that humans are without exception highly susceptible to selfdeception, as everyone has emotional attachments to beliefs, which in some cases may be irrational. Self deception is seeing the world the way we wish it to be rather than the way it is. Jan 06, 2012 is robert trivers deceiving himself about evolutionary psychology s flaws.
I am not talking about deliberate, boldfaced lying. This study was directed towards testing evolutionary hypotheses concerning the adaptive advantages of deception and the relationship between deception and self deception. The first half of the book is an introduction to evolutionary psychology and to theories of deception and selfdeception. The evolutionary psychology of deception and selfdeception. Finally, we contrast our evolutionary approach to self deception with current theories and debates in psychology and consider some of the costs associated with self deception. Irrationality is the foundation upon which the argued paradoxes of self deception stem, and it is argued weasel word that not everyone has the special talents and capacities for self deception. We then discuss the interpersonal versus intrapersonal nature of self deception before considering the levels of consciousness at which the self can be deceived. Aug 24, 2017 evolutionary psychology is an approach that views human nature as the product of a universal set of evolved psychological adaptations to recurring problems in the ancestral environment. Also, our model provides a new theory for the evolutionary origin of self deception that is different from one proposed by trivers. The psychology of self deception part 1 life lessons. The evolutionary biology of self deception, laughter. Trivers has written an ambitious investigation into the evolutionary logic of lying and the costs of.
Id like to talk frankly about why research on the topic of selfdeception hasnt made much progressas far as i can seedespite a steadystream of ongoing interest. The biology is uptodate and accurate, the psychological implications are clearly worked out, and the writing is inviting and accessible. In both philosophy and psychology there has been a tendency to talk about selfdeception as if. Spitzer notoriously campaigned publicly against prostitution while allegedly privately. Only the human brain developed in such a way that both self consciousness and death denial ability developed together at some time only once in our past and that was the turning point. I argue that this is a poor reason to classify self deception as a form of psychopathology. Trivers delivers a swift tour of the links between deception and evolutionary progress. This is an experienced fact and cannot, without dishonesty or self deception. Consider as an example a cancer patient who maintains the. Philosophers have questioned whether, and how, self deception is even possible. Oct, 2011 robert kurzban recently published a book, why everyone else is a hypocrite, applying this mainstream evolutionary thinking to the problem of selfdeception. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. May 12, 1985 it is just one aspect of the larger phenomenon of human self deception, the nature of which is only now beginning to be understood by cognitive psychologists.
Why selfdeception research hasnt made much progress. I believe the book is an important contribution to psychology and social science more. Theres been some excellent work, but it doesnt seem to me that the topic on the whole has moved forward all that much. No, this type of dishonesty is far harder to detect and admit. Selfdeception, a lighter manifestation of confabulation is discussed at the end of the book, and is, one could argue, the most prevalent form of confabulation. The logic of deceit and self deception in human life basic books. From the little white lie, to lying on a resume, to. Finally, we contrast our evolutionary approach to selfdeception with current theories and debates in psychology and consider some of the costs associated with selfdeception. A new york times notable book of 2012 whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceivebut deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. Particularly intelligent people can be especially good at deceiving themselves.
Selfdeception involves convincing oneself of a truth so that one does not reveal any selfknowledge of the deception. Robert triverss new book is a curious document a book about deception and self deception that is itself deceptive, in structure, voice and argument. What are the best books about evolutionary psychology. Minimally, self deception involves a person who seems to acquire and maintain some false belief in the teeth of evidence to the contrary as a consequence of some motivation, and who may display behavior suggesting some awareness of the truth. Robert trivers explains the evolutionary benefits of selfdeception. The world of selling is a particular haven of deception, and selfdeception is the most priceless asset of all. Is robert trivers deceiving himself about evolutionary psychologys. Virtually every aspect of self deception, including its definition and paradigmatic cases, is a matter of controversy among philosophers. Self deception definition of self deception by lexico.
Robert triverss new book is a curious document a book about deception and selfdeception that is itself deceptive, in structure, voice and argument. Elliott spitzer, the disgraced former governor of new york, provides a good example of the problem. In brief, the author asks why other intelligent animals have not evolved like humans. For sigmund freud self deception was a fundamental key to understanding the unconscious, and from the bible to the great gatsby literature abounds with characters renowned for their self deception. Selfdeception makes it easier to manipulate others to get ahead. The evolution and psychology of selfdeception behavioral. The first half of the book is an introduction to evolutionary psychology and to theories of deception and self deception. What really attracts me to this work is a combination of trivers credibility as an academic, and its unusual juxtaposition with personal and often revealing insights into his own existence, exemplifying his points with sometimes bluntly unflattering self analysis. Self deception calls into question the nature of the individual, specifically in a psychological context and the nature of self. The evolution and psychology of selfdeception acme lab yale. Cortney warren phd, clinical psychologist and former associate professor of psychology at the university of nevada, las vegas.
The term self deception describes the puzzling situation in which a person appears both to know and not know one and the same thing. We all know that some people deceive others but what does deceiving ones self mean. A seminal work, the book has deeply influenced the fields of philosophy, ethics, psychology, and cognitive science, and it remains an important focal point for the large body of literature on selfdeception with a. The psychology of self deception a short, sharp look into some of our most important ego defenses. Is robert trivers deceiving himself about evolutionary psychology s flaws.
Explanations are argued for in terms of the consequences for evolutionary fitness contributing to individual survival within the human species. When people have a self deception, they use their hopes, needs, desires, theory, ideology, prejudices, expectations, memories, and other psychological elements to construct the way they see the world. Even though psychology is considered a soft science, through cognitive psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology, clinical researchers, social scientists, and neuroscientists are attempting to codify the human mind. I came across trivers book as a result of a general forage through the jungle that is evolutionary psychology. The illusion of control, the construction of biased social theory, false personal narratives, and so on. A celebrated evolutionary biologist, trivers uses the tools of his trade to answer a basic question. In your new book you get into some quite serious stuff about how selfdeception fuels. Selfdeception is seeing the world the way we wish it to be rather than the way it is. The folly of fools is a book about deception and selfdeception and just the first topics the author examines give you in advance an idea on what the whole book is about. I often find that people confuse inner peace with some sense of insensibility whenever something goes wrong. Selfdeception and evolutionary theory posted october, 2011 by robert hogan i have been interested in the problem of self deception doing things for reasons that we dont properly understand or acknowledge my entire adult life. Robert trivers is one of the few scientists able to take command of an evolutionary perspective on subterfuge, and in his new book deceit and selfdeception. His overarching premise is that if we can only see our own point of view. The encyclopedia of deception examines lying from multiple perspectives drawn from the disciplines of social psychology, sociology, history, business, political science, cultural anthropology, moral philosophy, theology, law, family studies, evolutionary biology, philosophy, and more.
Jun 03, 2019 philosophers have questioned whether, and how, self deception is even possible. Biologist robert trivers has written a fascinating book. In such cases inner peace is a permit for destruction. The world of selling is a particular haven of deception, and self deception is the most priceless asset of all. A celebrated evolutionary biologist, trivers uses the tools of his trade to. The book is then one long argument in the authors words to try to convince himself and the reader that the argument is correct. The truth about selfdeception as a clinical psychologist, i am frequently confronted with the fact that we all lie. According to psychology, self deception is one of the popular escapement methods that people use to prevent themselves from feeling guilty while in the same time allowing themselves to escape from. Oct 05, 2011 robert trivers explains the evolutionary benefits of selfdeception. The evolutionary roots of deception and the unconscious mind kindle edition by smith, david livingstone. Whether its in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and selfdeceivebut deceit and selfdeception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. The unyielding optimist will pretend that the forest is not burning either because he is too lazy or too afraid to go and put the fire out. Selfdeception and evolutionary theory hogan assessments. Selfdeception is a process of denying or rationalizing away the relevance, significance, or importance of opposing evidence and logical argument.
His answer is that we have crossed a major psychological evolutionary barrier by developing an ability to deny reality, in particular our own mortality. Selfdeception is one of the most powerful ideas in psychology, indeed, in human affairs, and david smiths why we lie is an excellent synthesis of this crucial topic. From the little white lie, to lying on a resume, to the grandiose lies of presidents, this twovolume. Also a study of the work of others on aviation and space disasters. When people have a selfdeception, they use their hopes, needs, desires, theory, ideology, prejudices, expectations, memories, and other psychological elements to construct the way they see the world.
Evolutionary psychology based on darwins evolutionary theory as the causal explanation for most of our behaviors, including propensity towards self deception human logic evolved to win arguments, not to find the truth, scholars assert. Cortney is an awardwinning expert on eating disorders, addictions, self deception, and the practice of psychotherapy from a crosscultural perspective. The evolution and psychology of selfdeception article pdf available in behavioral and brain sciences 341. We then discuss the interpersonal versus intrapersonal nature of selfdeception before considering the levels of consciousness at which the self can be deceived. This behavior does not include exaggeration, faking, or simple lyingthose are cases in which the individual is well aware of uttering. And, finally, i use anosognosia as a launchingoff point to speculate on a number of other aspects of human nature such as freudian defense mechanisms, laughter, dreams and the mnemonic functions of the hippocampus.
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