The Elephant in the Brain_Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

Home > Other > The Elephant in the Brain_Hidden Motives in Everyday Life > Page 44
The Elephant in the Brain_Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Page 44

by Robin Hanson


  human vs. animal,29f

  Machiavellian,30

  social challenges,26, 27–28

  intentions

  body language, 324–325n.60

  crimes of intent,54

  laughter and playful,136

  romantic,85

  intimate distance,323n.24

  introspection illusion,8

  Iodine Global Network,220, 337n.60

  Iraq War,10

  Islam,265

  charity,271

  Muslims at Mecca during Hajj,261–262, 262f

  rituals of sacrifice,269, 270

  Iyengar, Shanto,293

  Jacobellis v. Ohio,69

  Jains,271

  Jefferson, Thomas,161

  Jobs, Steve,45, 70, 84, 235

  Johnstone, Keith,121

  journalism,163–164. See alsonews

  Judaism,265, 276

  Kaaba,261, 262f

  Kaas, Steven,99

  Kahneman, Daniel,55

  Kant, Immanuel,130b

  Karnofsky, Holden,206, 207

  Kennedy, John F.,70, 313

  Kenrick, Douglas,86, 88

  Keynes, John Maynard,169

  Kim Jong-un,123, 265

  Kim regime, North Korea,291

  King, Larry,123

  King, Martin Luther, Jr.,299

  Kissinger, Henry,36

  Kiva.org,216

  knowledge,319n.10

  knowledge suppression,23. See alsostrategic ignorance

  koalas, mating calls,115

  Kozintsev, Alexander,134, 145

  Krulwich, Robert,76

  Kurzban, Robert,7, 77, 79, 84, 97, 98

  Lahaye, Rick,82

  language

  body vs. spoken language,114–115

  in courtship,157–158

  evolution theories,328n.8

  in leadership,158

  metaphorical use of,120

  norms,48–49

  primary function of,149–150

  vs. laughter,146–147

  see alsoconversation

  language arts,188b

  La Rochefoucauld, François de,6, 303, 310

  Larry King Live (television show),123

  laugh, etymology,325n.1

  laughter,129–147

  active communication,133

  biology of,131–134

  brief history of,130–131b

  dark side of,138–139

  deniability and,145–147

  humor and,327n.34

  norms and,139–142

  as play signal,134–138

  psychological distance and,142–145

  regulatory function of,326n.12

  teasing and,144–145

  laugh tracks,326n.11

  learning, education,226–230, 240

  Lederberg, Joshua,343n.37

  left hemisphere.Seesplit-brain experiments

  lifestyle advertising,180–185

  listening

  conversation,150–160

  eye contact and,124–125

  preferring speaking to,153–154

  see alsoconversation; language; speaking

  lobster,198

  Locke, John,158b

  Lorenz, Konrad,316n.19

  Loyalist, self-deception archetype,82–84

  loyalty

  apparatchik,290–292

  demanding irrationality,298–299

  demanding sacrifice,296–297

  disdain for compromise,299

  logic of political signaling,294–301

  religion,270–271

  see alsotrust

  Lurie, Alison,202

  lying.Seedeception

  McGilchrist, Iain,86

  Machiavelli, Niccolò,34, 36

  Machiavellian behavior,9

  Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis,30

  Madman, self-deception archetype,81–82

  Maestripieri, Dario,30

  Maimonides,337n.54

  Make-A-Wish Foundation,207–208, 218

  manipulation, self-deception as,77–80

  manufactured goods, costs of,177

  Mao Zedong,45, 291

  marginal charity,222–223

  Marmaduke (comic strip),137

  Mars, Roman,200–201

  martyrdom, religious behavior,280–281

  mate-guarding,118

  The Mating Mind (Miller),32, 151, 188, 317n.8

  mating motive, charity,216–217

  mating strategies, religion as,272–273

  The Matrix (movie),14

  Matthew 7:1, 38

  Matthew 7:3, 12

  Mecca,261–262, 262f, 344n.5

  Medicaid,252, 342n.31

  Medicare,249–250

  medicine,241–259

  conspicuous caring hypothesis,242, 247–248

  consumption of,1–2, 247–250

  costs of,241–242

  definition,241b

  foragers and,243–244

  health and,1–3

  in history,245–247

  motives for buying,2

  Oregon Health Insurance Experiment,252

  RAND health insurance experiment,250–254, 342n.26

  regionally marginal,249

  testing conspicuous care,254–259

  Mehrabian, Albert,322n.1

  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,247

  meta-norm,53–54b

  Methuselah trusts,222

  microsociology,8

  Miller, Geoffrey,7, 32

  on art,188, 190, 191, 196, 200

  on charity,210, 211, 213, 218

  on consumer behavior,175, 184

  on language and conversation,150, 153, 155, 157b

  minor sins,70–71

  Minsky, Marvin,87

  mixed-motive games,77–79

  Mlodinow, Leonard,112, 125

  modularity of mind, self-deception,85–88

  Mona Lisa (da Vinci),195

  money, rituals of sacrifice,269

  monkeys, play fighting,135

  Morgan, J. P.,91

  Mormon religion,263, 279

  Morreall, John,130b

  Moses, Robert,36

  Mother Teresa,218

  motives,4–8, 13

  alignment of,308b

  designing institutions,310–312

  political,284–286

  political incentives in daily life,292–294

  pretty and ugly,6f

  selfishness,56, 70, 309, 313

  term,95b

  thesis about,11–12b

  understanding own,305–306

  writing and publishing book,166–167

  see alsohidden motives

  Motley Fool,207

  Muhammad (prophet),141–142, 278

  Muslims,261–262, 262f

  National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),226

  natural selection,31–32, 41, 187, 198b

  Navarro, Joe,120

  Neanderthals,341n.3

  nervous energy, laughter,130b

  New Atheists,344n.14, 344n.9

  news

  as conversation,161–164, 330n.39

  in politics,289

  Newton, Isaac,134, 150

  New York Times (newspaper),139, 205

  Nisbett, Richard,102

  Nixon, Richard,82

  norms,43–57

  against bragging,54–55

  against currying favor,55–56

  egalitarianism,47–48

  enforcement,44–45, 51, 64–65

  evasion scenarios,60–61

  gossip and,51–53

  laughter and,139–142

  meta-norm,53–54b

  purpose of,48–49, 51

  reputation and,51–53

  against selfish motives,56

  skirting,65, 69–70

  against subgroup politics,56

  subtle but important,54–56

  Obama, Barack,10, 96

  Obliviation (thought experiment),175–178

  One Thousand and One Nights (Scheheraza
de),192

  orangutans, laughter,133

  Oregon Health Insurance Experiment,252

  Our Inner Ape (de Waal),35

  parochialism, charity,215

  Patek Philippe watch,170

  patriotism,265, 292, 301

  Pavlov, Ivan,180

  Pavlovian training,180, 183, 184

  peer pressure, charity,214–215

  Pentland, Alex,113

  perceptions,322n.18

  performing arts,188b, 197

  personal distance,323n.24

  personal health, self-deception,74–75

  pheromones, communication,118–119b, 323n.30

  philanthropy.Seecharity

  photography,200

  Pinker, Steven,30, 189b, 350n.45

  Plato,130b, 142

  Plato’s Academy,236–237

  plausible deniability,85, 126, 139, 145–147

  play,326n.22

  play signal, laughter,134–138, 326–327n.32

  pleasure, rituals of sacrifice,269

  political realignments,300

  politics

  apparatchik,290–292

  body language and,119–121

  coalition,35–36

  competition,34–37

  conversation,155–157

  definition,283

  democracy,285–286, 296, 299

  disdain for compromise,299

  expressive voting,294–296

  extreme activists,300–301

  ideologies,292

  norm against,56

  one-dimensional,299–300

  parties,292

  political Do-Right,284–286

  political incentives in daily life,292–294

  prestige in language of,160–161

  puzzles,286–290

  self-interest vs. group interest,294

  similarities with sex and status,37–38

  uninformed voters,287–288

  vote decisiveness,286–287

  Politics (Aristotle),283

  Popper, Karl,4, 315n.1

  Porsche Carrera,170

  potty training, rationalization in,103

  Press Secretary (mental module),96–100, 103, 113, 127

  prestige,317n.15

  academic,164–166, 330n.39, 340n.31

  in Arabian babblers,22

  body language,123–125

  in conversation,160–161

  vs. dominance,33–34

  see alsosocial status

  pretexts,61, 65–66, 103

  primatology,9, 34

  The Prince (Machiavelli),36

  Prinz, Jesse,195

  Prius, Toyota,171–172

  products

  advertising,179–185

  costs of,178

  environmentally friendly (“green”),170–171

  variety,176–178

  Pronin, Emily,8

  propaganda,84, 181, 236–238, 347n.53

  prosocial attitude, consumption,172

  prosocial norms, religion,271–273

  prosocial orientation, charity,219–220

  Provine, Robert,132–133, 139, 145

  Prussian education system,237, 340n.24

  psychological distance, laughter,142–145

  public distance,323n.24

  puns,136–137, 327n.33

  Putin, Vladimir,123

  Radiolab (podcast),76

  Ramachandran, V. S.,95

  RAND health insurance experiment,250–254, 342n.26

  rationalization,94–105. See alsocounterfeit reasons

  Rational Ritual (Chwe),62

  realignments.Seepolitical realignments

  realism, art,198

  reasons,95b.See alsocounterfeit reasons

  reciprocal-exchange theory, conversation,152–155

  The Red Queen (Ridley),30, 317n.8

  redwoods,28–31, 41, 316n.1

  Reinga, Tei,44–45

  relevance, criterion of,154–155, 159

  relief theory, laughter,130b

  religion,10, 261–263

  atheists,264–266, 271, 278, 344n.14, 344n.9

  badges,275–276, 278–279

  belief-first model of,264f, 264–266

  celibacy and martyrdom,280–281

  communal model of,267f

  community,267–268, 272–273

  definitions,345n.27

  mystery of,263–264

  prosocial norms,271–273

  public acceptance of,265

  rituals of synchrony,273–274

  sacrifice, loyalty and trust,268–271

  sermons,274–275, 347n.52

  as social systems,267–268

  supernatural beliefs,277–280

  Republic (Plato),142

  Republicans,292, 293, 349n.29, 349–350n.32

  reputation, norms,51–53

  research.See academic research

  reverse dominance hierarchy,49

  Ridley, Matt,30, 31

  The Righteous Mind (Haidt),97, 284–285

  right hemisphere.Seesplit-brain experiments

  rituals

  greeting,120–121

  initiation,269

  medical,2–3, 242–243, 245

  religious,261, 263, 265, 268–271, 273–275

  sermons as,274–275

  of sacrifice,268–271

  of synchrony,273–274

  rivals,19, 41, 47

  Robertson, Jeanne,242–243, 255, 340–341n.2

  Rounders (movie),114b

  Rubik’s Cube,172

  Runner’s World (magazine),173

  Russell, Bertrand,221

  Sackeim, Harold,76

  sacrifice

  extreme activists,301

  political loyalty demanding,296–297

  rituals of,268–271

  see also handicap principle; honest signals; waste

  Salvation Army,207

  scalping tickets,63–64

  Schelling, Thomas,77–79, 216

  The Schistosomiasis Control Initiative,207

  Schopenhauer, Arthur,130b, 318n.30

  scope insensitivity,210

  scope neglect,210

  Seidel, Angelika,195

  Seinfeld (television show),69, 146

  self-deception,5, 13–14, 73–75, 304

  Cheater archetype,84–85

  Cheerleader archetype,84

  as defense,75–77

  Loyalist archetype,82–84

  Madman archetype,81–82

  as manipulation,77–80

  modularity and,85–88

  personal health,74–75

  in practice,81–85

  purpose of,80–81

  rewarding loyalty,298

  sources of,315n.4

  split-brain experiment,92–94

  supernatural beliefs,277

  self-discretion,88–89

  self-esteem, as sociometer,320n.16

  self-interest, enlightened,308–310

  The Selfish Gene (Dawkins), 316n.19

  selfishness

  enlightened self-interest,308–310

  minor sins,70

  norms against,56, 309, 313

  Sequoia sempervirens.Seeredwoods

  sermons, religion,268, 270, 274–275, 347n.52

  sex

  body language and,116–118

  competition,31–32

  conversation and,155–157

  mating motives in charity,216–217

  pheromones,118–119b

  similarities with status and politics,37–38

  Shakespeare, William,158b

  shame,60, 89, 289

  Shaw, George Bernard,218

  sheepskin effect, education,227, 233. See also credentials

  Shintoism,265

  showing off

  art,193

  consumption,175

  conversation,155

  education,230

  human motives,306–307

  institutional reform,312

  see alsobragging

  signaling model,
education,232–234

  signals and signaling

  advertising, 332–333n.31

  body language,114b

  in competition,38–40

  consumption,172–173, 331n.11

  countersignaling,40

  definition,317n.25

  education,230–232

  overview,38–40

  pheromones,118–119b

  political loyalty,294–301

  see also honest signals

  Simpson, O. J.,70

  Singer, Peter,205, 207, 215, 216, 223

  sins, minor,70–71

  situational awareness,11, 304–305

  Smith, Adam,310

  social brain hypothesis,30, 31

  social-climbing motive, charity,219

  social distance,323n.24

  social grooming,17–20, 315n.2

  social impressions, managing,87

  social institutions,10–11

  social psychology,8–9, 101

  social status,4, 32–34

  body language,121–125

  competition,32–34

  conspicuous consumption,172–174

  dominance,33

  prestige,22, 33–34

  rituals of sacrifice,270

  similarities with politics and sex,37–38

  see alsodominance; prestige

  social systems, religions as,267–268

  Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr,290

  South Park (television show),143

  Soviet Union, apparatchik,290–292

  speaking

  conversation,150–160

  eye contact and,124–125

  see alsoconversation; language; listening

  Spence, Michael,230

  Spencer, Herbert,130b

  Spent (Miller),175

  Sperry, Roger,92–94

  split-brain experiments,92–94, 98, 100

  Stalin, Joseph,33, 216, 290, 291

  Stanford University,226

  Stephens, Mitchell,161–162

  Stewart, Potter (Supreme Court Justice),69

  Strange Medicine (Belofsky),245

  Strangers to Ourselves (Wilson),99

  strategic ignorance,23, 78, 98–99, 127, 139, 304. See alsoknowledge suppression

  The Strategy of Conflict (Schelling),77

  Streep, Meryl,33, 123

  subgroup politics, norm against,56

  Subliminal (Mlodinow),112, 125

  subtlety, discreet communication,67–68

  superiority theory, laughter,130b

  supernatural beliefs,266, 277–280

  Survivor (television show),36

  symbolism, discreet communication,67–68

  synchrony,117, 273–274

  Szymanska, Ewa,215

  Tabarrok, Alex,257, 258

  teasing,144–145

  tells, body language,114b

  terrorists,301

  test, cheating on,60

  The Theory of the Leisure Class (Veblen),169–170, 199

  Thiel, Peter,234, 235

  third-person effect,181–183, 184, 305

  thumbs-up gesture,323n.14

  tie-signs, body language,118

  Tooby, John,59

  Toyota,171–172

  transubstantiation,347n.57

  Trivers, Robert,7, 8, 12b, 30, 73, 79–80, 91, 164

  trivia, conversation,155

  Truman, Harry,99

  trust,82–83, 116, 121, 268–271, 276. See alsoloyalty

 

‹ Prev