Book description
In this foundational book, Robert Trivers seeks to answer one of the
most provocative and consequential questions to face humanity: why do
we lie to ourselves?
Deception is everywhere in nature. And nowhere more so than in our
own species. We humans are especially good at telling others less - or
more - than the truth. Why, however, would organisms both seek out
information and then act to destroy it? In short, why practice
self-deception?
After decades of research, Robert Trivers has at last provided the
missing theory to answer these questions. What emerges is a picture of
deceit and self-deception as, at root, different sides of the same
coin. We deceive ourselves the better to deceive others, and thereby
reap the advantages. From space and aviation disasters to warfare,
politics and religion, and the anxieties of our everyday social lives,
Deceit and Self-Deception explains what really underlies a
whole host of human problems. But can we correct our own biases? Are
we doomed to indulge in fantasies, inflate our egos, and show off? Is
it even a good idea to battle self-deception?
With his characteristically wry and self-effacing wit, Trivers
reveals how he finds self-deception everywhere in his own life, and
shows us that while we may not always avoid it, we can now at least
hope to understand it.
Robert Trivers is one of the leading figures pioneering the field
of sociobiology. He received his bachelors and PhD from Harvard
University. He has been on the faculty at Harvard, the University of
California, Santa Cruz, and Rutgers University.
'Trivers ranks as one of the most important evolutionary theorists
of his generation' E. O. Wilson
'Trivers is a pivotal figure in the second neo-Darwinian revolution.
He was a seminal inspiration for my own first book, The Selfish
Gene' Richard Dawkins
