The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

Book review by Deane Barker tags: psychology
An image of the cover of the book "The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life"

A good discussion about our hidden motives in all sorts of cognitive arenas like art, religion, politics, etc. We spend most of lives lying to ourselves about why we do things.

Their thoughts on healthcare are interesting. Namely, we over-user health care because we take comfort in the idea that health care exists. We want to re-assure ourselves that there’s a safety net for us.

An entertaining read. Even if you don’t remember many specifics, you’ll forever question your motives for doing things.

Book Info

Author
Kevin Simler
Year
Pages
408
Acquired
  • I have read this book. According to my records, I completed it on .
  • I own an electronic copy of this book.
Links to this – Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness October 1, 2022
This is a book about behavioral economics – why humans make the choices they do, and how they can be persuaded to make other choices. Well, not “persuaded” so much, but rather – wait for it – nudged . A “nudge” is a change to how a choice is framed or presented that causes people to pick an option...