The Folly of Fools - The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life

"Original and important.... [The Folly of Fools] is a remarkable book, thick with ideas."-Financial Times

A New York Times Notable Book of 2012Whether it's 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-deceive- but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. So why does deception play such a prominent role in our everyday lives? In short, why do we deceive?In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist Robert Trivers unflinchingly argues that self-deception evolved in the service of deceit- the better to fool others. We do it for biological reasons- in order to help us survive and procreate. From viruses mimicking host behaviour to humans misremembering (sometimes intentionally) the details of a quarrel, science has proven that the deceptive one can always outwit the masses. But we undertake this deception atour own peril. Trivers has written an ambitious investigation into the evolutionary logic of lying and the costs of leaving it unchecked.

Klappentext:

A New York Times Notable Book of 2012
Whether it's 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-deceive-but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. So why does deception play such a prominent role in our everyday lives? In short, why do we deceive?
In his bold new work, prominent biological theorist Robert Trivers unflinchingly argues that self-deception evolved in the service of deceit-the better to fool others. We do it for biological reasons-in order to help us survive and procreate. From viruses mimicking host behavior to humans misremembering (sometimes intentionally) the details of a quarrel, science has proven that the deceptive one can always outwit the masses. But we undertake this deception at our own peril. Trivers has written an ambitious investigation into the evolutionary logic of lying and thecosts of leaving it unchecked.

Rezension:

Boston Globe
“Trivers's knowledge of a range of disparate subjects is impressive.... Zooming in from the evolution of group interaction to the adaptations of neurology, Trivers writes in depth about how poor our brains are at grasping anything that could be considered an ‘objective' reality. We're constantly fooling ourselves."

Financial Times
“[O]riginal and important.... [ The Folly of Fools ] is a remarkable book, thick with ideas, yet relaxed and conversational in tone. Perhaps most remarkable is how ruthlessly Trivers confronts his own self-delusions.... If we all examined our faults and foibles as honestly as Trivers does, the world probably would, as he hopes, be a more decent place."

The Daily
“Fascinating"

Science
“Engaging.... Disarmingly honest.... Trivers's book is a thoroughly good read. If his well-informed by modest approach starts a new trend, then The Folly of Fools is a welcome and rather unselfish meme."