Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious MindDeceit, lying, and falsehoods lie at the very heart of our cultural heritage. Even the founding myth of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the story of Adam and Eve, revolves around a lie. We have been talking, writing and singing about deception ever since Eve told God, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Our seemingly insatiable appetite for stories of deception spans the extremes of culture from King Lear to Little Red Riding Hood, retaining a grip on our imaginations despite endless repetition. These tales of deception are so enthralling because they speak to something fundamental in the human condition. The ever-present possibility of deceit is a crucial dimension of all human relationships, even the most central: our relationships with our very own selves. |
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... predator or who is preyed upon,” write Krebs and Dawkins, “these probable consequences will depend crucially on the internal motivational state and probable future behavior of other animals—rivals, mates, parents, offspring, prey, predators ...
... predators (they were born and raised in my attic), how could they possibly have acquired these skills? The answer lies in the history of their species. The squirrels' ability to predict my actions was rooted in cognitive adaptations ...
... predators and prey alike. Some animals have dealt with this problem by evolving flattened body forms that don't cast much of a shadow. Others, such as the domestic cat, flatten their body as much as possible when advancing on their prey ...
... predator to tell where one animal ends and another begin. 9 A problem with most forms of camouflage is that they are ... predators that need to stalk their prey. The usual solution is to creep up slowly, so that your victim does not ...
... predators. By impersonating oogpisters, the vulnerable little lizards benefit from the beetle's deservedly bad reputation. The impersonation shows careful attention to detail. Not only are the immature lizards the same color and size as ...
Contents
9 | |
29 | |
The Evolution of Machiavelli | 50 |
The Architecture of the Machiavellian Mind | 79 |
Social Poker | 104 |
Hot Gossip | 122 |
Machiavelli on the Couch | 148 |
Conspiratorial Whispers and Covert Operations | 168 |
Descartess Demon | 195 |
Index | 233 |
Other editions - View all
Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind David Livingstone Smith No preview available - 2004 |