Mind of Its Own : How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives

Summary: Exposing the mind's deceptions and exploring how the mind defends and glorifies the ego, [the author] illustrates the brain's tendency toward self-delusion. Unbeknownst to us, our brain - vain, emotional, immoral, deluded, pigheaded, secretive, weak-willed, and bigoted - pushes, pulls, twists, and warps our perceptions. Whether it be hindsight bias, wishful thinking, unrealistic optimism, or moral excuse-making, each of us has a slew of mind-bugs and ordinary prejudices that prevent us from seeing the truth about the world, the people around us, and ourselves....

Item details

ISBN: 9780393331639
ISBN: 0393331636
Physical Description: print
viii, 243 p. : ill ; 21 cm.
Publisher: New York : W. W. Norton & Co., 2008, c2006.

Contents / Notes

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

The vain brain : for a softer, kinder reality -- The emotional brain : sweaty fingers in all the pies -- The immoral brain : the terrible toddler within -- The deluded brain : a slapdash approach to the truth -- The pigheaded brain : loyalty a step too far -- The secretive brain : exposing the guile of the mental butler -- The weak-willed brain : the prima donna within -- The bigoted brain : "Thug-- tart-- slob-- nerd-- airhead" -- Epilogue: the vulnerable brain.