Understanding the Human Mind: Why you shouldn’t trust what your brain is telling you PDF
Preview Understanding the Human Mind: Why you shouldn’t trust what your brain is telling you
UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN MIND Drawing on current research in anthropology, cognitive psychology, neuro- science, and the humanities, Understanding the Human Mind explores how and why we, as humans, find it so easy to believe we are right—even when we are outright wrong. Humans live out their own lives effectively trapped in their own mind and, despite being exceptional survivors and a highly social species, our inner men- tal world is often misaligned with reality. In order to understand why, John Ed- ward Terrell and Gabriel Stowe Terrell suggest current dual-process models of the mind overlook our mind’s most decisive and unpredictable mode: creativity. Using a three-dimensional model of the mind, the authors examine the human struggle to stay in touch with reality—how we succeed, how we fail, and how winning this struggle is key to our survival in an age of mounting social prob- lems of our own making. Using news stories of logic-defying behavior, analogies to famous fictitious characters, and analysis of evolutionary and cognitive psychology theory, this fascinating account of how the mind works is a must-read for all interested in anthropology and cognitive psychology. John Edward Terrell is internationally known for his pioneering research and publications on human biological and cultural diversity, social network analy- sis, human biogeography, and the peopling and prehistory of the Pacific Islands. Gabriel Stowe Terrell is studying industrial relations with an emphasis on conflict resolution techniques, organizational behavior, and labor history. “Why are humans so good at self-deception? What does that remarkable abil- ity mean for our future on this planet? Terrell and Terrell provide a brilliantly provocative and honest assessment of the human condition and mind. Weaving insights from various scientific disciplines, from anthropology to neuroscience, they compellingly argue that evolution has bestowed humans with a handful of advantages, advantages that imperil humanity as a whole. This book is a remarkable achievement given both the breadth and complexity of ideas con- tained within, and their fidelity to those ideas in making them digestible and resonant with non-experts. It is a must read.” — Lane Beckes, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, Bradley University “Explorers Terrell and Terrell take us on a guided tour of our own minds and the marvelous advantages and hidden uncertainties of our human commit- ment to social life. Informed by contemporary psychology and neuroscience, the Terrells’ collaboration offers original insights and perspectives on human nature and the future of our species illustrated using familiar, everyday expe- riences and stories. As a practicing psychologist, I think readers will benefit personally from the wellspring of meaning that flows from “knowing thyself” in this illuminating way. The compelling conclusion asks us to consider “Do I need to do something? Should I look again?”—to which I would add “Should I read this book?” Yes, yes, and again yes.” — Thomas L. Clark, Ph.D., psychologist in private practice, Tallahassee FL “Terrell and Terrell draw upon deep time, trans-oceanic cultural research, and inter-generational cooperation in this bold, vivid work on self-persuasion and delusion. Brain function, social process, and ideology come together here in evolutionary perspective as the same topic in fresh, smooth prose, recruiting familiar characters from fiction. This engaging but humbling study contends that human creative thinking—including selective perception, logical reason- ing, and dreaming—is also dangerous thinking. It urges us to recheck our own accruing presumptions, showing why it’s vital we do.” — Parker Shipton, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Anthropology, Research Fellow, African Studies Center, Boston University UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN MIND Why You Shouldn’t Trust What Your Brain is Telling You John Edward Terrell and Gabriel Stowe Terrell First published 2020 by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Taylor & Francis The right of John Edward Terrell and Gabriel Stowe Terrell to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-85580-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-85578-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-01376-1 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by codeMantra QUESTION Why are all of us so good at believing what we want to believe (even when we don’t know we want to believe it)? Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group http://taylorandfrancis.com CONTENTS List of Figures ix Acknowledgements: The Powers of More than Two xi Getting Started 1 1 How Your Mind Works: Travels in Wonderland 4 2 Models of the Human Mind: How Do We Think About Thinking? 13 3 Human Failings in Reasoning: Why Do You Trust Yourself? 24 4 The Great Human High-Five Advantage: What Makes Us Human? 40 5 The Brain As a Pattern Recognition Device: How Do You Know That? 54 6 The Brain As a Pattern Learning Device: Why Do We Have Habits? 66 7 The Brain As a Pattern Making Device: What Makes Us Creative? 77 viii Contents 8 The Impact of Creativity: How Did You Learn That? 91 9 Lies, Deceit, and Self-Deception: How Gullible Are You? 102 10 Human Isolation and Loneliness: Private Lives and Public Duties 115 11 Pros and Cons of Being Human: The War of the Worlds 125 12 Making Sense of Our Future Prospects: Are We an Endangered Species? 138 Index 151 FIGURES 2.1 Mr Sherlock Holmes (Credit: Strand Magazine, 1892) 17 2.2 George Edward Challenger (Credit: Chronicle/Alamy Stock Photo) 18 2.3 Alice and her cat Dinah (Credit: John Tennial, 1871) 21 4.1 The high-five advantage 43 11.1 SWOT matrix (Credit: adapted from SWOT analysis diagram in English Language by Xhienne) 128 12.1 Extinct “Irish elks” (Megaloceros giganteus) on display at the Natural History Museum (Músaem Stair an Dúlra) in downtown Dublin, Ireland 139
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