Kidding ourselves : the hidden power of self-deception /

Hallinan, Joseph T.,

Kidding ourselves : the hidden power of self-deception / Joseph T. Hallinan. - First edition. - 260 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-253) and index.

Pt.I The power of nothing: placebos, mass hysteria, and fatal delusions -- Pt.II The eye of the beholder: perception, expectation, and the lure of superstition -- Pt.III Delusions of success: power, money, and risk.

To one degree or another, we all misjudge reality. Our perception--of ourselves and the world around us--is much more malleable than we realize. This self-deception influences every major aspect of our personal and social life, including relationships, sex, politics, careers, and health. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Why We Make Mistakes presents an analysis of the human inclination toward self-deception that explains how selective misperception influences every major aspect of life, has powerful placebo effects and does not always have negative consequences.

9780385348683 0385348681 9780385348706 0385348703

2013042675


Self-deception.

BF 697.5 .S426 / H35 2014