Episode
#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
1:15:42
Published: Mon Nov 12 2018
Description
Robin Hanson is associate professor of economics at George Mason University, author, and research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. Our decisions may feel like our own choice, but how much do our primitive brains play a part in determining the hidden motives of our everyday actions? Quite a lot according to Professor Hanson. This is a fantastic introduction to evolutionary psychology as we uncover the hidden motives behind gossip, laughter, charity, cheating, social norms, body language and an awful lot more. Resources: Elephant In The Brain The Book: http://amzn.eu/d/eOMBylr Robin's Blog: http://www.overcomingbias.com/ Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhanson Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact
Chapters
This podcast explores human behavior from an evolutionary perspective, discussing laughter, body language, gossip, competition, established norms and rules, hidden motives in consumer behavior, healthcare, altruism, and more.
00:00 - 02:05 (02:05)
Summary
This podcast explores human behavior from an evolutionary perspective, discussing laughter, body language, gossip, competition, established norms and rules, hidden motives in consumer behavior, healthcare, altruism, and more.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
Economist and author Robin Hanson discusses how many of the puzzling aspects of society can be explained by making the wrong assumption about motives and how this applies to researchers as well.
02:05 - 09:51 (07:45)
Summary
Economist and author Robin Hanson discusses how many of the puzzling aspects of society can be explained by making the wrong assumption about motives and how this applies to researchers as well.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
Humans have developed larger and more complex social groups than any other primates due to the enforcement of social norms.
09:51 - 15:50 (05:59)
Summary
Humans have developed larger and more complex social groups than any other primates due to the enforcement of social norms. Social norms are rules that are enforced by third parties to maintain order and enforce expected behavior.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
The ability to spread gossip allowed humans to determine who to trust and coordinate against in a group.
15:51 - 22:39 (06:48)
Summary
The ability to spread gossip allowed humans to determine who to trust and coordinate against in a group. Despite the importance of constantly updating our beliefs, people frequently ignore information that doesn't match their preconceptions.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the purpose of conversation.
22:39 - 26:22 (03:42)
Summary
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the purpose of conversation. While some intellectuals argue it's just a means of showing off, the speaker suggests that conversation can serve as a way to stay engaged in various disciplines and fields.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
The reluctance to admit to our true nature is detrimental to society, as it leads to a waste of resources.
26:22 - 31:51 (05:28)
Summary
The reluctance to admit to our true nature is detrimental to society, as it leads to a waste of resources. Being honest with ourselves and acknowledging our flaws is the first step towards personal growth and progress.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
People often cooperate to subvert rules, with the rule breakers providing excuses for the enforcers to avoid enforcement.
31:52 - 39:15 (07:22)
Summary
People often cooperate to subvert rules, with the rule breakers providing excuses for the enforcers to avoid enforcement. This can happen in situations such as the use of medication to show care for oneself and others.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode explores how play helps us learn social rules and how it can create a cohesive group dynamic.
39:15 - 48:32 (09:17)
Summary
This episode explores how play helps us learn social rules and how it can create a cohesive group dynamic.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast explores how advertisers create associations between products and people in order to sell more products.
48:32 - 55:56 (07:23)
Summary
This podcast explores how advertisers create associations between products and people in order to sell more products. People often buy certain products to make themselves appear in a specific way to others, as marketers know how to create a specific image for a product and make people think about it in that way.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
The more socially transparent we become, the harder it is to do things that would make us popular, as they become more visible to others.
55:56 - 1:00:14 (04:17)
Summary
The more socially transparent we become, the harder it is to do things that would make us popular, as they become more visible to others. The use of club nights as a signal to others is discussed, however, for some, even this looks too shallow and they choose not to attend.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
Humans have a fundamental skill to navigate and differentiate between different plants and berries.
1:00:16 - 1:08:25 (08:09)
Summary
Humans have a fundamental skill to navigate and differentiate between different plants and berries. Dunbar's number suggests that humans can think about 150 people in detail due to brain function designed to perform ancient tasks.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast discusses how people often misunderstand the purpose of education and therefore propose policy reforms that do not address the real issues.
1:08:26 - 1:14:31 (06:04)
Summary
This podcast discusses how people often misunderstand the purpose of education and therefore propose policy reforms that do not address the real issues. It also explores the tendency of big plans and projects to fail due to the lack of understanding of the world.
Episode#038 - Robin Hanson - The Hidden Motives in Everyday Life
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this podcast episode, the host interviews Robin Hanson about his book "Elephant in the Brain" and how to overcome bias and uncover hidden motives.
1:14:31 - 1:15:29 (00:58)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the host interviews Robin Hanson about his book "Elephant in the Brain" and how to overcome bias and uncover hidden motives. They also touch on Hanson's blog "Overcoming Bias".