“The elephant in the brain” by Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson

The authors 🖋

Kevin Simler is a philosophy and computer science graduate from the University of California, Berkeley who has as an engineer worked for companies like Palantir Technologies, Lockheed Martin and NASA.

Robin Hanson is a professor of economics at George Mason University, a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and a PhD in social sciences from Caltech who’s known for his work on prediction markets and human behavior.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. Hidden agendas

Humans often do things for reasons we don't want to admit, even to ourselves.

Many of our actions, including those that seem altruistic, are driven by selfish motives - gaining social status, power, resources or other things we want.

This "elephant in the brain" represents the powerful but often unacknowledged drivers of our behavior.

2. Strategic social signaling

It’s not just subconscious - we do things to impress others on purpose as well.

This signaling extends beyond obvious displays of wealth or virtue to more subtle behaviors in everyday life.

Understanding the strategic nature of people acting in certain ways can help us interpret their actions and make more informed decisions in our social interactions.

3. Evolutionary roots of self-deception

We’ve developed the ability to deceive not just others, but also ourselves because believing our own rationalizations allowed us to become more effective at persuading others of our sincerity.

Self-deception is a strategic tool that simply helps us get along with others (like telling a friend we're not hungry, when in reality we just don't like the food they're offering).

Closing thoughts 🧠

The book challenges us to confront the uncomfortable reality that much of human behavior is driven by self-interest and subconscious motives.

The authors use evolutionary psychology to explain why these hidden motives exist and argue that by recognizing their existence, we can gain a better understanding of ourselves and others.