The Elephant in the Brain Summary and Notes
The Elephant in the Brain is a 2018 book by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson. In this page you can find the summary of the book and a link to the Notion page with detailed notes of the sentences and concepts that resonated with me the most.
Book Summary
As much as we enjoy justifying our actions by displaying our pretty motives, we are inherently wired to seek self-interest and we very often harbor darker, less socially acceptable true motives behind our behaviors.
The elephant in the brain is the metaphoric representation of the hidden, unacknowledged motives that actually push us to do things. An introspective taboo everyone feels is there but no one has enough consciousness to reveal.
Signaling (in evolutionary biology —anything used to communicate or convey information), the authors argue, is one of the key drivers behind our behaviors and thoughts, due to the fact that “People are judging us all the time. They want to know whether we'll make good friends, allies, lovers, or leaders.” and “Because others are judging us, we're eager to look good. So we emphasize our pretty motives and downplay our ugly ones.”
There are 6 main reasons for which we hide our motives, as the book suggests.
Knowledge suppression may be instinctively beneficial when in social scenarios, especially when someone else is judging us, and meting out rewards or punishments based on what they "see" in our mind.
Competition for social status (dominance and prestige).
Norms enforcement by the collective society (gossip and reputation are two key mechanisms that incentivize good norm-following).
Cheating, which may manifest in different ways, among which skirting a norm instead of violating it outright, or discreet communication.
Self Deception, because “in deceiving ourselves, we're often acting to deceive and manipulate others.”
Counterfeit Reasons, i.e. rationalization and confabulation of events so to deceive ourselves and others.
When looking at everyday life, we can notice the elephant in the brain play out pretty much in every area we can think of, if we inspect carefully enough and we are mindful of its existence.
Conspicuous consumption, i.e. the idea that we use purchases to flaunt our wealth and as a signaling means, is one of the most iconic demonstrations of the elephant in the brain in action. But we can also witness hidden motives in charitable behaviors, with some studies showing that visibility and peer pressure are among the main mechanisms influencing charity.
What about education? There is a theory by economist Michael Spence which attributes the real (and unspoken) value of education to signaling. Indeed, “education raises a student's value via certification—by taking an unknown specimen, subjecting it to tests and measurements, and then issuing a grade that makes its value clear to buyers.”
““Our virtues are most frequently but vices in disguise.””
Key Lessons
Even though this book may be decoded as a very cynical view on human beings and our deceitful motives, it is in fact not aimed at judging negatively our inner motives.
It is, on the other hand, a call to humility and self-awareness, which can help us interpret social dynamics and human behaviours in a new, more conscious light. The acknowledgement of the prominence of the elephant in the brain can foster more mindful and honest conversations, and a vision of life which is more clear, open-minded, humble.
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For More Book Notes, click here.