We're diving into the fascinating world of cognitive science, exploring the ideas from Chapter 6 of Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson's book, "The Elephant in the Brain."

Prepare to question your understanding of your own motives and actions. Are we truly the rational decision-makers we believe ourselves to be? Or are we more like a press secretary, spinning narratives to justify decisions made by a hidden "king" within our brains?

Key topics in this episode include:

●Counterfeit Reasons: We often make up reasons for our behavior, not consciously lying, but creating stories to explain our actions. These "reasons" are not necessarily the real "motives". This is something J.P. Morgan pointed out, saying "A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason".

●The Press Secretary: The brain contains a module, called the "interpreter module" or the "Press Secretary", that explains our actions to ourselves and others6. This module often operates by creating narratives that may not accurately reflect our true motives.

●Rationalization: We will look at how easily we rationalize our behavior by creating fabricated stories without the intention to deceive. Neuroscientists call this confabulation.

●Split-Brain Studies: We'll examine groundbreaking experiments by Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga with "split-brain" patients that revealed how the left hemisphere of the brain can create explanations for actions that it had no part in making, demonstrating how easily we can rationalize our behavior. One example is how patients made up reasons for pointing to a shovel when shown a snowy field. Another example is how a patient said they stood up to get a coke, even though they were asked by researchers.

●Strategic Ignorance: This episode will explore how our brains, like a press secretary, can strategically remain ignorant of our darker motives in order to avoid acknowledging our selfish behaviors.

●Real-World Examples: We will discuss how rationalization appears in everyday life, from toddlers stalling bedtime to adults using half-truths. We'll examine common examples like parents enforcing bedtimes "for their own good" or people making excuses for not going to work or declining meetings.

Get ready to delve into the surprising ways our brains work and how we often deceive even ourselves about the true reasons behind our actions. You might find that you are, in fact, a stranger to yourself!

Source: The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson