3 Posts found for Author: Steven Pinker

[Daniel Kahneman’s] central message could not be more important, namely, that human reason left to its own devices is apt to engage in a number of fallacies and systematic errors, so if we want to make better decisions in our personal lives and as a society, we ought to be aware of these biases and seek workarounds. That’s a powerful and important discovery.

Authors: Daniel Kahneman, Steven Pinker | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subjects: Life & Society, Personal Improvement, Psychology | Behavior

I think there are a number of reasons that looking at human beings as biological organisms can be unsettling. One of them is the possibility of inequality. If human nature is a “blank slate,” then by definition we’re all the same. Whereas if nature endows us with anything, then some people might be endowed with more of it than others are, or with different stuff … [ Read more ]

Author: Steven Pinker | Source: Discover Magazine | Subjects: Life & Society, Nature, Sociology | Anthropology

People are embraced or condemned according to their beliefs, so one function of the mind may be to hold beliefs that bring the belief-holder the greatest number of allies, protectors, or disciples, rather than beliefs that are most likely to be true.

Author: Steven Pinker | Subjects: Psychology | Behavior, Thought | Inquiry