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-- Self-deception, false beliefs, and the origins of the human mind2013., Adult, Twelve Call No: 121.63 V313d Edition: 1st ed. Availability:1 of 1 At Your Library Summary Note: Presents a radical new theory on the origins of our species. It was not, the authors argue, a biological leap that set humanity apart from other species, but a psychological one: namely, the uniquely human ability to deny reality in the face of inarguable evidence--including the willful ignorance of our own inevitable deaths. The awareness of our own mortality could have caused anxieties that resulted in our avoiding the risks of competing to procreate--an evolutionary dead-end. Humans therefore needed to evolve a mechanism for overcoming this hurdle: the denial of reality. As a consequence of this evolutionary quirk we now deny any aspects of reality that are not to our liking--we smoke cigarettes, eat unhealthy foods, and avoid exercise, knowing these habits are a prescription for an early death. Reality-denial affords us many valuable attributes, such as optimism, confidence, and courage in the face of long odds.
