A New Look at Self-Deception
As a behavioral scientist, I have long been interested in self-deception. But I’ve never thought about it this way before, as pictured in a tremendous drawing by Jonathan Bartlett:
Similar Posts
A Phrase that Makes Me Nervous
Byadmin
Ever been talking to someone when they all of a sudden said: “To be perfectly honest . . .” I don’t know about you, but I don’t find that phrase reassuring. In fact, it kind of makes me wonder how honest you were being with me before you said that!
Great Writing from Chip Brown in the New York Times Magazine
Byadmin
Back in early February, Brown authored an article on the North Dakota oil boom. It is a great piece of reporting. Also, a fine bit of writing, as captured by this sentence: In a way, of course, this kind of frontier is as much a state of mind as an actual place, a melancholy mood…
On the Importance of Getting Things Done in Politics
Byadmin
I’m currently in the middle of reading Robert Caro’s first book, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. I’ll be blogging intermittently about this wonderful book over the next few weeks. Expect a few of those posts to be focused on drawing writing lessons from this wonderful author. But a relatively…
On Parenting Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Shooter
Byadmin
Andrew Solomon wrote a wonderful article in the New Yorker recently about Adam Lanza’s father and his search for answers to his son’s awful behavior. The piece included a quote I thought I would share with you today: All parenting involves choosing between the day (why have another argument at dinner?) and the years (the…
Vacation Time!
Byadmin
I am not going to be posting any new blogs for a while, because I will be traveling – a nice mixture of vacation and writing, mostly out of reach of desktop computers and laptops. I expect to return in August, refreshed and reinvigorated. I hope all of you find some summer relaxation time too….
Nice Words That Backfire
Byadmin
Prior to taking a trip to the Galapagos, I was talking to a friend who, as we went our separate ways, said: “Well if I don’t see you again, have a great trip.” Am I the only one who hears those nice words and then wonders whether I need to avoid that person until my…