Shankar Vedantam & Bill Mesler Books
Shankar Vedantam is an American journalist, science writer, and host of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, known for his work on human behavior and social science. Bill Mesler is a writer and journalist who has collaborated with Vedantam on exploring scientific and philosophical questions about human nature.
Known for: Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain
Books by Shankar Vedantam & Bill Mesler
Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain
In this thought-provoking work, Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler explore how self-deception, far from being purely harmful, can serve as a vital psychological mechanism that helps individuals and societies survive, thrive, and find meaning. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and real-world examples, the authors reveal how certain illusions can foster resilience, love, and hope, even as they sometimes distort reality.
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The Nature of Self-Deception
Self-deception begins not with malice but with biology. The human brain does not record the world objectively, like a camera—it constructs reality. Every perception, every memory, every conviction is filtered through neural shortcuts that favor coherence over accuracy. We crave a story that makes se...
From Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain
Evolutionary Roots
To understand why self-deception works so powerfully, we must look backward through evolutionary time. The capacity to deceive others offers an obvious social advantage, but the twist is this: to deceive others effectively, you often have to believe your own lies. The predator that bluffs confidence...
From Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain
About Shankar Vedantam & Bill Mesler
Shankar Vedantam is an American journalist, science writer, and host of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, known for his work on human behavior and social science. Bill Mesler is a writer and journalist who has collaborated with Vedantam on exploring scientific and philosophical questions about human natur...
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Shankar Vedantam is an American journalist, science writer, and host of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, known for his work on human behavior and social science. Bill Mesler is a writer and journalist who has collaborated with Vedantam on exploring scientific and philosophical questions about human natur...
Shankar Vedantam is an American journalist, science writer, and host of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, known for his work on human behavior and social science. Bill Mesler is a writer and journalist who has collaborated with Vedantam on exploring scientific and philosophical questions about human nature.
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Shankar Vedantam is an American journalist, science writer, and host of NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast, known for his work on human behavior and social science. Bill Mesler is a writer and journalist who has collaborated with Vedantam on exploring scientific and philosophical questions about human nature.
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