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The Self Illusion: Why There is No 'You' Inside Your Head [Extract]

Bruce M. Hood

Discussion: Psychology

Why we're reading this: Think "self-awareness" when reading this. …more
[close] Think "self-awareness" when reading this.

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Mar 23, 2013 Micah Rasmussen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: personal-library

Great book that helped me think outside the usual realm. It presented some very good points that I was able to identify with. I'm not going to lie when it gave me an almost un-human feeling and that while the human brain is complex that certain things we do are primitive survival instincts or due to mob mentality. I don't personally agree with some of the inconclusive studies portrayed in this book but it helped expand my mind. One incongruent thing I noticed was on page 108 they noted in a stud Great book that helped me think outside the usual realm. It presented some very good points that I was able to identify with. I'm not going to lie when it gave me an almost un-human feeling and that while the human brain is complex that certain things we do are primitive survival instincts or due to mob mentality. I don't personally agree with some of the inconclusive studies portrayed in this book but it helped expand my mind. One incongruent thing I noticed was on page 108 they noted in a study that they placed a child in a room with an adult who instructed the child to face away from the adult. The adult then proceeded to wrap a present but then soon ran out of tape. The adult then instructed to child not to turn around an peek at the present while the adult left the room to get more tape. The researchers were in another room watching from a one way mirror to see if the child was able to control itself from peeking. However, in an earlier chapter Hood stated that placing a mirror in front of a cookie jar discouraged the children from taking more than one cookie as instructed due to the fact that they could see themselves breaking the rules and it took away the thought of anonymity. The children in each study were about the same age and over 4 years old. So what I am seeing is that the first study isn't accurate because the mirror from which the researchers were observing from wasn't taken into account as a variable in the experiment. I didn't go outside of the book to do more reading on both experiments but from a readers perspective and being scientist myself I see the first experiment as a fluke and shouldn't have been noted in the book. Furthermore, the study that I see as invalid was conducted by the author of the book which makes me question the authors judgement and perspective. All in all, it was a great book and it did make me think. I would recommend anyone to read it.

P.S. If anyone can validate my or his perspective to please so.. I would like to know more. ...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Blase marked it as to-read

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