How Lying To Yourself (A Little) Can Improve Your Relationships and Make the World Feel Less Insane | Shankar Vedantam

About this episode

<p dir="ltr">Anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism will know that "delusion" is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a positive way. In fact, the Buddha included delusion (aka: confusion about the way things really are) on his list of "the three poisons." The whole point of meditation, per the Buddha, is to uproot delusion -- along with greed and hatred. Only then can you be enlightened.<br /> <br /> My guest today is here to valiantly make the case that delusion -- or self-deception -- has an upside. Many upsides, in fact. While he concedes that self-deception can, of course, be massively harmful, he argues that it also plays a vital role in our success and wellbeing, and that it holds together friendships, marriages, and nations. Understanding this, he says, can make you happier, more effective, and -- crucially -- more empathetic with people with whom you disagree.<br /> <br /> Shankar Vedantam is the host of the popular podcast and radio show <a href="http://www.hiddenbrain.org/">Hidden Brain</a>. His latest book is called Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain.<br /> <br /></p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">the many ways our brains filter and alter our perception of reality</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">why we evolved for a robust capacity to lie to ourselves</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">and how his research on delusions has colored his view of the chaos and confusion of our modern world. </p> </li> </ul> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Join Dan's online community <a href= "http://www.danharris.com/">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href= "https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href= "https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href= "https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href= "https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></p> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">SPONSORS: </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Bumble</strong>: Thinking about dating again? Take this as your sign and start your love story on <a href= "http://bumble.com/">Bumble</a>.   <br /> <br /> <strong>AT&T</strong>: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit <a href= "http://att.com/guarantee">att.com/guarantee</a> for details.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Odoo</strong>: Discover how you can take your business to the next level by visiting <a href= "http://odoo.com/">odoo.com</a>. Modern management made simple.<strong id= "docs-internal-guid-c7ef6d59-7fff-ecae-9c2f-42adf8f065b4">  <br /> </strong></p>