Everyone agrees that lies and self-deception can do terrible harm to our lives to our
communities and to the planet. But in Useful Delusions host of Hidden Brain Shankar Vedantam
argues that paradoxically deceiving ourselves and others can also play a vital role in human
success and well-being. The lies we tell each other and the lies that we tell ourselves sustain
our daily interactions with friends lovers and co-workers. They explain why some people live
longer than others why some couples remain in love and others don't why some nations and
tribes hold together while others splinter. Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing
on new insights in psychology neuroscience and philosophy Useful Delusions offers a
fascinating tour of an upside-down world.
