A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind. ~ Robert Bolton
To one degree or another, we all misjudge reality. Our perception—of ourselves and the world around us—is much more malleable than we realize. This self-deception influences every major aspect of our personal and social life, including relationships, sex, politics, careers, and health.
In Kidding Ourselves, Joseph Hallinan offers a nuts-and-bolts look at how this penchant shapes our everyday lives, from the medicines we take to the decisions we make. It shows, for instance, just how much the power of many modern medicines, particularly anti-depressants and painkillers, is largely in our heads. Placebos in modern-day life extend beyond hospitals, to fake thermostats and “elevator close” buttons that don’t really work…but give the perception that they do.
Kidding Ourselves brings together a variety of subjects, linking seemingly unrelated ideas in fascinating and unexpected ways. And ultimately, it shows that deceiving ourselves is not always negative or foolish. As increasing numbers of researchers are discovering, it can be incredibly useful, providing us with the resilience we need to persevere, in the boardroom, bedroom, and beyond.
Provocative, accessible, and easily applicable to multiple facets of everyday life, Kidding Ourselves is an extraordinary new exploration of our mind’s flexibility.
When our views are questioned, we often perceive that what is being challenged isn’t merely a factoid we remembered or an opinion we’ve acquired, but something far more precious; our self-esteem.
My Review:
We’ve all heard the saying “Perception is everything”, and Hallinan sets out to show us that our perception is largely personal, biased, and oddly stubborn in the face of opposing facts.
Kidding Ourselves is reader-friendly, pop science that looks at everything from how placebos work to why mass hysteria occurs. We’re treated to examples that are both comical and compelling. Hallinan has an easy writing style, absent of academic language and complicated science. This is a book for anyone interested in the way our minds work to both help and deceive us.
This is a short read. While the print length is listed as 272 pages, much of that is Notes and Bibliography. I read this in Kindle format, and the content ends at 70%. I don’t know what page number that would be, but I’d guess the actual content is under 200 pages in print. The light read works well for the casual reader, though I would have liked a bit more substance.
I had some issues with the generalities and conclusions reached with certain information. For instance, Hallinan talks about society’s addiction to dietary supplements despite the fact that “they don’t work”. As proof, he tells us that studies found these things are a waste of money. This is gross misrepresentation of facts. While it’s true that many studies show multivitamins are ineffective, that is not true of all or even most dietary supplements. He goes on to cite one particular study of vitamin E and prostate cancer, taking the enormous leap that, because it doesn’t work as a treatment for prostate cancer, it is useless or even detrimental to our health overall. Here, I think Hallinan has shown us his own skewed perception of facts. There are countless studies proving the efficacy of various herbs and vitamins on specific chronic diseases. (Many studies of supplements are financed by pharmaceutical companies, which cannot own a patent on vitamins/herbs and therefore have every incentive to pronounce them useless.)
While I think we need to be careful of these over-generalizations, much of the information contained in this book is thought-provoking. Hallinan shares some interesting anecdotes, reminding us that reality can be a subjective thing.
There is, after all, only so much reality we can tolerate.
Thanks for reading. 