I read a chapter of The Folly of Fools: The logic of deceit and self-deception in human life one day recently, and I do not regret a single moment I spent on this task.  Generally, my readings are not so structured, but tend to follow a quasi-random pattern of moments of intense assimilation of text content followed by days of focused reflection on points, issues, or findings that have puzzled me.  The narrative of this book was so engaging that I attempted to absorb everything first, voraciously noting on a scribbling pad key findings and author’s comments, and then spent days reflecting on the notes I took.  It all started in the preface section of the book, where the author, Robert Trivers, captured my attention by promising that the content of the book would honor the distinction between assumptions or interpretations based on scientific evidence and those that are yet to be supported and can only be described as conjectures.  I am pleased to say that he maintained his promise while interjecting anecdotes into the narrative that are both engaging (i.e., attention-grabbing and memorable) and revealing (i.e., capable of illustrating the core of a given phenomenon or event). 

At the start of this review, I feel compelled to note that the content of the book is something that can be appreciated by a truly wide audience.  The author’s coverage of viewpoints is so eclectic, embracing a variety of scientific disciplines (e.g., biology, psychology, sociology, and anthropology), that it is unlikely for anyone  not to encounter at least a knowledge area, finding, idea, or theoretical proposition that is novel, curious, and/or helpful.  Depending on the reader’s interests and pre-existing knowledge, the book can serve as an introduction to the topic of deception and self-deception, as a treasure-trove of research ideas for academic research, and even as a read for a tranquil weekend devoted to the contemplation of human weaknesses.  Regardless of the ultimate aim of the individual reader or his/her initial level of knowledge of the topic, it is entirely reasonable to predict that he/she will not remain neutral to the content of The folly of fools: The logic of deceit and self-deception in human life. 

In addition to his covering a variety of viewpoints, the author tackles a large number of content areas where the phenomena of deception and self-deception are seen in action, offering for each a number of captivating and thoughtful examples.  Areas of demonstration and application of the phenomena of interest are diverse, including topics from immunology to social cognition, history and religion.  Although most examples of deception and self-deception are likely to be familiar to the reader, the lenses that the author adopts to capture their essence not only infuse novelty into them, but also link them to a common theme and underlying interpretation.  As a result, the reader is encouraged to give a fresh look at events and narratives that he/she may otherwise have only superficially considered or ignored as being old news. 

 The fabric that integrates examples and their vividness and eclecticism make the author’s main account of the phenomena extraordinarily powerful and difficult to discount.  According to the author, self-deception (the internal, personal dimension of the phenomenon), which may appear counterintuitive to the average reader, serves to make deception of others (the social dimension of the phenomenon) more effective.  Self-deception appears counterintuitive, the author agues, because people’s ability to perceive reality accurately (rather than creating fantasies) is considered an advantageous trait by many.  As for traits or dispositions such as honesty and pursuit of hard work, accuracy of perception is assumed to be beneficial to the human species and thus likely to have been favored by the forces that have shaped the evolution of our species.  The author argues that the opposite is true because the more human beings can deceive themselves (e.g., hide unpleasant and/or harmful facts), the more artfully they can deceive others for mostly self-serving reasons.  Self-deception not only offers a comfortable self-image to the owner, but it also introduces in his/her mind distorted knowledge that can make deception of others, even familiar others (i.e., individuals who have a good working knowledge of the deceiving person), less cognitively demanding and ultimately more effective.  Of course, the specific self-serving reasons of deception that a person imposes consciously or unconsciously upon his/her cognition and behavior may be varied, leading the author to mention nine key sources of self-deception which encompass self-inflation, derogation of others (its mirror strategy), the illusion of control, and the biases of power.

A reader may ask whether the author’s coverage of deception and self-deception in The folly of fools: The logic of deceit and self-deception in human life is neutral, by and large based on scientific findings and the message that such findings convey about human thought and behavior.  To this end, important to note is that the author’s coverage of current knowledge of human deception and self-deception often collides with the ethical/moral sphere of judgment. Although the filter of ethical/moral judgment is easily recognizable, sensible, and often linked to personal references, one may also ask whether the ethical/moral arguments are best left entirely to the reader.  Personally, I concur with the decision that the author made to sprinkle ethical/moral concerns over scientific findings and theories so that the interpretation of the message that science sends becomes personal and thus more likely to be carefully examined.  Furthermore, the decision to consider the ethical/moral perspective gives the reader the opportunity to become aware of the commonalties and differences between overlapping areas of scientific inquiry, such as the one involving deception and self-deception and the other pertaining to the development of moral judgment.  Similarly, I concur with the decision of the author to examine not only a large number of instances of deception and self-deception, but also to ask whether human beings are good at perpetrating deception on themselves and others. Of course, the answer may change depending on whether the operational definition of ‘being good at’ deception and self-deception entails the viewpoint of the perpetrator, or the viewpoint of others (i.e., from the perpetrator’s social circles to the entire human species).  Viewpoints refer to the short-term and long-term consequences on the perpetrator and on others of obtaining the intended goal and to the relative evaluation of such consequences by each party involved.  Although I feel compelled to warn the reader that the author has a good answer for both perspectives of self-deception, the individual reader is likely to develop his/her independent opinion.

In summary, if the lenses of an ethical/moral perspective are worn, The folly of fools: The logic of deceit and self-deception in human life is a book for a reader who is not afraid of self-examination and who believes that understanding the sources, mechanisms, and processes of human cognition and behavior may be conducive to a better society within human evolutionary history. If the lenses of the scientific perspective are worn, the book is for a reader who wants to develop a comprehensive picture of our current knowledge of the phenomena of deception and self-deception and of areas of further inquiry. Obviously, the two types of readership and related viewpoints are not incompatible; but each is merely a piece of the puzzle that the human condition still offers even to most keen observers.

© 2014 Maura Pilotti

Maura Pilotti, Ph.D., Ashford University