The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life Paperback – 7 January 2014

I picked up Robert Trivers' book, "The Folly of Fools," because the title attracted me. My action demonstrates the power of a good title, and I am overjoyed the contents of the book lived up to the promise of the book's title.In the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, Pontius Pilate asked Jesus the following question: "And what is 'truth?' Is truth unchanging law? We both have truths. Are mine the same as yours?"Since then, many philosophers have spoken about truth, as have everyday citizens, corporate CEOs, warriors, kings, and politicians. Yet, as we discover, humans and the natural world are hard-wired for deception.Deception is necessary for survival, but problems occur when we continue the game too far, resulting in chaos, destruction, and often bloodshed.Robert Trivers started with a general introduction to deception, including self-deception. We are as prone to deceiving ourselves as we are to deceiving others. From there, he described the causes and factors that prompt us toward deception.Then, he dedicated chapters to specific aspects, or arenas, where we practice deception, sometimes with innocent results and often resulting in disaster. He focused on the individual, the family, the role of deception in sex, and career. Then, he moved on to deeper issues, where self-deception and deception have caused great calamities, like airplane disasters, war, national myths, and religion. He ended with two chapters, one on deceit and the social sciences and how we can combat deception daily.His language is direct, active, and forceful, and I like this aspect of the book, which makes it an enjoyable read. I only wish he had included a section on the role of social media and how citizens and influential people misuse the medium's reach to spread lies.

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I think this is one of the best books I have ever read.

I read this book after reading a note by Michael Shermer in his "The Believing Brain." In fact both books go very well together."The folly of fools" is a book about deception and self-deception and just the first topics the author examines give you in advance an idea on what the whole book is about: "The illusion of control," "The construction of biased social theory," "False personal narratives," and so on. "Self-deception," the author says, "is older than language" so we can expect a lot of information on the topic of evolution. To do that, Trivers begins with our remote origins as monkeys appropriately compared and illustrated with several examples taken from other species (birds, fishes, insects and so on) that set the stage for understanding that the trait is not only about humans but also about living beings ("Deception is everywhere")."Self-deception," says, "occurs when the conscious mind is kept in the dark." Easy and simple: there is a mechanism that govern our acts in order to gain partial or short term advantages but always with some cost. As long as we live in a social context, we are always struggling between deceptions, those that we tell to ourselves, those that we tell others, those that others tell to us and so on and on.It is so important and transcendent the functioning of this mechanism, that far from being a tool for immediate action in the personal (and daily) interaction it is present at any level of the society as a whole. As a consequence, deception is present in the full social spectrum, from warfare to national identity and from religion to politics and economics. There is neither activity nor place where this engine is not working and making mischief.Is it an evolving trait? Is it possible to do something about it? You can find the answers at the beginning and at the end of the book. At the beginning, Trivers tells us that "The time is ripe for a general theory of deceit and self-deception based on evolutionary logic," and at the end he asks about the convenience of fighting "one's own self deception."In sum, this is a complete and comprehensive outlook on the topic. To me at least. Several reviews have downgraded the merits of the book so that to convey my own vision without the influence of other readers I put my impression directly --I read "The Folly" and then I wrote this.Having said that, "The Folly of Fools" is a highly recommended reading. Well written, interesting and full of anecdotes and clever observations by the author, who, by the way, is not free from asking God, when he travels, to join him as the flight lands.

"The Folly of Fools" is a modern version of the Renaissance work by Erasmus of Rotterdam, "In Praise of Folly". However, instead of re-examining Christian values, Robert Trivers goes to the very cell of the living creatures (humans, animals, insects, plants, viruses, and bacteria). Like, Erasmus of Rotterdam, Robert Trivers tries to rationalize the existence of deceit and self-deception in human life. The theory of "The Folly of Fools" is that we deceive ourselves the better to deceive others. And this strategy, according to the author, is based on our natural instincts, such as self-preservation and reproductive success...What I really liked about the book is its often very intimate and frank tone. As a true scientist, the author is dedicated to minimize if not eliminate falsehood as much as possible, but many questions remain. For example, why should we do anything about deception if, although often dangerous, it's just "natural"? I am particularly interested in finding out true motivations of humanitarian missions and self-sacrifice in relation to self-deception and deception. Are people helping/saving others to merely reassure their dominant position in relation to the victims of crimes or is there something else to it? While the motivation of victim's acceptance and even embracing of torture is understandable as a self-preservation mechanism to minimize the conflict, according to Robert Trivers, the motivations of humanitarian missions and self-sacrifice are not as clear cut..."The Folly of Fools" is a book of many great ideas in need of being researched further. And most of all, the book will serve you as an inspiration to rediscover yourself in a whole new way. It was a pleasure to read.

A recommend this reading to anyone who's still at loss with human nature. The author's style is clear and rich, his demonstration impeccable and implacable !