- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Jan 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0684831074
- ISBN-13: 978-0684831077
- Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 15.6 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,226,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Written by the author of "Emotional Intelligence", this is an analysis of the ways in which people deceive themselves. Daniel Goleman draws on evidence of all kinds - from brain function to social dynamics - the reveal how people distort their most intimate relationships, their day-to-day lives by burying painful insights and memories. This self-deception is the human means of psychological self-preservation, the currency of survival in which all of society transacts. But although self-deception is sometimes benign, it can also be dangerous and life-diminishing. This work illuminates and raises challenging questions about a subject central to people's psychological existence.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume" fame, was once attacked by a lion. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume" fame, was once attacked by a lion. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Despite the depth of the subjects it deals with, this book is surprisingly easy to read.It speaks about fear, the individual psyche, the collective psyche and the social organization of reality...all in one volume. Goleman doesn't turn a blind eye to other influential authors in this field, including Freud. In fact, to my delight he used the theory of the human brain proposed by Freud in The Interpretation of Dreams and his theory of the unconsciousness to explain why we lie to ourselves, and why we have to agree to ignore parts of the truth unknowingly to be part of a group. And all this for a sense of security. He explains both the pros and cons of these processes, that also play an important role in family life. Very insightful...my only regret is he doesn't go into the problem of how he combines a spiritual practice which stresses the need for honesty as a basis for transformation with the social need for vital lies.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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10 reviews
107 of 107 people found the following review helpful
A Vital Book With Simple Truths
3 Mar 2001
Format:Paperback
Goleman states his thesis using three premises in the early pages of his book: (1) The mind can protect itself against anxiety by dimming awareness. (2) This mechanism creates a blind spot: a zone of blocked attention and self-deception. (3) Such blind spots occur at each major level of behavior from the psychological to the social. (p. 22)
With these principles as his map, Goleman writes an excellent study of human psychological behavior that, whether the reader approaches it as a journal of self-discovery (like me) or as a explanation for social "groupthink" (like me, again), it proved to be very helpful. I enjoyed how Goleman supported his ideas with recent research and how he used quotes and references to support his ideas. Mapping out why we cover our anxieties with delusional behaviors, well, I think it is fascinating and the applications are immense.
73 of 73 people found the following review helpful
A Tool for Sharpening Critical Thinking Skills
17 Feb 1998
Format:Paperback
Have you ever been burnt in a business deal by someone you thought you knew well? How many times have you taken action only later to find out you ignored key facts that were right in front of you?
An early book by the author of the best-seller Emotional Intelligence, this work focuses on the many ways in which our minds play tricks on us. Goleman uses a series of short vignettes, from business, political and family scenarios, to illustrate his arguments. For example, he shows us how Nixon aide John Dean seemed to drive from his awareness the fact that he was not as important to the President as he asserted in his Watergate testimony.
The chapter, "The Intelligent Filter", gives us a clear concept on how we so often screen out ideas and information that do not fit our assumptions. Reading this section can help us understand why innovative ideas get rejected without consideration, as we filter out new pieces of information even before they reach our awareness.
From the perspective of Executive Community, applying what Goleman sees can help us untie the knots that develop in our business communications and block understanding and collaboration. Even more importantly, careful study of these concepts can help you be a better critical business thinker and a more effective leader.
For those who want to delve deeper than the latest management fad book, Vital Lies, Simple Truths will give you several hours of intellectual challenge. This is a good tool for "sharpening the saw", as Stephen Covey might say.
61 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Challenging, but worth the effort.
1 July 2005
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
After reviewing some of the research and modern theory around narcissism, I was drawn to finding something of substance that explained more about grandiose thinking, or delusion. Luckily, the only decent looking book I found - Goleman's - turned out to be just as useful on the inside. Combining his information on the effects of pain, and how it dims awareness, was magical for me because of my experience with narcissists who also have alcohol and drug addictions.
I like the way Goleman touches on perception (see also Dr. Bruce Lipton's The Biology of Belief), self-esteem, projection, rationalisation, sublimation etc. On a collective level it becomes quite challenging when viewing the mirage realism or deception that some multi-national corporate and government leaders create. Perhaps a book who's subject matter is more applicable to world affairs than most of us realise.
Personally I would have liked more information about the links between the psychic numbing of awareness and the addiction to materialism as an opiate, but other than that I highly recommend it. It dovetails nicely into the findings from quantum science which shows its our consciousness which creates the filters through which we transform our reality.
At times I did find the reading tough going and would not recommend this for those people who might be embarking on a first tour of duty of psychological modelling.
Regards,
Daniel John Hancock
I like the way Goleman touches on perception (see also Dr. Bruce Lipton's The Biology of Belief), self-esteem, projection, rationalisation, sublimation etc. On a collective level it becomes quite challenging when viewing the mirage realism or deception that some multi-national corporate and government leaders create. Perhaps a book who's subject matter is more applicable to world affairs than most of us realise.
Personally I would have liked more information about the links between the psychic numbing of awareness and the addiction to materialism as an opiate, but other than that I highly recommend it. It dovetails nicely into the findings from quantum science which shows its our consciousness which creates the filters through which we transform our reality.
At times I did find the reading tough going and would not recommend this for those people who might be embarking on a first tour of duty of psychological modelling.
Regards,
Daniel John Hancock
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