Motivation

Here’s an interesting interview with Steven Pinker where he talks about evolutionary pscyhology’s description of human motives and patterns of behavior. Interesting stuff about kin selection and reciprocal altruism, from a pretty articulate proponent. One question that he raises is whether knowing how the mind works (understanding how we’re prone to self-deception, how we defer to high-status people, how we’re driven by sexual instincts, etc) is a blessing or a burden, and whether knowing these things can actually change human behavior.