– Tom Uytterhoeven – Although I am not a scientist, I think this is a great experiment. It shows us what mechanisms lie beneath ugly features of human social living, like racism and gender discrimination. Moreover, it shows us how to decrease the prevalence of these features, at least in the case of racism. Let…
Tag: Psychology
Interview With Judith Rich Harris (The Nurture Assumption)
– Tom Uytterhoeven – I noticed this interview with Judith Rich Harris, who wrote The Nurture Assumption. Without endorsing her book as the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (here's a balanced review), I must admit I liked the book when I read it a few years ago (in the Dutch edition). More than…
If you want to ‘read’ people better, read more literature
See on Scoop.it – Cultural evolution Reading Chekhov for a few minutes makes you better at decoding what other people are feeling. But spending the same amount of time with a potboiler by Danielle Steel does not have the same effect. Tom Uytterhoeven’s insight: Too good to be true? Or can literature really save the…
Darwin, was indeed the greatest psychologist – Times of Oman
See on Scoop.it – Cultural evolution Darwin, was indeed the greatest psychologist Times of Oman Given that human psychology has developed through a sometimes-uneasy balance of natural selection, evolution and psychology influence and interact with each other. Tom Uytterhoeven’s insight: I’m not so sure about this quote: "Philosophy is inadequate to understand the roots of…
Depressing books could be just what the doctor ordered – Telegraph
See on Scoop.it – Cultural evolution Instead of ‘mood-boosting books’, imagine doctors handing out prescriptions for gloomy masterpieces by Samuel Beckett and Thomas Hardy. Martin Chilton looks at the appeal of 20 great depressing novels. Tom Uytterhoeven’s insight: I love this ironic take on a new program in the UK, subscribing self help books for…