Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T14:52:37.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

It takes a thief to catch a thief

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2011

Nicholas Humphrey
Affiliation:
London School of Economics (Emeritus Professor). [email protected]

Abstract

Von Hippel & Trivers (VH&T) dismiss in a couple of pages the possible costs of self-deception. But there is a downside to self-deception that they do not consider. This is the loss of psychological insight into deceit by others that blindness to deceit by oneself is likely to entail.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Humphrey, N. (1978) Nature's psychologists. New Scientist 1109:900904.Google Scholar
Humphrey, N. (1983) Consciousness regained: Chapters in the development of mind. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Motluk, A. (2001, December 22) It's a wonderful lie. New Scientist 2322:7071.Google Scholar
Surbey, M. K. (2004) Self-deception: Helping and hindering personal and public decision making. In: Evolutionary psychology, public policy, and personal decisions, ed. Crawford, C. B. & Salmon, C. A., pp. 117–44. Erlbaum.Google Scholar