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The Uses of Delusion: Why It's Not Always Rational to Be Rational Kindle Edition

by Stuart Vyse (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
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A fascinating examination of delusional thinking and how it might benefit health, relationships, and wellbeing.

Although reason and rationality are our friends in almost all contexts, in some cases people are better off putting reason aside. In a number of very important situations, we benefit by not seeing the world as it is, and by not behaving like logic-driven machines. Sometimes we know we aren't making sense, and yet we are compelled to act against reason; in other cases, our delusions are so much a part of normal human experience that we are unaware of them. As intelligent as we are, much of what has helped humans succeed as a species is not our prodigious brain power but something much more basic.

The Uses of Delusion is about aspects of human nature that are not altogether rational but, nonetheless, help us achieve our social and personal goals. Psychologist Stuart Vyse presents a lively, accessible exploration of the psychological concepts behind "useful delusions", fleshing out how delusional thinking may play a role in love and relationships, illness and loss, and personality and behavior. Along the way Vyse draws on the work of William James, Daniel Kahneman, and Joan Didion - who wrote about her compelling belief that her husband, though deceased, would soon return to her. Throughout, Vyse strives to answer the question: why would some of our most illogical beliefs be as helpful as they are? The concluding chapter offers an explanation grounded in natural selection - the ability to fool ourselves, Vyse argues, has actually helped us to survive. In the final pages of The Uses of Delusion, Vyse offers suggestions for determining when reason should rule and when intuition and emotion should be allowed to take over.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0190079857
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2022
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    4007 KB
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From the Publisher

Uses of Delusion

Uses of Delusion

Uses of Delusion

Uses of Delusion

Uses of Delusion

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

A fascinating examination of delusional thinking and how it might benefit health, relationships, and wellbeing. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

"Vyse is an articulate and engaging writer, and his argument is illustrated at points by graphic figures and diagrams to assist readers' comprehension of key concepts, such as rational choice theory." -- S. Krippner, CHOICE"Many books have lamented human superstition, overconfidence, and self-defeating beliefs, but The Uses of Delusion offers a counterpoint: the benefits of these "irrational" mechanisms in our lives. The result is a fuller picture of how humans think—and why, too often, we don't." -- Carol Tavris, social psychologist and coauthor of Mistakes Were Made (but not by ME)"With his usual crisp and delightful prose, Vyse explores the tension most of us feel between our rational and irrational impulses. Why the latter can have so much sway has never been more important to understand given the growing chorus of voices turning away from the enlightenment. Vyse makes it easier to fathom parts of this disturbing trend." -- Thomas Gilovich, Cornell University, author of How We Know What Isn't So and The Wisest One in the Room"Those of us who have devoted our careers to promoting science, reason, and rationality rarely consider the times and circumstances when it is rational to be irrational, reasonable to be unreasonable, and even use science to determine when it is appropriate to be unscientific in our lives. In The Uses of Delusion our nation's foremost expert on superstition and magical thinking turns his rational eye to revealing the context of this apparently paradoxical behavior. I actually felt a sense of relief in understanding why I need not berate myself for the many times I have caught myself being unreasonable, irrational, and unscientific in my life, because as Stuart Vyse shows in this important contribution to the science of rationality, there are times when it pays to be irrational." -- Michael Shermer, Publisher, skeptic magazine, Presidential Fellow, Chapman University, author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, The Moral Arc, and other books --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VTFQVY7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (April 1, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4007 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

About the author

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Stuart Vyse

Stuart Vyse

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, teacher, and writer. He is a contributing editor and writes the monthly “Behavior & Belief” column for Skeptical Inquirer magazine and personal essays in a variety of places, including the Observer, Medium, The Atlantic, The Good Men Project, and Tablet.

The first edition of his book BELIEVING IN MAGIC: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUPERSTITION won the William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association and was translated into Japanese, German, and Romanian. An updated edition was published in 2014. His book GOING BROKE: WHY AMERICANS (STILL) CAN'T HOLD ON TO THEIR MONEY is an analysis of the current epidemic of personal debt. The first edition was translated into Chinese, and the second edition was released in 2018 in both paperback and audiobook formats.

As an expert on superstition and irrational behavior, Vyse has been quoted in many news outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN International, the PBS NewsHour, and NPR’s Science Friday.

Vyse holds a PhD in psychology and BA and MA degrees in English Literature and is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has taught at Providence College, the University of Rhode Island, and Connecticut College. He is a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and of the Association for Psychological Science.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
4 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Jon Guy
5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
Although I’m a fan of Vyse’s books and articles, I went into this one a bit skeptical. I wasn’t sure I could be convinced that delusions could be useful. Early on, Vyse makes the claim that most of the time it’s in our best interest to think rationally, but sometimes, delusional thinking can be beneficial. He makes a compelling case for the uses of delusions in an unexpected number of aspects of our lives. By teasing out the nuances between rational thinking and delusions, I found The Uses of Delusions as a well written, fun read that changed my perspective on the topic.
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