How Do We Know Ourselves?: Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind

by David G. Myers

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A fast, entertaining and eye-opening look into what we do, and why.

“Each chapter is a gem of insight into the human experience, cut and polished to perfection by the renowned psychologist David Myers. Better than any book I can recall, this book answers questions about why we think, feel, and act as we do—but also makes us curious to learn more.” —Angela Duckworth

A delightful tour of the wonders of our humanity from David G. Myers, the award-winning professor and author of psychology’s bestselling textbook.

Over the past three decades, millions of students have learned about psychology from textbooks by David G. Myers. To create these books and to satisfy his own endless curiosity about the human mind, Myers monitors the leading journals to discover the most extraordinary developments in psychological science.

How Do We Know Ourselves? is a compendium of the most wondrous verities that Myers has found, revealing thought-provoking insights into our everyday lives. His astute observations and sharp-witted wisdom enable readers to think smarter and live happier.

Myers’s subjects range from why we so often fear the wrong things to how simply going for a walk with someone can increase rapport and empathy. He reveals why we repeatedly mishear song lyrics and how the color of President Obama’s suits aided in his decision-making. Myers also explores the powers and perils of our intuition, explaining why anything can seem obvious once it happens.

These forty essays offer fresh insight into our sometimes bewildering but ever-fascinating lives. Myers is engaging and intellectually provocative, and he brings a wealth of knowledge from more than fifty years of teaching and writing about psychology to this lively and informative collection. He inspires us to ponder timeless questions, including what might be the most intriguing one of all: How do we know ourselves?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374601959
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	174,574
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

David G. Myers is a social psychologist and a professor of psychology at Hope College. His articles have appeared in dozens of scientific periodicals and magazines, from Science to Scientific American. He is also the author of many books, including psychology’s most widely read textbook, which has sold more than eight million copies worldwide. Myers resides in Holland, Michigan.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Part I Who Am I?

1 Implicit Egotism 3

2 The Amazing Power of Attention 8

3 There Is More to Hearing Than Meets the Ears 12

4 How Do We Know Ourselves? 17

5 Dual Processing: One Brain, Two Minds? 21

6 Making New Year's Resolutions That Last 27

7 The Powers and Perils of Intuition 32

8 Fearing the Right Things 37

9 We Knew It All Along 42

10 Judging Others and Judging Ourselves 47

11 Behavioral Confirmation: Getting What We Expect 51

12 How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways 54

Part II Who Are We?

13 The Science of Humility 65

14 When Birth Order Matters 70

15 Cardiac Arrest and the Conscious Experience of Death 75

16 Do People Repress-or Vividly Remember-Traumatic Events? 81

17 When Fear of Losing Steals Our Chances of Winning 85

18 How We Polarize, and What We Can Do About It 90

19 Our Differences Seize Our Attention, Define Our Identity, and Sometimes Deceive Us 96

20 The Psychology of Division 102

21 The Social Psychology of Dissent 106

22 The Overconfidence Phenomenon 111

23 Why Is Everyone Else Having More Fun? 117

24 Social Facilitation: The Energizing Presence of Others 124

25 The Happy Science of Micro-friendships 129

26 How to Make and Sustain Friendships 136

27 Narcissism: The Grandiose Self 142

Part III What in the World?

28 How Nature and Nurture Form Us 149

29 The Wonder of Walking (and Singing): Synchronized Spirits 154

30 Wise Interventions Can Change Lives 158

31 Failure and Flourishing 163

32 Death Is Terrifying to Contemplate, Except for Those Who Are Dying 168

33 Do Places with More Immigrants Exhibit Greater Acceptance or Greater Fear of Immigrants? 173

34 Implicit Bias Is Real. Can Training Programs Decrease It? 178

35 How Politics Changes Politicians 183

36 The Power of Confirmation Bias and the Credibility of Belief 188

37 Friends Versus Phones 194

38 Wealth, Well-Being, and Generosity 198

39 The Mere Exposure Effect: Familiarity Breeds Content 203

40 Do Replication Failures Discredit Psychological Science? 208

Notes 213

Acknowledgments 251

Editorial Reviews

08/22/2022

In this edifying volume, Myers (Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith), a psychology professor at Hope College, helps readers “think smarter about their lives, and... savor the wonders within and around us.” Adapted largely from Myers’s Talk Pysch blog, these 40 short essays provide “glimpses of psychology’s wisdom” on the self, relationships, and society. Readers of pop psychology will be familiar with much of Myers’s material, which covers such psych 101 topics as hindsight bias, confirmation bias, and inattentional blindness. Myers’s accessible explanations read as if he’s describing the concepts to a friend over lunch, as when he outlines the availability heuristic, which refers to the tendency to “estimate the commonality of events based on their mental availability,” by noting that more people fear flying than driving despite flying’s superior safety record because of the prominence of stories about airplane crashes in the media. More advanced students of psychology will appreciate the final chapter’s evaluation of psychological theories that have been absorbed into the mainstream, but have since been called into question. Myers’s bite-size treatment of the current state of social psychology research makes for a quick and illuminating overview of the human mind. Novices would do well to pick up this breezy primer. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Advanced Praise for How Do We Know Ourselves?

“How Do We Know Ourselves? is a treasure. Each chapter is a gem of insight into the human experience, cut and polished to perfection by the renowned psychologist David Myers. Better than any book I can recall, this book answers questions about why we think, feel, and act as we do—but also makes us curious to learn more. I loved it!”

—Angela Duckworth, author of Grit

“For four decades, David Myers has been the foremost communicator of the science of psychology to the outside world. Now, we are privileged to have access to his innermost thoughts and his wisdom about what it all means for ourselves and our future. This is the capstone work of a great psychologist.” —Martin Seligman, Zellerbach Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Hope Circuit

“This book’s title is understated, like its author. It is so much more than ‘curiosities’ and ‘marvels.’ In forty short and engaging essays, David Myers offers guidance on how to think, and wisdom about leading a life of meaning and connection in a world increasingly hostile to such pursuits.”

—Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business, author of The Righteous Mind, and coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind

"We psychologists are often frustrated that our science fails to satisfy people’s curiosity about what makes us tick, how we relate to one another, and how we can use such knowledge to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. But in this book David Myers, who knows a thing or two about psychology, shows how it can be done. These essays are both scientifically responsible and filled with insight about life, mind, and society."

—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and the author of How the Mind Works

"A witty, enjoyable book with plenty of food for thought." —Kirkus

"The book’s format makes for a comfortable, nearly conversational read, while also engaging readers in a deep dive of pondering their lives ... highly recommended for those interested in psychology, self-help, reflections, and the desire to understand society." —Library Journal, starred review

"A quick and illuminating overview of the human mind." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2022

Renowned as a researcher, professor, and textbook author of psychological science, Myers (Exploring Psychology) has written this book of 40 essays that provides his thoughts, insights, and psychological observations on how people come to know themselves. He covers many topics with notable ones about self-knowledge, attention, fear, confidence, trauma, friendships, and happiness. Each essay is a smaller bite-sized serving on the topic; however, this seems to be the perfect extent to provide understanding and contemplation for readers. He easily combines research and science into his essays without being too technical. One fascinating essay delves into the topic of why some think everyone else appears to be enjoying themselves more than them. He discusses the problems with constant comparisons and how social media has affected self-perceptions. The book's format makes for a comfortable, nearly conversational read, while also engaging readers in a deep dive of pondering their lives. VERDICT This book is highly recommended for those interested in psychology, self-help, reflections, and the desire to understand society.—Bridgette Whitt

Library Journal

★ 2022-06-01
Thinking about our own thinking is difficult, but this book offers useful advice in an entertaining package.

In his latest book, Myers, a respected figure in the field of psychology, aims to link academic findings with the everyday lives of ordinary people via essays grouped into themes of the self, relationships, and interactions with society. He readily admits that even after 50 years of study, he is still impressed, and often perplexed, by the human mind. Nevertheless, research can provide useful perspectives, helping us to look below the surface of our thinking. We all have a tendency to overestimate our abilities, even when the objective evidence is against us, and we have a strong need to be part of a group of people like ourselves. This can set up a dangerous pattern of polarization, especially in the digital era. “When like minds discuss, their attitudes often become more extreme,” writes the author. “Like hot coals, like minds strengthen one another.” The author cites data showing that many Americans, especially, don’t interact with those who hold different political views—and don’t want to. The urge to be part of an in-group is balanced by our need to be different at a personal level. Other people think about us much less than we might believe, which can be liberating. “A bad hair day hardly matters,” Myers writes. “And if we wear yesterday’s clothes again today, few will notice. Fewer will care. Of those, fewer still will remember.” The author has some fun looking at the phenomenon of being “phubbed”—i.e., “phone snubbed,” when someone stops talking to you to check their phone. Though Myers is unquestionably an authority, he sometimes trades depth for breadth; some essays are just getting interesting when he moves on to another topic. The author does include a comprehensive reference section for those who want to further investigate a particular area.

A witty, enjoyable book with plenty of food for thought.

Kirkus Reviews