Much of our everyday behavior is motivated by self-serving reasons. Yet, because of the high social cost of behaving selfishly, we try to convince others that our motivations are magnanimous and noble. The most effective way for our brain to pull off that deception of others is to deceive ourselves. So, that’s exactly what it does—it keeps much our uglier motives hidden in our subconscious where it won’t get us in trouble.

Based on The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson, Harmony UU member Paul Smith’s September 2, 2018 sermon uncovers that uglier, unexamined side of our nature. Once you more accurately assess your own motivations, you’ll be in a better position to behave in ways that are more consistent with your ethics.

Read more about this service here:https://harmonyuu.org/the-sermons/hidden-motives-in-everyday-life-the-ugly-side-of-human-subconscious/