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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Born Liars summary
Why We Can’t Live Without Deceit
16 mins
Brief summary
Born Liars by Ian Leslie is a captivating exploration of the many reasons why humans lie. The author delves into the evolution and psychology of lying, providing compelling insights into our most complex and devious behavior.
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Born Liars
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Lying is an essential part of who we are.
Even if you consider yourself an honest person, you probably tell a lie every now and then. Or, to be more precise, you utter a falsehood with intent to deceive. These lies may not be malicious. Indeed, they often aren’t. Lying is simply something we’re hardwired to do.
We lie for a number of reasons, most of which stem from our social nature.
It isn’t easy being a social species. You have to keep track of dozens of relationships, predict how your actions will affect others and how best to react to the actions and reactions of those around you. Just thinking about it is exhausting!
When our ancestors started becoming more social, they began developing bigger brains to cope with these proliferating interpersonal demands. Bigger brains helped them make better decisions, which in turn reinforced their developing intelligence. This narrative is the basis of the “social intelligence” hypothesis proposed in 1976 by the academic Nicholas Humphrey.
Relatively speaking, it wasn’t long before we discovered that deceit is an invaluable tool in society. Say a certain caveman needed more food. It wasn’t long before he realized that he could hide what he’d received from the others and then say he’d never been given his share in the first place.
Society always presents us with rivals and competition, difficulties that we learned to brush aside with a few apposite untruths.
In the 1980s, primatologists Richard Byrne and Andrew Whiten discovered that primates also lie to get ahead.
Two young chimpanzees were once observed digging for food. When they noticed an older chimp approaching, they quickly sat back, scratched their heads, relaxed and began pretending like nothing was going on. Once the older chimp was out of sight, they immediately got back to digging.
This kind of deceit requires intelligence.
To be able to convince that older chimp, the two youngsters had to have good timing and needed to pick the right gestures and posture to make it believable.
According to Byrne and Whiten, human intelligence directly evolved from these scenarios of successful deception.
In other words, lying is an essential part of how we came to be.
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What is Born Liars about?
Born Liars (2011) uncovers the truth about lying and the important role it plays in our lives. Far from being some undesirable glitch in the human system, lying has not only made us smarter but saved many lives and become an essential ingredient to our overall well-being. In these blinks, you’ll learn all about the history and neuroscience of fibbing, why it might be impossible to detect every lie and how central mendacity truly is to being human.
Born Liars Review
Born Liars (2011) dives deep into the fascinating world of deception and reveals why we lie and how it impacts our lives. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Explores the psychology behind lying, shedding light on the reasons why we are driven to deceive others and ourselves.
- Presents thought-provoking examples of famous liars throughout history, from politicians to con artists, offering insight into the consequences of dishonesty.
- Challenges our beliefs about dishonesty with insights from evolutionary biology and social science, making it an intellectually stimulating read.
Best quote from Born Liars
Pinocchios nose remains a fairytale.
—Ian Leslie
Who should read Born Liars?
- Anyone working with advertising
- Armchair psychologists and philosophers
- Cultural anthropologists
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Born Liars FAQs
What is the main message of Born Liars?
The main message of Born Liars is that lying is an innate human behavior and understanding the psychology behind it can help us navigate a world of deception.
How long does it take to read Born Liars?
The reading time for Born Liars varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Born Liars a good book? Is it worth reading?
Born Liars is a thought-provoking read that sheds light on the intricate nature of deception. It is definitely worth exploring for those interested in understanding human behavior.
Who is the author of Born Liars?
The author of Born Liars is Ian Leslie.
What to read after Born Liars?
If you're wondering what to read next after Born Liars, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Spy the Lie by Philip Houston
- Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
- Eat Your Age by Ian K. Smith
- What Makes Us Human? by Charles Pasternak
- How Successful People Lead by John C. Maxwell
- Making a Psychopath by Mark Freestone
- Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime by James O. Pyle and Maryann Karinch
- Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi
- Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Self Delusion by Gregory Berns