When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...: Common Knowledge And The Science Of Harmony, Hypocrisy And Outrage

Beskrivelse

Steven Pinker explores the fascinating concept of common knowledge-how we constantly think about what others know and what they think we know. This shared awareness shapes many aspects of our social and political lives in surprising ways.

An insightful look into how common knowledge influences human behavior and society.

Steven Pinker, renowned cognitive scientist and bestselling author of titles like Enlightenment Now and The Better Angels of Our Nature, dives into the powerful dynamics of shared understanding. His focus is on how we endlessly consider each other's thoughts, a process that might seem impossible but happens all the time.

This phenomenon, known as common knowledge, is the sense that certain information is public and widely recognized. Pinker reveals how this awareness plays a crucial role in shaping social, political, and economic events.

Common knowledge helps explain many puzzling aspects of life, including:

• Financial booms and busts
• Sudden revolutions
• The diplomatic games of posturing and pretense
• The rise of social media shaming and cancel culture
• The awkward moments of a first date

At the same time, people often try to avoid common knowledge-making sure that even if everyone knows something, no one can be sure that everyone else knows they know it. This leads to behaviors like polite hypocrisy, subtle bribes and threats, sexual innuendo, and ignoring obvious problems.

When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows... delves into these contradictions in human behavior, inviting readers to understand how we attempt to get inside each other’s heads and the resulting harmony, hypocrisy, and outrage that follow.

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