New Books on the Brain and What It Can and Canât Do
Credit.John Gall
USEFUL DELUSIONS
By Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler
233 pp. Norton. $27.95.
Image
Should we always advocate for truth? History tells us false beliefs can be dangerous, leading to genocide, racism and attacks on democracy. However, they can also bring harmony and help us thrive. Consider the health benefits of placebos or the comfort of religion. It is not the veracity, but the consequence, of a belief that makes it good or bad, Vedantam and Mesler argue. âLife, like evolution and natural selection, ultimately doesnât care about whatâs true.