The Uses of Delusion: Why It's Not Always Rational to Be Rational

A fascinating examination of delusional thinking and how it might benefit health, relationships, and wellbeing.

Although reason and rationality are our friends in almost all contexts, in some cases people are better off putting reason aside. In a number of very important situations, we benefit by not seeing the world as it is, and by not behaving like logic-driven machines. Sometimes we know we aren't making sense, and yet we are compelled to act against reason; in other cases, our delusions...