Out of Character

Buchzusammenfassung

David DeSteno is an associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University and director of the school’s Social Emotions Lab. His work has been published in The New York Times and Scientific American.

Risk-taking and cautious behavior are shaped by how individuals perceive risk and reward, influenced by emotions, biology, and external factors. Emotional states like anger or happiness can skew judgment, while vivid rewards, such as the smell of freshly baked cookies, increase risk-taking. Acts of kindness, like expressing gratitude, foster trust and generosity, whereas observing negative behaviors, like cheating, can encourage similar actions. Biases, often ingrained since childhood, surface under stress, affecting moral decisions and perceptions. Pride, though motivating and tied to self-improvement, can lead to arrogance but also serve as a psychological shield in adversity. Morality and hypocrisy are fluid, shaped by emotions and context, while character evolves, reflecting the balance between long-term planning and short-term gratification. Compassion and cruelty hinge on perceived similarities, as seen in moments of unity during conflict, but expanding our sense of "us" can counteract dehumanization. Desire, rooted in primal instincts like attraction to symmetry, contrasts with love’s complexity, both influenced by biology and hormones. Emotions like jealousy further reveal how deeply feelings drive human behavior.

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