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Shermer and Vyse discuss: What is a delusion? \\u2022 veridical perception \\u2022 perceptual illusions and irrationalities \\u2022 Kahneman vs. Gigerenzer: rationality, irrationality, and bounded rationality \\u2022 Rational Choice Theory and Homo economicus \\u2022 William Clifford v. William James: When is it ok to believe anything upon insufficient evidence? \\u2022 pragmatic truths, 3 conditions: living hypothesis, forced question, momentous \\u2022 death and delusion: Is it useful to believe death is not the end of consciousness and self? \\u2022 paradoxical behavior and the search for underlying reasons for our actions \\u2022 rational irrationalities \\u2022 self delusions \\u2014 that is, delusions about the self \\u2022 optimism and overoptimism \\u2022 depressive realism \\u2022 bluffing self and others \\u2022 lies vs. bullshit \\u2022 self-control, will power, and time discounting \\u2022 status quo bias \\u2022 superstitions, rituals and incantations \\u2022 faith and religion \\u2022 delusion in love and marriage \\u2022 brainwashing and influence (Stockholm Syndrome, etc.) \\u2022 conformity, role playing, obedience to authority, and the banality of evil \\u2022 the core of personality and the constructed self \\u2022 free will and determinism.

Psychologist Stuart Vyse\\u2019s new book, The Uses of Delusion, is about aspects of human nature that are not altogether rational but, nonetheless, help us achieve our social and personal goals. In his book, and in this conversation, Vyse presents an accessible exploration of the psychological concepts behind useful delusions, fleshing out how delusional thinking may play a role in love and relationships, illness and loss, and personality and behavior. Throughout, Vyse strives to answer the question: why would some of our most illogical beliefs be as helpful as they are? Vyse also suggests that evolutionary pressures may have led to the ability to fool ourselves in order to survive.

Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, teacher, and writer. He taught at Providence College, the University of Rhode Island, and Connecticut College. Vyse\\u2019s book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstitionwon the 1999 William James Book Award of the American Psychological Association. He is a contributing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, where he writes the \\u201cBehavior & Belief\\u201d column, and a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.