Know thyself : the science of self-awareness / Stephen M. Fleming.
Fleming shows that those frustrating moments of knowledge just beyond our grasp aren't some kind of design flaw in our minds. Surprisingly, they are actually examples of our brain's greatest power. Scientists and philosophers call it metacognition, but you might just call it the ability to think about our own minds. Metacognition enables us to answer questions as straightforward as what skills we need to practice or what facts we need to study to do better on a test. And it is the reason we can wonder about issues as big as what we should do with our lives. At least as far back as Socrates, philosophers have encouraged us to know ourselves. Fleming reveals both the science of how we do it and why it matters--and how we can do it better.
"The seconds tick by as the Jeopardy music plays. You know the category like the back of your hand! So why can't you get the answer? Worse: You know you know it, and yet it remains just out of your mind's grasp. And once Alex Trebek reveals the response, it clicks into place. You were right: you had known the answer! So how could you know you knew, but not remember? Why would our magnificent brains be built to do something so, well, stupid? In Know Thyself, Steve Fleming shows that those frustrating moments of knowledge just beyond our grasp aren't some kind of design flaw in our minds. Surprisingly, they are actually examples of our brain's greatest power. Scientists and philosophers call it metacognition, but you might just call it the ability to think about our own minds. It enables us to fuse together our intellects, our memories, and our consciousness in ways that our nearest competitors for brainiest resident of Earth--our computers and our animal brethren--can't come close to matching. Metacognition enables us to answer questions as straightforward as what skills we need to practice or what facts we need to study to do better on a test. And it is the reason we can wonder about issues as big as what we should do with our lives. At least as far back as Socrates, philosophers have encouraged us to know ourselves. In Know Thyself, Fleming reveals both the science of how we do it and why it matters--and crucially, how we can do it better. Like Range and Grit before it, Know Thyself shows us not simply a powerful new aspect of the science of human nature, but shows us how we can put it to use for ourselves"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781541672840
- ISBN: 1541672844
- Physical Description: vii, 290 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Basic Books, Hachette Book Group, 2021.
- Copyright: ©2021
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Preface -- Building minds that know themselves. How to be uncertain ; Algorithms for self-monitoring ; Knowing me, knowing you ; Billions of self-aware brains ; Avoiding self-awareness failure -- The power of reflection. Learning to learn ; Decisions about decisions ; Collaborating and sharing ; Explaining ourselves ; Self-awareness in the age of machines ; Emulating Socrates. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Metacognition. Self-consciousness (Awareness) Neurosciences. PSYCHOLOGY / General. Metacognition. Neurosciences. Self-consciousness (Awareness) |
Genre: | Self-help publications. Instructional and educational works. Instructional and educational works. Self-help publications. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Library.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Public Library. (Show preferred library)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Homer Public Library | 153.4 FLE (Text) | 000165464 | Nonfiction | Available | - |