Why Truth May Be Less Important Than We Like to Think
In Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear wrote about truth from an evolutionary perspective. He pointed out that for our primate ancestors, understanding the truth of things (i.e., what sort of plants and animals are dangerous) was necessary for survival. But being part of the tribe was important too. And while these two fundamental survival needs “often work well together, they occasionally come into conflict.”
“In many circumstances,” Clear said,” social connection is actually more helpful to your daily life than understanding the truth of a particular fact or idea.”