Why You Need to Learn about Trivers' Theory of Self-Deception

Grifting and true belief can be complementary, not opposed to one another

Robert Trivers just passed away. This gives me an excuse to discuss his big idea that has provided one of the most fundamental frameworks for how I understand politics and social life. Trivers’ theory has had both major and subtle impacts on my thinking on a wide range of phenomena. Basically, nearly every view I hold depends to some extent on Trivers being somewhere in the background.

If you spend time on social media, you will see that it is very common for people to accuse their political opponents of lying. Especially when the target is smart, you’ll often hear criticisms along the lines of “no way he believes this.” And it is true that smart people sometimes say crazy things. It is very easy to assume that they are seeking some material or social advantage when they purport to believe in irrational ideas. Maybe a politician is trying to win an election, or an influencer is attempting to gain a larger audience.

Yet if you understand Trivers’ theory of self-deception, you see that the question “Does this person really believe this or are they grifting?” is usually meaningless. Or at the very least it needs to be more precisely defined before we put forward an answer.