Born to Lie: How Humans Deceive Ourselves & Others - Lionel Page

Go see Chris live in America - https://chriswilliamson.live Lionel Page is a professor at the University of Queensland and an author. Why is human communication so complicated? For something we rely on every day, you’d think it would be simple, but language, tone, and context make it one of the most complex skills we have. So what makes communication so difficult, and what are some practical ways to get better at it? Expect to learn just how much of our lives are filled with strategic games, what most people do not understand when they think about human reasoning, why human communication is so complex, why we rely so heavily on ambiguity and innuendo, if coalitions and social connection are so important why do some people feel tension socially, if democracy is better understood as a coalition game than a truth-seeking exercise, and much more… - 0:00 What Do We Use Reason For? 5:13 Why Do We Deceive Ourselves? 15:10 Lionel’s View Lying Damaging Our Reputation 24:33 Why Social Games are Hard to Navigate 34:05 The Sydney Sweeney Controversy 39:37 How Venting Masks Judgement 46:41 Communicating is More Complicated Than a Chess Game 01:01:33 Why We Feel the Need to Belong 01:13:49 Using Coalition Psychology to Understand Politics 01:26:39 Are We Aware We’re Playing Psychological Games? - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostLionel Pageguest

Sep 18, 20251h 40mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: September 18, 2025
Duration: 1h 40m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Go see Chris live in America - https://chriswilliamson.live Lionel Page is a professor at the University of Queensland and an author. Why is human communication so complicated? For something we rely on every day, you’d think it would be simple, but language, tone, and context make it one of the most complex skills we have. So what makes communication so difficult, and what are some practical ways to get better at it? Expect to learn just how much of our lives are filled with strategic games, what most people do not understand when they think about human reasoning, why human communication is so complex, why we rely so heavily on ambiguity and innuendo, if coalitions and social connection are so important why do some people feel tension socially, if democracy is better understood as a coalition game than a truth-seeking exercise, and much more… - 0:00 What Do We Use Reason For? 5:13 Why Do We Deceive Ourselves? 15:10 Lionel’s View Lying Damaging Our Reputation 24:33 Why Social Games are Hard to Navigate 34:05 The Sydney Sweeney Controversy 39:37 How Venting Masks Judgement 46:41 Communicating is More Complicated Than a Chess Game 01:01:33 Why We Feel the Need to Belong 01:13:49 Using Coalition Psychology to Understand Politics 01:26:39 Are We Aware We’re Playing Psychological Games? - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Lionel Page
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Lionel Page, Born to Lie: How Humans Deceive Ourselves & Others - Lionel Page explores why We’re Born To Lie: Reason, Self-Deception, and Coalitions Lionel Page argues that human reasoning evolved less as a truth-finding tool and more as a social weapon for persuasion, coalition-building, and bargaining. We think and talk like lawyers, not scientists, selectively using information to win arguments and improve our standing with others. Self-deception emerges as an adaptive strategy: by believing our own flattering narratives, we become more convincing and reduce the reputational risks of overt lying. These dynamics scale from intimate relationships and gossip through seduction and office politics, all the way up to democracy and political polarization, which Page frames as coalitional bargaining over social rules rather than collective truth-seeking.

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