How to Imagine Other People's Situations

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The ability to imagine other people's situations is remarkably difficult. And the fact that we can do it at all is quite extraordinary. We should marvel at how well we could come to you with my problems and you could honestly, so I kind of understand where you're coming from. It helps you appreciate the human condition.

Do psychologists know anything? Psychologist Paul Bloom says yes--but not the things that you might think. Bloom discusses his book Psych with EconTalk's Russ Roberts and what the field of psychology can teach us about human intelligence, consciousness, and unhelpful instincts. They also discuss just how far psychology is from a true understanding of the human mind, and why, according to Bloom, that might not be such a bad thing.