Essay Questions

McRaney opens his novel with the following quotation: “THE MISCONCEPTION: You are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is. THE TRUTH: You are as deluded as the rest of us, but that’s OK, it keeps you sane.” This is a very bold way for McRaney to begin his book. Why might he have chosen to open his book with this quotation?

This quotation is rather controversial as an opening to a novel, namely because it is very antagonistic towards the reader; McRaney is essentially challenging his readers’ sense of comfort and intelligence. This type of opening is powerful and effective, however. Firstly, many readers will be curious to learn how and why they should be considered deluded, according to McRaney. Additionally, many readers will read on to inform and confirm their own belief that McRaney’s assumption is not true. Others may simply be curious to learn the direction McRaney’s book will follow. Either way, despite the fact that this opening quotation challenges the reader directly, many readers are likely to continue reading, which works to McRaney’s benefit.

How is consciousness an integral part of McRaney’s text?

The foundation of McRaney’s novel is built upon the idea that human consciousness is a complex and unwavering thing, one that can never be fully understood nor suppressed. In this way, McRaney’s entire novel is spent exploring how human consciousness informs our every decision and prevents us from fully grasping our own, deeply-ingrained biases. In short, the idea of consciousness is fundamental to McRaney’s themes that humans are predictable, and unchangeable. Additionally, McRaney explores consciousness by discussing many different types of bias. As biases are born from our conscious and unconsciousness ideologies and judgements, consciousness is also integral to McRaney’s discussion of present bias and bystander bias.

What is “present bias,” according to McRaney?

McRaney characterizes present bias as the decisions we make and actions we take in the present, which may not satisfy the needs and wants we experience later. He utilizes several food and leisure-related activities. For example, many people—when asked what they want to eat for dessert in a week (fruit or cake)—will choose fruit, as they know this is the healthier option. When the day comes, however, they will ultimately choose cake, as they are catering to their present needs. Similarly, many people will buy healthful foods when grocery shopping, with the intent to use these foods to cook/bake healthful foods in the remainder of the week. As the days pass, however, cravings change and often these fruits and vegetables will get thrown away. In this way, the present bias is characterized by the fact that the decisions we make in the present do not often accommodate for the fact that our future needs and desires are likely to change.