Why is the first paragraph of this column so important? That is easy to answer: if the first paragraph sounds sufficiently interesting you are more likely to read on. And, providing that your interest continues as we get into the thick of it, you will read to the end. But we may not be aware that this could be a simple instance of how evolution frequently leads us into error. You might like to consider the most typical ways, according to psychologists, that we tend to go wrong.
My first example is known as “fight or flight”. For our pre-human ancestors, the safest response to any threat was either to prepare immediate defence or to escape from the situation. So our brains learnt to respond instantly, and, even before our conscious thinking, our bodies reacted. A possible danger would trigger the adrenalin needed for swift action.
