The Worm at the Core

I remember reading a review of The Worm at the Core and buying it the same day. With wide-ranging and eye-opening evidence, this fascinating book demonstrates how the fear of death guides our thoughts and actions. Whereas psychological studies can be at times focused on rather narrow problem areas, The Worm at the Core presents an ambitious theory about the hidden motivations of our decisions and how they surreptitiously relate to the fear of death. It also shows that the ways people try to live meaningful lives are as diverse as people themselves: while some focus on their children who… show more.

In the face of abject terror that was put in place by evolution and exacerbated by culture, nothing is quite as calming as facts and science. These psychologists spent three decades testing the various ways people reacted when given a reminder of their own mortality, and they were startlingly uniform. For example, when given a death reminder people are more likely to give in to prejudice, to vote for ‘charismatic’ leaders, to have the urge to shop or place a higher value on material goods, and become more defensive of their cultural symbols. 

For me, it’s incredibly comforting to realise… show more.