# Self-Deception Helps Us Deceive Others by Robert Trivers > “I believe that self-deception evolves in the service of deceit.” > **— Robert Trivers**, *“Deceit and Self-Deception,” Edge conversation, May 30, 2006* ## Sources and Context - **Original source:** [Robert Trivers, “Deceit and Self-Deception,” Edge conversation (May 30, 2006)](https://www.edge.org/conversation/robert_trivers-deceit-and-self-deception). Trivers explicitly presents an evolutionary hypothesis: concealing a falsehood from oneself can also conceal some of the cues others might use to detect a conscious lie. The first-person “I believe” is part of his statement; the candidate HA-081 removed it and capitalized the next word. This account does not mean every instance of mistaken belief evolved to manipulate another person. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/Walking the Beautiful Path Through the Greatest Transformation in Human History|Walking the Beautiful Path Through the Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Article:** [[articles/Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems|Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Self-Deception|Self-Deception]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Robert Trivers|Robert Trivers]] - [[wiki/Self-Deception|Self-Deception]] - [[wiki/Human Animality|Human Animality]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “I believe that self-deception evolves in the service of deceit.” — Robert Trivers, “Deceit and Self-Deception,” Edge conversation, May 30, 2006 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-trivers-self-deception-deceit ```