I finally got around to watching the video of Noam Chomsky and Robert Trivers discussing deceit and deception. Wonderful to watch how two very sharp minds go about thinking through things. Here's the part that grabbed my attention. Robert Trivers at one point in the conversation:
"..you have the following kinds of verbal things that people do, apparently quite unconsciously. If you're a member of my group and you do something good, I make a general statement: "Noam Chomsky is an excellent person." Now if you do something bad, I give a particular statement, "Noam Chomsky stepped on my toe."But it's exactly reversed if you're not a member of my group. If you're not a member of my group and you do something good I say, "Noam Chomsky gave me directions to MIT." But if he steps on my toe I say, "He's a lousy organism," or "He's an inconsiderate person."
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