Prey

by Michael Crichton

We think we know what we are doing. We have always thought so. We never seem to acknowledge that we have been wrong in the past, and so might be wrong in the future. Instead, each generation writes off earlier errors as the result of bad thinking by less able minds—and then confidently embarks on fresh errors of its own.

We are one of only three species on our planet that can claim to be self-aware,2 yet self-delusion may be a more significant characteristic of our kind.

So there’s an argument that the whole structure of consciousness, and the human sense of self-control and purposefulness, is a user illusion. We don’t have conscious control over ourselves at all. We just think we do.

Relates to Eagleman's proposal of multitudes, role of consciousness, and lack of free will.

We looked at the world around us as a snapshot when it was really a movie, constantly changing.

They didn’t understand what they were doing. I’m afraid that will be on the tombstone of the human race.