Pinker identifies three entrenched ideas that dominate modern intellectual life, which he seeks to dismantle:
The belief that the mind has no innate structure and that all knowledge and behavior come from experience and culture. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
The fear that biological differences justify discrimination. or personality—have a genetic component
Pinker suggests we cling to these myths out of fear. If we admit that certain traits—like intelligence, aggression, or personality—have a genetic component, people worry it will lead to: people worry it will lead to: