You don’t suppose politicians know about this, do you?

Arguing is futile – people very rarely change their mind in response to debates or policy papers. But when it comes to making snap judgments about new information, or judging what Stephen Colbert would refer to as the “truthiness” of a statement, suddenly people’s minds go from brick walls to porous sieves. Our brains did not evolve for philosophy seminars, they evolved to make decisions based on limited information. And that fact can be manipulated. Here are three ways to do so:



  1. Tim says:

    I won’t cum in your mouth.

    • bobbo, the iconoclastic non-conflating non-dogmatic existential Idol defiling cynosure says:

      Thats the lie. Now, how do you get what you want?

      • Tim says:

        Plan out a meal; prepare it with care
        Polish up and set right the best silverware
        Arrange the good food to make it look fine
        Light the candles and pour the TempRite-chilled wine

        Invite on the phone and spring-load your bone
        Ring ring would you like a fling just the two of us alone?

        With fine peice of ass on third sparkling glass
        Slide close the chair meeting deep-meaning stair
        Complement and run fingers through long-flowing hair
        Then take old the mane and drag down the mare
        “Now, get down on this thing!”

        • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

          You’ve said a mouthful. Hope your presentation is never cut off short.

          • Tim says:

            Why is it always just a nice meal to start but thirty bucks and the keys to the car to “please, just stop???”

  2. Sam says:

    And the truth is found where?

    • Dum Dum says:

      Don’t even think of asking DUMB-ASS that question. That moron will tell you something stupid like, “The Bible is truth.”

      However, I say, surrender all reason and all of a sudden everything is truth. Which is another way of saying, become a mindless follower of any religion or even a political philosophy and you will never again have a mind of your own!

      • dusanmal says:

        Aah, but you missed the point. This is a question NOT of the reason because the study clearly shows that the amount of reason present in the average human is flawed. Not enough for the sane decision.
        This is a question of morality, based on whatever your choice for transcendental is, but necessarily based on the force of belief in something beyond your powers and rational ability. Because only than the threat of the unavoidable consequences which is deep in our brain structure prevents the problem at the source: at the liar. And that is the only place to stop it.
        Immoral liar? – Key is a moral society. Immoral liar will emerge in it. Have some “wins”. But once inevitably found (as there will always be a rational person that can see through him just on statistics) , cut out of said society. In the process of evolution, liars get extinct for the benefit of moral society.
        You disconnect the morality from the society and you get Wieners running for political office (in any sense of that word) and societal collapse as it can’t stand – it is not sustainable without morality guaranteeing dominance of truth vs. lies. (Hey, will that bridge hold? Yeah, sure. Results of that in moral and immoral society…?)

  3. bobbo, the iconoclastic non-conflating non-dogmatic existential Idol defiling cynosure says:

    I disagree because I once worked with a professional deal maker, a closer if you will, and he swore that charts help quantify what might otherwise be vague and ambiguous in the audiences mind. Charts will reveal a lie more easily just as they more easily demonstrate the truth. This has been shown over and over in the University system of Southern France.

    • Dum Dum says:

      I think you missed an rather insightful article about how statistics can be misleading. Conversely, facts can be manipulated! Check it out Four Common Statistical Misconceptions You Should Avoid:

      http://lifehacker.com/four-common-statistical-misconceptions-you-should-avoid-906056582

      • bobbo, the iconoclastic non-conflating non-dogmatic existential Idol defiling cynosure says:

        Good to remind one’s self of such examples, and longer lists too, every once in a while. It was satisfying to read that too many people stop thinking completely when presented with correlation data. In reality—its when you should START thinking.

        Can anyone explain the Simpson’s Paradox to me==because I’m falling for it:

        For example, the median wage, adjusted for inflation, rose in the United States since 2000. However, the median wage actually fell for every sub-group of workers. /// How is THAT possible?

        • Sam says:

          I’m satisfied with the Wikipedia explanation of Simpson’s Paradox (see the examples).

          You know, some people have an innate ability to persuade others through the use of paradoxical logic and sweet talk.

          They grow up to be salesmen of dubious products, street corner magicians, and disingenuous civil rights lawyers. Some graduate and become full-time politicians.

          They are all successful because they practice everyday, learn new tricks from fellow alumni, and never ever lose any sleep over their disservice to the public that blindly supports them.

          • bobbo, the iconoclastic non-conflating non-dogmatic existential Idol defiling cynosure says:

            Thanks for the link:

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson%27s_paradox

            I think I’ll be able to understand the Kidney Stone example when I’m sober.

            One issue as it extends to “Scientific Proof” is the groups were not randomly assigned. But given the administered 6-Pack, thats not really clear to me right now either.

  4. bobbo, the iconoclastic non-conflating non-dogmatic existential Idol defiling cynosure says:

    Todays liars==use links to irrelevant websites.

  5. Dum Dum says:

    We are from the GOVERNMENT and are here to help.

    Practically since the beginning of civilization, that’s the biggest lie EVER! And when you think about it (assuming you can think), that “hope and change” thing is really just an extension of the same old lie.

    Great lies to keep using too. Because any politician (or entertainer) will tell you that you gotta give the people what they want. And that lie never seems to disappoint since it does seem to be what the idiot slaves want to hear.

    Forget any FACTS! Appeal to EMOTION and you’re in!

  6. Dallas says:

    This is Karl Rove territory. An expert on lying, deceiving who propelled the Bush family’s drug addicted, drunk driving, draft dodging and pot smoking special needs kid.

    Fox News re-purposes these lying skills to formulate their programming and interview techniques. The sheeple are in awe.

    • Greg Allen says:

      OK, from the article:

      “Obamacare needs to be repaled BECAUSE Obama is a Marxist– (show a picture of Obama with a Hitler musache.). And, of course, Obama was born in Kenya because his mother faked the birth certificate while she was raising him as Muslim in Indonesia. ”

      “You convinced me! Obamacare will ruin America!”

  7. msbpodcast says:

    Funny how government programs and subsidies of all kinds that benefit the 1%ers and/or the oligarchs never seem to get targeted but stuff that might be benefitting the 99%ers are always being vilified and compared with Satanist rites.

  8. Roc Rizzo says:

    Can’t you just give John Boner a million or so, and have it passed as a law?
    Heck, big corporations do it all the time.

  9. HUGSaLOT says:

    Trick #3 makes me thankful the bible wasn’t a picture book.


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