The Idea You are Least Likely to Believe

When Trump started his historic run for the White House last year, I blogged that he would change more than politics. I said he would forever change how we view reality. And so he has.  The mainstream media and the public now accept the idea that Trump ignored facts, science,…

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About #Pizzagate

If you aren’t following the dark corners of social media you might not know of something called Pizzagate. Snopes.com calls it a “detailed conspiracy theory.” The basic idea is that a pizza parlor in Washington DC is alleged to be the center of a major child sex ring that involves top…

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The Trump Talent Stack

As I explained in my book, there are two ways to make yourself valuable. The first way is to become the best at some specific skill, the way Tiger Woods dominated golf. But not many of us can be Tiger Woods. So that path is unavailable to 99% of the world….

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A Lesson in Cognitive Dissonance

Imagine you are one of the anti-Trump folks who believe we just elected a racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-semitic, science-denying dictator. Let’s say that’s the movie playing in your mind. That’s some scary stuff. Now imagine watching the news as Trump reveals in slow-motion that he’s flexible and pragmatic on just…

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Persuasion Versus Populism

I’m hearing lots of after-the-fact explanations for why Trump won the election. The most common interpretation of events is that many citizens had a view of the country that pundits, pollsters, and the Clinton campaign missed. But somehow Trump accurately identified the mood of the people – especially in the…

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Reprogram an Anti-Trumper with This Article

It would take me too long to explain why this article about Trump, by Scott Alexander, is so important to you and to the country. Stop whatever you are doing and give it ten minutes.  Seriously. Stop what you are doing. Give this ten minutes. It’s more important that almost anything you…

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Working for the Machines

Today I see in the news that Google is trying to dehypnotize potential ISIS recruits by manipulating what content they see when they try to search for pro-ISIS stuff. That’s mind control. And it works.  Meanwhile, Facebook is trying to have it both ways by insisting that advertising on their platform is effective while…

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The Hypnosis Lawyer

Did you see the story about the Ohio lawyer that allegedly hypnotized his female clients against their will and molested them? He was just sentenced to 12 years in prison for “kidnapping.” You might be wondering if it is possible for a hypnotist lawyer to put people into trances in his office, sexually…

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How to Break an Illusion

Anti-Trump protesters believe they are fighting the good fight to stop a racist, homophobic, sexist monster. But about half of the country – the half that I’m in – is in a different movie. In our movie, we selected a new president and half of the country is in cognitive…

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The Cognitive Dissonance Cluster Bomb

Earlier this week CNN.com listed 24 different theories that pundits have provided for why Trump won. And the list isn’t even complete. I’ve heard other explanations as well. What does it tell you when there are 24 different explanations for a thing? It tells you that someone just dropped a cognitive dissonance…

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While You Were Looking in the Wrong Direction

I’ve written a few times that Clinton deserves credit for breaking the glass ceiling for the highest office, at least in our minds, and that’s where it matters most. In 2016, no thinking person believes gender is a job requirement for president. That isn’t even a thing anymore. And Clinton…

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The De-Hitlerization of Your Brain

The election is over and Trump supporters are trying to mind their own business, as usual. Meanwhile, Clinton’s supporters are on the streets to protest people who act the way they are acting. How did things get this crazy? Well, most of it has to do with Clinton’s persuasion experts…

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I Answer Your Questions About Predicting President Trump

Did the United States Just Elect a Monster? No. Clinton’s team of cognitive scientists and professional persuaders did a terrific job of framing Trump as scary. The illusion will wear off – albeit slowly – as you observe Trump going about the job of President and taking it seriously. You…

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The Last Confirmation Bias Test of This Election

Last year in this blog I told you that Trump would change more than politics. I said he would forever change how you view reality. I’ll prove that to you today with a fun experiment. At the end of this post I will give you a link to a very…

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Thank You for The Best Year Ever

Election Day is upon us and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading this blog, following me on Twitter, or tuning in to my coffee talks on Periscope. This has been the most fun I have ever had in one year. Hands down. We…

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