Scott Adams: In his own words
Yesterday I kicked the hornet’s nest by suggesting that no scientist really believes that complicated models with lots of variables can reliably predict the future. This is a subset of my larger point that no non-scientist can evaluate the claims of climate science because BOTH sides look 100% convincing to the under-informed. …
Read MoreI keep hearing people say that 97% of climate scientists are on the same side of the issue. Critics point out that the number is inflated, but we don’t know by how much. Persuasion-wise, the “first offer” of 97% is so close to 100% that our minds assume the real number…
Read MoreOver the past eighteen months or so my girlfriend Kristina Basham grew her Instagram following from zero to 2.5 million followers. She adds about 10,000 new followers per day. That’s ten thousand new followers per day. You might think this kind of accomplishment is easy for her because of her extraordinary attractiveness. Sure,…
Read MorePrior to President Elect Trump filling the Secretary of State job, I blogged here that Bolton’s mustache would be a problem. Today I see this: Trump rejects John Bolton not because he’s deranged but because he has a mustache. You can’t make this up. https://t.co/nimhTU60U4 pic.twitter.com/hjQHsu0Q4m — Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) December 22, 2016 — Have…
Read MoreI’ve been teaching you how to be persuasive for the past year. But I should also tell you what doesn’t work for changing people’s minds. Analogies: Analogies are good tools for explaining a concept to someone for the first time. But because analogies are imperfect they are the worst way to persuade. All…
Read MoreDo you remember when Wikileaks first started releasing the hacked emails from the DNC? Julian Assange told us the good stuff was coming later. Then some more emails were released, but still no good stuff. Just stuff. But the really, really good stuff was coming, Assange assured us. Not this…
Read MoreI often hear from people who are on one side or the other on the topic of climate change. And I think I spotted a new cognitive phenomenon that might not have a name.* I’ll call it cognitive blindness, defined as the inability to see the strong form of the other side of…
Read MoreCIA refuses to brief Congress about the Russian hacks? Fire the Director of the CIA TODAY and walk him out. https://t.co/etfO28slfw — Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) December 15, 2016
Read MoreOne way to look at the recent election in the United States is that Russia (allegedly) subverted our democratic process to ensure that Trump would win. The facts seem to point in that general direction, although we can’t know how much influence Russia really had. Another way to look at…
Read MoreI’m watching the mainstream media have fits over so-called “fake news.” The theme they are pushing is that fake news stories are more damaging to society than normal news that includes the following: 1. True stories told out of context to intentionally mislead. 2. Biased reporting that the media doesn’t realize…
Read MoreWe’re living in one of the most interesting times in human history. We just witnessed reality forking into two separate paths right in front of us. As regular readers of this blog know, my background in hypnosis and persuasion has erased my belief that some people can see reality for…
Read MoreThe most important job opening that Trump has to fill – at least from a “brand” perspective – is Secretary of State. You can get away with hiring loyal supporters for less-visible cabinet positions, but you need to get the Secretary of State job right because it directly reflects on…
Read MoreBefore I start, let me say as clearly as possible that I agree with the scientific consensus on climate change. If science says something is true – according to most scientists, and consistent with the scientific method – I accept their verdict. I realize that science can change its mind, of…
Read MoreBy now you know that President Elect Trump took a call from the President of Taiwan and simultaneously lit on fire the underpants of the mainstream media and maybe the leadership of China too. Apparently taking a phone call from the president of Taiwan is a major diplomatic change from the so-called “One…
Read MoreWhen 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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