www.noquarterusa.netSocial science research has demonstrated it over and over again, but we let ourselves be bamboozled every time.
We are so influenced by hype, glitz, cultural biases and tricks, and other gimmicks that lead us to make decisions already predetermined by others. And it’s amazing how well such tactics work when hoodwinkers want to use them against us. Or when we fall victim to our own information-processing vulnerabilities.
Audiences rate speeches delivered by a man as superior to the exact same speech delivered by a woman. The content of an essay attributed to an individual described as an expert is rated well above that same essay attributed to a college freshman. A high-priced artwork is preferred to that same piece at a bargain price. And judges of wine are influenced by so many factors that the pattern of winners looks almost random.
Leonard Miodinow’s Wall Street Journal piece titled, “A Hint of Hype, A Taste of Illusion” inspired my cartoon. He tells the fascinating story of the winners and losers of wine competitions. Judges vary so significantly that such contests have little meaning. My advice here is to just figure out what you like. Some expert sommelier somewhere will extol your excellent taste in wine.
So, what does all this mean regarding our ability to pick (and then vote for) competent leaders with strong character?
We know that getting caught up in spin can be dangerous. Bernie Maddoff’s sweet talk comes to mind. But in this election year we have to be ultra-sensitive lest we be duped again by both the media and candidates’ spinning machines. We already know what a slick campaign can wreak—and we are living it out now at the highest levels.
It may be difficult to remain oblivious to the dazzling words and the flying mud that we are beginning to experience as November elections heat up. But if one keeps totally focused on candidate’s documented previous experiences and integrity, it is more difficult to be stupid.
Finally, it is said that when Issac Stern learned that a Carnegie Hall concert was sold out far in advance, he went out in his old clothes and played his violin on the sidewalk so that his fans who were not lucky enough to get tickets could hear him up close. However, few stopped to notice.
So I offer this analogy: “Pay attention only to the sound of the violin and you will know what to do.”
