[notacoward]

A lot of what happens in both business and politics makes more sense if we consider that some people have an innate ability to evade even smart people's BS detectors when they're together in person. Doesn't matter if it's animal magnetism, pheromones, subliminal body language, or scam superintelligence. Is it so hard to believe that we all have heuristics we use to decide whether to trust someone?

Where there are heuristics, there are ways to game those heuristics. Practically none of us are as immune to non-rational persuasion as we think/claim we are. Whatever it is, I've known people whose ability to get what they want was extremely hard to explain any other way. I literally avoid being in their presence, and that has been good for me.

I feel like I'm better than most at detecting BS, at least 90th percentile, but I'd be a fool to think I'm the best in the world. When I can sense that I'm outmatched, the rational thing to do is change the game. Con men have known since forever that egotists are the best marks.