Mind Engineering v2.8

MIND ENGINEERING
HOW TO BECOME SMART WITHOUT

LEARNING ANYTHING NEW
Harry Jonathan Chong
Copyright © 2019 by Harry Jonathan Chong

Mind Engineering: How to Become Smart Without Learning Anything New
A Book by Harry Jonathan Chong
CHAPTER 1: AN ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTION
The Key to Becoming Smarter: Mindsets
First questions first: What is this book? This is a self-help book for people who want to become
smarter...without learning anything new. Now, when we say "without learning anything new," what we
mean is your intelligence will be increased based not solely on the memorization of numerous facts, but
rather the sharpening of what already exists in your mind.
You see, most people have the capabilities to be rather smart, but they are held back because of
how they think. Specifically, they have certain "mindsets." Mindsets as it pertains to this book is about
modes of thinking, and exactly how one seeks solutions, and approaches problems.
If you adopt a new mindset, or mindsets, you can have astounding results in pertinence to your
intellect. Think back to your life as a student. Have you ever studied, and worked harder than one of
your friends? But still got a lower mark on your exam, or test? Yes? And why did that happen when you
put in more effort?
Did your friend have a better brain than you? Were they naturally smarter? "No" to each of
those questions. That's not the case. They simply approached the task differently, i.e. they had a
different mindset. Instead of working harder they worked smarter.
Likewise, this thought can be applied anywhere else, even physically. Imagine two persons
lifting weights to get in shape, who has more gains at the end of it? The one that constantly works out,
without breaks, or the individual that does their work-outs, but takes days off to rest?
The answer is the individual that works out, and rests will be the most successful. They have the
better results because they think differently. Here it's not the work alone that brings results, but the
method, and frame of mind.
Ergo, if you want to become smarter in something you need to have the right mindset. In this
book, instead of teaching you plain facts, we will teach you how to think. To begin we will discuss the
human mind, because understanding how your own brain works is vitally important.
CHAPTER 2: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MIND
Observations of the Human Mind
1. There is No Such Thing as a Genius
In novels, and in movies, and on TV, you often have that one character who knows everything about
everything, and everyone. But this is an absurd fantasy. No one can know everything. There just isn't
enough time in the day.
As it is, people are only good at one or two things, so-so in a couple of subjects, and complete
crap at the rest. This is no exaggeration. Look at the top minds of all time.
Albert Einstein, let's say. Einstein was only good at physics. Was he good at chess, or checkers?
Did he know in depth the history of Imperial China? Could he craft a dinner table made from wood?
The answers are nope, nope, nope, and nope!
So, you can be a genius in one field, but there's no way you can be a genius in all things. The
mythical know-it-all genius does not exist.
A representation of a person's intelligence:

[INSERT PICTURE OF PYRAMID]
However, in spite of this notion, this does not mean you have to have intellectual stagnation.
There are certainly ways to enhance what's at the top of your "intelligence pyramid" and there are
possibilities to add plenty to the middle.
2. Intelligence is Specific, General Intelligence is a Misnomer
Adding to the idea that "There Is No Such Thing as a Genius" it must be noted that you will only get
good at something if you train, or study for it. Contrary to popular belief, there really is no catch-all
practice that will increase your intelligence across the board.
If you want to improve in something you must do that specific thing. If you want an increase in
general intelligence, then that actually requires knowing about many topics.
General intelligence in reality is having knowledge of many different subjects. As you know,
this is how elementary school, and high schools are arranged. They give students a wide variety of
things to learn, and to study, then afterwards they head off to college, or university, and focus on fewer
subjects, going on to specialize in one area.
However, this concept doesn't extend only to intellectual pursuits. In exercising, for example,
you can see these principles at play. In weight lifting, you have to target specific areas of the body. If
you do bicep curls your biceps increase in size, and strength, while having very little effect on your
chest, or leg, unless you target them as well.
So it goes the mind is like this too. Do you want to be a programmer? A writer? An artist? Then
program, write, and do art. All at the same time? That's up to you.
3. IQ Tests are Overrated
Most IQ tests do not accurately measure intelligence, and are highly overrated. While IQ tests can
identify deficiencies in mental capacity they are no good for telling whether someone is smart, or not.
Once again touching on the idea of specificity, doing well on an IQ test usually only means one
thing -- you're good at doing IQ tests.
To drive this point home, I present to you two people: The illustrious Elon Musk, and
Christopher Langan.
Elon Musk. We all know who he is. He's the billionaire, tech entrepreneur behind companies
like SpaceX, and Tesla Motors. He's extremely accomplished yet we don't know his IQ. It's probably
high, but he hasn't revealed anything to us.
Now, there's Christopher Langan. Some say a remarkable genius, and the smartest man in
America. It's estimated his IQ is anywhere from 195 to 210, which would make him smarter than
Albert Einstein, and therefore Elon Musk.
But guess what? He hasn't achieved anything notable in his life. He's contributed almost nothing
of substance to the world of academia. He has no research findings that have led to the progress of
mankind.
And why's that? He's probably someone who only excels at taking IQ tests, and doing things
purely on paper. His supposed IQ has not made him significantly more successful. Other people, with
far lower IQs, have surpassed him.
So, what does a high IQ mean then? It means you're good at taking IQ tests.
4. Everyone Can Become Smarter

Intellectually speaking, everyone has something that they can fix, and improve upon, meaning
everyone can become smarter.
But how long does it take to become smarter? That depends on your personality, and astuteness.
Common wisdom says that you need 10,000 hours to master any subject, or pursuit.
This was a conclusion drawn after studying numerous high performing athletes; ten thousand
hours, they claim, is the golden number.
But here's the thing it doesn't take 10,000 hours of time to master the basics. And most people
can greatly benefit from just learning the basics of something.
For many subjects you can get by on just knowing basic knowledge. According to Josh
Kaufman author of "The First 20 Hours" it only takes approximately 20 hours to learn something.
In practical terms, this can be viewed as 30 minutes a day over 40 days. Can you spare half of
an hour a day for 5 weeks to learn something new, or improve in an area of interest?
5. There Are Four Types of Intelligences
A psychologist named Howard Gardner, several decades ago, once proposed a very radical idea that
there were numerous types of intelligences, and contrary to common wisdom at the time, people,
children especially, were said to each learn in their own way, and that it was crucially important for
their education that they be taught in a way suited to their abilities.
Gardner named 7 different intelligences, and they were as follows:
A) Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
B) Linguistic Intelligence
C) Spatial Intelligence
D) Musical Intelligence
E) Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
F) Interpersonal Intelligence
G) Intrapersonal Intelligence
As you can see there is a comprehensive list of intelligences. However, we believe in different types of
intelligences, and we have deviated from Gardner's seven, and for our purposes have instead
categorized intelligences into four broad categories.
The Four Intelligences Are As Follows:
Memory Intelligence | Creative Intelligence

------------------------------------------------------
Logical Intelligence | Psychological Intelligence
(Or Emotional Intelligence)
Looking at the quadrants you may have noticed they are arranged in a particular pattern. You have the
left side, and the right side (much like the left brain, and the right brain).
Memory, and logical intelligences complement each other on the left, while on the right there's
creative and psychological intelligences, making for an appropriate match.
However, there is also an antagonistic nature to these intelligences. Going diagonally from one
area to the next following the pattern of an "X" we see the categories that do not necessarily go well
together.
For example: Memory intelligence isn't necessarily so great with the psychology of the human
mind, and its emotions, whilst logical thinking, and creativity can clash.
But why is this? Memorizing a traumatic event (which evokes emotions, and affects you
psychologically) can be negative.
Creative intelligence also can be hampered by logic, especially in the world of art. In a movie,
should there be sound in outer space when there's an explosion? Logically you'd say no, but creatively,
and artistically, it's a yes.
However, it must be clarified that in reality all of these intelligences are used in any process of
thinking, but the question is to what degree? Depending on what you are trying to achieve one
intelligence may find itself the most dominant, and thus be of most prominence.
Although upon further examination, we notice that memory intelligence is the greatest, being
the underpinning to all intelligences. It is the basic function of the human brain, and nothing else can be
developed without it.
We all know what Alzheimer's Disease is, and that it demonstrates what can happen to a human
being when they cannot remember. The consequences are absolutely devastating.
Yes, memory is obviously important, but we'd be remiss to say the others aren't. There's logical
intelligence, which would apply to taking what is contained within your environment, and manipulating
it for your own purposes.
A great example of using logical intelligence is solving a jigsaw puzzle. You have all these
pieces that you must fit together, but you aren't able to deviate; otherwise it wouldn't be complete.
There is a strong rigidity to it.
On the other hand, creative intelligence often allows for, and encourages deviation. If for
example you are a fiction writer you would need to let your imagination run wild, and break the rules
on what can, and cannot be done. You might need to make use of magic, and have dragons, and all
these things that do not really exist, all in order to evoke emotions.
Speaking of which, the last intelligence, psychological and emotional intelligence, is often
overlooked, but it does play an important role in how well someone can do in life, and nearly any
endeavour that requires real effort.
Seemingly not the most important of the bunch the importance of psychological intelligence is
often eschewed. However, emotional intelligence, depending on how developed it is, can facilitate or
hamper an individual to an extreme degree.
For example: Do you know of someone who seems naturally smart, but does not excel because
they are lazy? (This might be you.) The problem is they lack emotional intelligence, specifically in
regard to motivation and drive, and this holds them back, and then they do not live up to what others
expect of them.
Sure, the talent, and potential is there, but it's undermined by the individual's psychological state
that does not give them the capabilities to overcome the various emotional problems of which there are
numerous. There can be the fear of failure, or even the fear of success, or family stress, or romantic
heartbreak. Nearly anything in life can impede a human being. Either way it is imperative to conquer
one's own psychology.
CHAPTER 3: AN INTELLIGENT OUTLINE
The Key to Becoming Smart: Mindsets
In this chapter we begin exploring the idea of "mindsets." Mindsets are the core of this book. They are
what make you smart. It's not enough to just memorize facts, and data. You must know how to make
the most of it by thinking a certain way.
Yet this fairly simple idea does not seem to be a part of today's education system. Students all
around the world are being let down by inadequate schooling, and almost no one in a position of power
is addressing the problem.
The education system sucks, because it merely teaches you rote learning, which is of course
learning through repetition. You read a piece of information, and repeat it over, and over again, until it
finally sticks in your brain at some arbitrary moment.
Is this madness? Well, rote learning has been the backbone of education since mankind could
think, and in truth will probably never go away.
However, rote learning alone isn't enough in this day, and age of information. You must learn
how to manipulate information, and use it in a way that suits you.
What Mindsets You Need to Learn
All the mindsets you learn will fall under the four intelligences, and will have a keen focus on skill
development.
Memory Intelligence | Creative Intelligence

------------------------------------------------------
Logical Intelligence | Psychological Intelligence
(Or Emotional Intelligence)
Although you might be tempted to skip around throughout this publication, it is recommended that you
read the book in its entirety rather than cherry picking what to read. It's imperative you expose yourself
to all the mindsets, and ways of thinking at first.
After then, if you wish, you can be selective, and choose what you feel works just for you. So,
follow these instructions, and you are bound to become smarter.
At the end of this, you ought to find yourself better mentally well rounded, which is important
in laying the foundation to excelling academically, and otherwise.
Our book will seek to broaden your entire mind, in one way, or another, to give you a
heightened sense of confidence in your intellect that you can truly show off to the world.
Nearly every mindset we teach you will be useful, and each one will touch on the many areas in
your life, especially where due thought is required.
So, don't be shy. Get out of your comfort zone, and intellectually dive right in.
The following is a preview of what you are in for:
1. Mindsets for Memory Intelligence
- Mnemonics: An Aid to Memory

- Stages of Memory
- Lukasa Memory Board
- Isolation Effect, Von Restorff Effect
- SMASHIN SCOPE
- Spacing Effect, Spaced Learning, Spaced Repetition

- The Rule of 7, Effective Frequency
- Enhancing the Process
- Memory Palace
- Memory Journey
- Story Method (Chain Method, Mnemonic Link System)

- Substitute Words
- Associations, Exaggeration, Novelty
- Acronym Mnemonic
- Acrostic Mnemonic
- Number Rhyme System

- Number Shape System
- Memorizing Names and Faces
- Memorizing Speeches (Keywords, Improvisation)
- Memorizing Books
- Learning Another Language

- Reading Aloud
- Writing to Remember
- Memorizing Maps: The People Map Method
- Songlines
- Mixing and Maximizing Mnemonics
2. Mindsets for Logical Intelligence
- Why Asians Excel in Math (Mastering the Basics)

- Efficient Arithmetic (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division)
- Rapidly Squaring Two Digit Numbers
- How to Easily Calculate Percentages
- Increase Your Reading Speed (i.e. Speed Reading)
- Critical Thinking, and Skepticism: A Summary

- Scientific Thinking
- Rapid-fire Testing, A/B Testing
- Expanding Your Skepticism: Tricks, Traps, and Scams
- Social Engineering
- Fallacies, and Faults in Thinking

- Common Human Biases, and Behaviors
- Media Skulduggery, Misinformation, and Fake News
3. Mindsets for Creative Intelligence
- How to Draw
- How to Write Fiction (Hero's Journey, Story Structure)
- General Tips & Advice for Creative Intelligence:

- Slow Down
- You Can't Force Creativity
- Creativity Can Happen by Accident
- You're More Creative When Your Eyes Are Closed
- Be Open-minded
- Brainstorm
- Have Intellectual Empathy
- Expand Your Knowledge
- Borrow Ideas, and Make Them Your Own
- Cross-Pollination
- Substitutions
- Ask Unusual Questions
- Flip the Script, Think in Opposites
- Use Limitations for Creativity
- Take Inspiration from Fantasy & Dreams

- Throw Everything at the Wall, and See What Sticks
- Break the Rules
4. Mindsets for Psychological & Emotional Intelligence
- The Big 5 Personality Traits

- Ameliorating "The Big 5"
- O.C.E.A.N.
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
5. More Mindsets for Logical Intelligence: Enhancing the Learning Process
Attitude
- Believe
- Master the Basics
- Be Patient
- Be Persistent
- Be Humble
- Be Okay with Failure

- Have Intellectual Empathy, Have a Mentor or Role Model
- Don't Be Afraid of Copying Others
- Follow Your Nature
- Be a Lifelong Learner
- Learn from Others
Management
- Manage Yourself Objectively, Use a Third-Person Perspective

- Delegate
- Be Goal Oriented
- Do More Research
- Backup Your Files, Documents, and Work (Make Duplicates)
- Consider Modifying Your Goal(s) Based on Research

- Don't Modify Your Goals Based on Advice from Ignoramuses
- Read Other People's Stories, Find Out How Other People Achieved What You Want to Achieve
- Break Down Your Grand Goal into Small(er) Goals
- Make an Outline
- Track Your Progress

- Test Yourself
- Ensure Resources Are in Place
- Use Multiple Sources of Information
- Make a Schedule (Time Management)
- Work on Lulls
- Readjust, Fine-tune
- Be Patient; Accept Moderate, Steady Progress
Miscellaneous Mindsets
- Active Learning, Not Passive Learning

- Get Hands On
- Specific Learning
- Experiment With Your Learning
- Adapt Using Substitutions, Swapping
- Make Notes
- What To Do If You Can't Remember Something
- Reach Into the Past (Use What You Already Know)
- Backtrack, Double-check
- Thought Experiments, Using Your Imagination
- Be Calm, Close Your Eyes to Think

- Quick Thinking and Slow Thinking
- Change Your Environment
- Mix It Up
- Do What's Easy First
- Use Red Flags

- Talk to Yourself
- Rest
- Teach to Learn
- Chalkboarding
- Play to Learn
- It's Okay to Be Lazy Sometimes
- Use Technology But Do Not Be Over-reliant On It
- Learning, and Unlearning
- Find Your Own Mindsets, Customize Your Learning
- Organize to Increase Pattern Recognition
6. More Mindsets for Psychological Intelligence: Self & Society
- Listening Skills: Quieting Your Inner Critic

- The Frivolity of Expectations
- Creating Win-Win Situations with Empathy
7. Staying Healthy for Your Mind
- The Need for More Sleep, and Its Effect on Cognitive Abilities
- The Cause of Obesity: Avoiding Sugars, The Myth of Fat Consumption
- Incidental Exercise
- Intermittent Fasting
- Reduce Stress through Meditation
8. An Afterword
- How to Make the Best of This Book

- What to Learn, and Remember
- Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone, Working on Your Weaknesses
- Exchanging Ideas
- Expanding What You Have Learned
CHAPTER 4:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - MNEMONICS
What Can Be Said About Memory?
It is considered to be the keystone of the human mind, but we as a species have a difficult time
memorizing...anything. Although scientists estimate that a single brain can store the equivalent of 1
million gigabytes worth of data, which would be enough to last an individual several hundred years.
So, why is it that people constantly forget where they left their keys, or god forbid their baby?
There can be numerous explanations for this; however, one reason is because of the way we are taught
to memorize.
For those who remember their basic education, and schooling, you will know we are made to
remember a myriad of things, yet there is little guidance on how to go about doing it. Unless you were
lucky, your school probably didn't teach you the skills needed for efficient memorization (i.e.
mindsets).
You know how it was: Listen to the teacher, take notes, and let it meld into your mind somehow.
But that in, and of itself is a terrible method for teaching. And it's mind-boggling how public education
curriculum is so notoriously bare bones, and so ambiguous, yet so burdensome.
Because of this lacklustre education people have been fed they have fallen behind, and that is
unacceptable in this day, and age.
As we go on in time, the ever increasing burden to know more information bears down on the
world, and we cannot let humanity fall behind for the lack of innovation, and lateral thinking. But today
we aim to change that with our book by teaching you about something called mnemonics.
Mnemonics: An Aid to Memory
Mnemonics are tactics to aid in memory, which can also be thought of as mindsets. A mnemonic, to be
specific, a mnemonic device, serves as a tool to enhance what, and how much one can remember.
Mnemonics work by purposefully modifying how our minds encode, store, and retrieve
information. These can be thought of as the three stages of memory.
Stages of Memory:
1. Encoding - Through our senses, like hearing, and seeing, we can receive information, which is
referred to as sensory input, or stimuli (that which stimulates). This comes into our memory system,
and must then be encoded by our brain, and processed, so that it can be stored away for later retrieval.
One can think of it like programming for computers.
For example, when using HTML (hypertext markup language), a computer language to create
websites, you cannot simply write down what you want. You have to do "encoding" and translate your
ideas.
If you wanted to make a title on your website you'd have to write something like:
<html>
<head>
<title> PLACE YOUR TITLE HERE </title>
</head>
You can also think of encoding like money. There are so many different currencies in the world. When
you travel to another country you have to change your money for another type of money, so that what
you have becomes useful, and you can trade your cash for goods, and services as you please. Much like
exchanging information.
2. Storage - Specifically memory storage concerns how much someone can remember, and for what
amount of time. As you probably already know there is the familiar short-term memory, and long-term
memory.
Many scientists have researched the differences in these to a great degree, but they are mainly
concerned about how to get information into one's long-term memory, which is also what we care
about, and in this book, we will be tackling this subject.
3. Retrieval - The mind can retrieve memories in more than one way, which plays a part in how much
one can remember, and for how long. As it is simply "storing" something isn't enough, and it is in the
modification of the retrieval process that we can help ourselves to have a good memory.
Short-term memories for example are simplistically stored, and retrieved sequentially, whilst
long-term memories seem to be stored, and retrieved based on associations.
In this book, we will use this fact to improve your ability for memorization.
And as stated earlier we will be making use of mnemonics, which aid in memory. Mnemonics will be
your key to being able to remember more than you normally would.
However, it should be pointed out that (contrary to popular belief) there is no silver bullet to
good memorization, no universal mnemonic that will do everything for you, due to the varying nature
of human beings, and the fact that memories are treated differently, and given priority based on what
the brain subconsciously believes has value.
In non-scientific terms, mnemonics take advantage of this human quirk of the mind, and the
heart of excellent memorization becomes taking information, and making it seem important by
deliberately creating significance, mainly through associative visualizations.
Yes, it might sound a bit strange, but this concept is nothing new. These aids to memory have
been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks, and Romans, meaning that they have existed for
thousands of years in spite of the rudimentary nature of academia at the time.
A good example of a mnemonic device (literally speaking) is the Lukasa memory board, which
comes from the Kingdom of Luba, a Kingdom that once existed in Central Africa in the 1500s. The
Lukasa memory board is a rectangular, ornate, wooden object containing detailed markings, triangles,
grids, cones, mounds, and beads to induce specific memories. Touching it would invoke historical
moments, and important stories told through word of mouth.
But how does it work? One could compare it to braille in which feeling is a means of
communication. While the Lukasa memory board is not as straight forward as braille it serves the same
purpose; that is to say, it gets a message across. The physical features of the board create order, and
significance.
That is a very important feature of mnemonics: significance. You make what you need to
remember seem significant in your mind. An example of this is the Isolation Effect, otherwise called
the Von Restorff Effect, named for German psychiatrist Hedwig von Restorff (who lived from the year
1906 to 1962).
In Hedwig von Restorff's theory she concluded that in the context of homogeneity an object
appearing different, or unusual, would have the most likely chance of being remembered. There are
many examples of this like when a person ties a string around their finger to remember something, or
when they circle a date on a calendar, or highlight passages in a textbook.
Giving unusualness, i.e. a form of significance, to something makes it more memorable.
Although unusualness is not the be-all and end-all to memorization. The main thing here, once again, is
significance. English memory champion, Tony Buzan, who co-founded the World Memory
Championships with Raymond Keene, knew all about this. He came up with something called:
SMASHIN' SCOPE.
Let's continue on to learn more about it.
CHAPTER 5:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - SMASHIN' SCOPE
SMASHIN' SCOPE
SMASHIN' SCOPE is an acronym, invented by memory champ Tony Buzan, which stands for:
- Synesthesia
- Movement
- Association
- Sexuality or Snuggling
- Humor
- Imagination
- Numbers
- Symbolism
- Color
- Order or Sequence
- Positive Images
- Exaggeration
Together each of these forms a mnemonic peg system, which is useful for memorizing long lists. A
mnemonic peg system pegs (or nails) something to another something in order to make it much more
memorable.
For example, if you want to memorize a man named Jacob you can visualize him, and imagine a
jay (blue jay), and cob (corncob) on his head. Then the next time you see him, you can bring up these
images of a jay and cob, spelling the name Jacob, and know who you are talking to. Because you have
imagined, and created a significance to him there is a special association that makes him stick out.
Of course, there are other ways to produce a similar effect. SMASHIN' SCOPE has a dozen
items to choose from. SMASHIN' SCOPE serves as a guide to the numerous ways of providing
significance to aid in memory.
To explain in further detail:
- Synesthesia involves using your five main senses of: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting.
- Movement is an action. Picture, running, jumping, rolling, etc.
- Association means linking together something you want to remember, with something you already
know. For example, you want to make a passcode that you can remember, so you make it your birthday.
Not recommended, but that is using the method of association.
- Sexuality or "Snuggling" is, well, you either know this one, or you don't. But using sexuality to
remember something works because sex is such a strong part of the human element.
- Humor can be almost anything that you want, so long as it makes you laugh. Using humor to
remember something works well, because we gravitate toward things that makes us feel happy.
- Imagination as a mnemonic is literally whatever you want it to be. It can be completely invented, or
stray outside the norms. Imagine that you need to remember to take out the garbage on Tuesday
evening. So, in the morning, you imagine the words "Tuesday Evening" floating above bags of garbage
with monstrous eyes, and a fang-filled mouth saying, "Take me to the curbside!" Don't like that? Well,
you can always imagine something else.
- Numbers aren't used by most people to remember things, but there are times when they can help.
Suppose you met a guy named Clive. To remember his name you could visualize a #5 on his face. Five
for Clive.
***
- Symbolism is probably the most common way to memorize something. You take something that's
rather difficult to remember, and you have it represented with a thing that is easier to recall. For
example, you want to remember the capital city of Turkey, you might visualize an anchor over the
country. (Because the capital of Turkey is Ankara).
- Color can either be used on its own for memorization, or act as an enhancement. Say you wanted to
remember the name of someone named Mister White, you could look at him, and imagine him being
completely white, as white as snow.
- Order or Sequence is in regard to the order that objects appear in your mind. Order is used to create
memory journeys. If you wanted to remember a small list of groceries for example -- apples, bananas,
and milk -- you could imagine yourself going into your home. Imagine you come up to the welcome
mat of your home, and you find a shiny red apple there. Then you go through the door, and find a
bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling in the hallway. Lastly, you enter the kitchen, and see a
carton of milk on the counter. There you have used order to memorize a small list of groceries. The
sequence of your visualization organizes your thoughts, so that they can be remembered.
- Positive Images are preferred when trying to memorize objects. If you create an imagine in your mind
make it as positive as possible. Yes, humans are also attracted to the negative, but negativity is tiring,
and has its limits. Positivity is unlimited. Positive images, and happy thoughts, can aid memory. For
example, if you needed to remember a phone number you could create a memory journey of sorts, and
visualize your loved ones each holding a number. Maybe your mom's holding #4, and your
grandfather's holding #7, and your friend has #5, and so on, and so on, and then the positive association
would help you memorize the phone number.
- Exaggeration is an absolute must for memorizing anything. You take something, and make it bigger
than life. You exaggerate its qualities, and really make it stick out. Say that you want to remember the
symbol for the element mercury, which is Hg. You could close your eyes, and imagine giving the planet
Mercury a big hug. The exaggeration here is your size, and it is also quite imaginative because of the
notion of literally hugging a planet.
Although a hug is not literally the same as Hg it's fine to use, so long as you can understand it.
When using mnemonic devices not everything has to be exact. There is a degree of flexibility that is
acceptable, and in the pursuit of intelligence it's important to be flexible.
(Aka: "Do what works for you.")
CHAPTER 6:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - THE SPACING EFFECT
The Spacing Effect, Spaced Learning, Spaced Repetition
Many a college, and high school students resort to "cramming" to prepare for examinations, and tests.
They try to get in as much information into their brains as they can in the shortest period possible,
usually the night before.
However, most, if not all studies on human memory has shown that this is not very effective.
Your brain needs time to rest, and recover to efficiently memorize. This observation is known as the
spacing effect, and the application of it is called spaced learning.
The idea of it was first brought to prominence by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus
(1850 to 1909). He was a pioneer in the field of memory, coining the popular term "learning curve."
He devised experiments, using pseudowords (fake words), to test individual memory. In these
experiments he would measure recall power in different scenarios.
Example: Scenario A) You spend 30 minutes trying to memorize 30 words, and then you check
to see how much you can recall. Scenario B) You spend 15 minutes trying to memorize 30 words, take
a day's rest, and then do another 15 minutes, and after that see what you can remember.
As it turns out something like Scenario B) has better results to a signifanct degree, proven of
course by Hermann Ebbinghaus. Though he did not do the exact scenarios shown he did do something
similar.
In one test he performed, he had 12 pseudo-words that he wanted memorized. So, on the first
day he did 68 repetitions (i.e. readings), and the day after only 7 to memorize the list perfectly.
However, on the second try (using different pseudo-words) he did less work, but gave himself
three days rest. The three days rest resulted in him only having to do a total of 38 repetitions to
memorize his list of words without error. This means that he nearly cut his work load in half just by
spacing out his learning.
But how does this work? It seems mysterious, doesn't it? Scientists have hypothesized that rest
helps the brain go through a process of neurogenesis, meaning the growth, and development of nervous
tissue -- nervous tissue which is a part of both the brain, and the spine.
So, what does this mean for you? Two things: First that the time tested, and old method of
learning through multiple repetitions isn't wrong. However, the idea of (seemingly) endless repetition,
without breaks, i.e. cramming, is rather ineffective.
When learning through simplistic multiple repetitions, it is best to rest, and have adequate space
between lessons.
Earlier, we mentioned Hermann Ebbinghaus, who coined the term "learning curve" but he also
came up with something called the "forgetting curve."
[Insert Picture of Forgetting Curve]
Diagram Explained: After learning something new the individual takes a 24 hour rest. Later, materials
are looked at again, and this time following a total of two days are taken off. Once more review is
done, but the resting period increases to three days. Gradually, the forgetting curves becomes less
precipitous.
The forgetting curve simply put is the rate at which someone forgets something. However, the
forgetting curve can be used to aid in memory. It can be analyzed, and the rate of forgetting can be
slowed down with specific spaced repetition.
If you look at the diagram of the forgetting curve again you can clearly see the strategem of
memorization, which is to prop up memory (through repetition) just as it declines, and have increased
spaces between the sessions. In doing so, the forgetting curve each time gradually becomes less steep.
That said, if you want to memorize something through basic repetition, you have to have the
mind to provide yourself rest, but then later on review what you have learned -- because the mind is
like the muscles on your body.
When you lift weights you have a period of rest, and you then allow your muscles to grow,
increasing its strength. After which you go back to training.
In the case of learning, your rest facilitates neurogenesis. So, in study one must avoid
cramming, take adequate breaks, and review to achieve efficient memorization. To summarize: Don't
do too much at once, and you'll do much better.
This is what they call the spacing effect.
CHAPTER 7:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE -
THE RULE OF 7
What can we learn about memory from marketing, and business?
Marketing expert, Doctor Jeffrey Lant, first observed, and widely touted "The Rule of 7" also known
under the titles: "7 Points of Contact," "7 Touches," and formally "effective frequency."
In "The Rule of 7" Dr Jeffrey Lant states that an individual needs to be exposed to advertising at
least seven times to be cognizant of the product, or service being pitched.
Some business gurus, however, say that in today's modern world this number is closer to
thirteen. But whatever the number might be it is clear that the human mind must be shown something
numerous times to remember it.
Unless something is spectacular, or already firmly established in the mind, an individual will
not pay much attention to seeing something for the very first time.
This is why we have businesses, and marketers constantly bombarding us with adverts, and
various promotions. They want to penetrate our psyche, and reach us, compelling us to spend money on
what they have to offer.
They know that repetition works, and for the majority familiarity does not breed contempt. So,
they will gladly use various marketing tactics, and mediums to get through to potential customers, and
they are clearly guided by The Rule of 7 which is based on effective frequency.
Effective frequency in layman's terms is the sweet spot for advertising, the number of times that
someone has to be exposed to advertising in order to get it into their heads to make a buying decision,
but with that can come overexposure.
Thus, seven times seems to be the ideal amount of times someone ought to view an advert for a
single product, and/or service.
However, for memory, in which you must learn something important, less is not more -- more is
more (granted you observe the spacing effect), and the Rule of 7 is about a minimum.
Imagine that you've gone out for shopping, and you need to pick up a birthday present for your
spouse. You have so many things to buy, so you don't want to forget getting a gift amid the
consumerism.
You can repeat to yourself seven times that it's your spouse's birthday. The repetition will make
the thought stick in your brain, and you can then get what you need to get. Perhaps some flowers, a
nice, little cake, and a bottle of wine.
Of course, not everyone is the same. In the pursuit of intellect one must customize, modify, and
pick, and choose techniques for their personal learning experience. For some the Rule of 7 will work
out fine, but for you, you might have to have a "Rule of 13" or even more -- and that's okay. There
should be no shame in needing more tries, or time.
Everyone's different.
CHAPTER 8:
ENHANCING THE PROCESS
Before You Proceed Further: Some Observations, and Advice About Memory
In reality, the brain has an enormous capacity for remembering all sorts of knowledge, and
information. But the brain, like the body, is conservative. It is constantly in survival mode, and
prioritizes efficiency over effectiveness. The bottom-line is the brain will only remember something if it
thinks it is important.
So then the question becomes, "How do you make the brain think something is important?"
There are two main methods: A) Repetition, and B) Stimuli that Arouses and Causes Heightened
Emotions.
The first you know all about. As soon as you enter school you're made to repeat yourself again,
and again, every single day. Because your brain will only remember when it has seen, or heard
something numerous times.
In spite of all it can do, your brain has a difficult time knowing what is worth knowing, and
therefore remembering. Even being familiar with the most effective memorization techniques does not
give you a pass to go around this.
Seeing or hearing something once is not enough. You must see or hear it many, many times,
until that mental trigger in your brain is pulled, and it goes, "Hmm, this seems important, because I
keep seeing it again, and again -- maybe I should memorize this!"
In a way, it's similar to exercise. Yes, being strong, and muscular is very beneficial to you, and
you know this, but your body doesn't want to overexert itself, so instead it hugs onto fat, and muscle-
wise stays lean.
Ergo, to make your muscles grow you must do numerous exercises, over and over again, and
then after some effort your body finally adapts, and you get into the shape you desire.
Likewise, your brain needs repeated "exercise" to signal to itself that what you want to
remember is of value, and should be memorized for future use.
To some this is very frustrating, but it is the brain's way of being efficient, only memorizing
what it (subconsciously) thinks is absolutely necessary.
However, the exception to this is when an occurrence, or stimulus arouses, and heightens your
emotions; it is then that your brain will remember without repetition.
For example: Think about something in your life that you can never forget. Why can't you
forget it? It either made you extremely sad, or so happy that it became etched in your mind, and I am
certain you do not need to experience it again to know the details.
The memory is permanent because of what it did to your emotions. So, to memorize better you
have the option of stimulating your emotions in connection with an item, or object. You can visualize
what you want to remember, and give it qualities, and an environment that causes your mind to really
pay attention.
And you can use your whole range of emotions to carry out this task. You do not have to make
it plainly sad, or happy. You can take something, and make it make you laugh out loud, or grin, or even
scratch your head at its strangeness.
Do you remember Tony Buzan's "SMASHIN' SCOPE"? Why does it contain sexuality, humor,
and positive images? These three items obviously elicit emotions, and your manipulation of your own
emotions is an excellent method for improving your memory.
So, as a piece of advice, when you learn new mnemonics, and memorization techniques, think
about it from an emotional perspective. Choose what brings out and heightens your emotions. Use what
makes you physically squirm, and frown, and chuckle, and jump, and smile. Get a reaction from
yourself to help yourself remember, and above all: Don't forget to practice!
CHAPTER 9:
THE MEMORY PALACE, AND MEMORY JOURNEY
What is a Memory Palace?
A Memory Palace is an imaginary place in a person's mind used for memorization. It uses
visualizations, and spatial memory to memorize items such as faces, digits, and words. The Memory
Palace was invented by the Ancient Romans, and Ancient Greeks, which was an important tool for
one's memory in a time when most people could not read, or write.
[Insert Artistic Representation of Memory Palace]
Even though it is an old memorization technique it is by far one of the most popular. Memory
champions from all over the world make use of memory palaces. Memory palaces can be completely
made up, or it can be a place that you know of. Most people opt to use familiar places like their homes.
When someone wants to memorize something, a list for example, they might close their eyes,
and imagine being in their home. From there they will by means of imagination go through their house
in a routine manner, and place each item in a specific spot. In most cases, the items will be visually
exaggerated, and put into different rooms. After this, when the person needs to recall their list they will
go through their memory palace, tracking their route, finding the items in the different rooms.
Although it sounds a bit bizarre this is nothing other than using the human mind's natural talent
for finding things. Even if you struggle with it, you do it all the time, don't you? Think about where you
left your pair of shoes. Ah-ha, you do know where it is, don't you? This is because our brains are wired
to find objects, especially because it helps us to survive. So, in creating a memory palace you use this
mental inclination.
Does it still sound confusing? It's best if you try it out yourself. Let's go through it together step
by step.
1. Here's a list of eight (8) random things: A banana, a teddy bear, the #2, a can of beans, a pencil, the
letter Z, a Taylor Swift record, and a trophy.
2. Okay, read that list, and take half a minute to remember it as you normally do.
3. After the minute's elapsed, now see what you can recall. How many of those items did you
remember? You probably got a bunch of them right, but not everything. That's expected.
4. Now, try to remember the list again, but this time imagine placing the items in your home, one by
one, going from area to area in an ordered manner.
5. Close your eyes if you need to.
6. Imagine coming up to your home. You get to the front door, and on the welcome mat there is a really
big banana. You have this really big banana here, because you are exaggerating its qualities to make it
more memorable.
7. Okay. You get through the door, and in the front hallway you meet a talking teddy bear that greets
you saying, "Hello! Welcome home!"
8. Now you open the closet door, and take off your coat to put it away. You notice on the back of your
coat is a large #2 in flaming red.
9. You hang up your coat, and go into the bathroom, and see a can of beans sitting on top of the toilet.
10. Weirded out, you leave. You head into the kitchen. You pick up a hot pink pencil off the floor, and
put it behind your ear.
11. You open your fridge, and hundreds of letter Z's spill out. You close the door to the fridge.
12. You visit your living room, and find a shiny Taylor Swift CD floating in the air. You take it, and put
it into your CD player.
13. Finally, as you sit down, a 7 foot tall trophy rises from the floor, and appears in front of you. The
trophy reads: "Congratulations!"
14. Now that you've done the last item, try to remember all the items from the list. Use your visual
senses.
15. How much do you remember of the list? If all goes according to plan your recall of the items was
probably improved. With the aid of a memory palace most people are able to remember 7 to 8 of the
eight items. Congratulations in the case you got 100%!
Now you've successfully completed this exercise. But you should try it again, and make it more
challenging. Change the items, and increase them to 10, 12, 15, or even 20. The more you practice this
the easier it will get. Once you become comfortable enough in making memory palaces you probably
won't even have to close your eyes. You'll just be able to do it on the fly.
What is a Memory Journey?
Although some consider the memory journey the same thing as a memory palace many do view them
as different. A memory palace is based on a single location, while a memory journey is more active,
and is literally a journey for your mind.
The memory journey, though a variation, can be happily utilized by people who prefer the
pleasures of going from place to place. You could imagine going through a grassy park, with chirping
birds, or a quiet forest trail, or even a magnificent, bustling city. The choice is yours.
However, you must structure your journey similar to that of a memory place. You have to go
from place to place, in an ordered manner, and put down objects you need to memorize throughout.
Use what exaggeration you can, to give signifigance to items, and finally get to your destination.
Let's try this out on a list of eight items:
1. You have a random list of eight things: A dog, a cellphone, a blueberry pie, a math book, a Christmas
tree, a bottle of pills, a pair boxing gloves, and the Titanic.
2. Okay, you're in the city. New York City, why not? You begin walking down a busy street. There are
so many people here. You glance at a fire hydrant, and notice a fluffy dog with its leg up taking a pee.
3. You continue on, and come to the lights. While waiting, you take out your cellphone, and text your
mom a message.
4. After waiting, the sign up ahead tells you to walk, and you cross to the other side while eating a slice
of a blueberry pie because you're so darn hungry.
5. You now find yourself on Wall Street, and you begin pondering the finances of it all. You take out a
math book, and read up on your math.
6. When you're done your homework you visit Central Park, and see a bright, beautiful, enormous,
Christmas tree. Is it that time already?
7. You feel so anxious about the holidays, you get out a bottle of pills, and pop two into your mouth,
and swallow it with some bottled water.
8. You're good to go now, and you continue on, walking down a trail. There you spot a man challenging
another man to a fight, and you notice he has on boxing gloves.
9. You want to avoid trouble, so you go on your way, and visit Ellis Island. While by the water you
notice in the distance a ship that looks just like the Titanic.
10. You've completed using the Memory Journey method!
Once again, how much did you remember?
CHAPTER 10:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - THE STORY METHOD
What is the Story Method?
The Story Method is also known as the Chain Method, or more scientifically a Mnemonic Link System.
In the Story Method you craft simple stories, employing exaggerations, to aid in memory. It is a very
powerful technique for memorization. In fact, the Story Method often makes its way into other
mnemonics, like that of the Memory Palace, and the Memory Journey.
The Story Method works because human beings, being what they are, are naturally inclined
towards remembering stories, especially if they are entertaining.
But why is this? It could be because it helps us to survive. Remembering stories imparts lessons
to us. They teach how to behave, and what to do, and what not to do. Take a moment, and imagine
yourself younger.
Your father tells you a story of how a little boy named Billy ran across the street at a red light,
and he was hit by a car, and broke his face. As a child you'd be shocked to hear that, wouldn't you? But
it would also serve as a lesson.
It sticks with you, doesn't it? It is this aspect of stories that makes them good for helping in
memorization. However, stories don't always have to be bad. They can be used positively, and to
remember whatever it is that you want to remember.
Try it out for yourself:
1. Read this list of eight random items: A cat, a baseball bat, a novel, a marble, the #89, In (the symbol
for Indium), a watermelon, a cellphone, and some popcorn.
2. Now, let's start crafting a story.
3. You're riding a giant cat through the city.
4. You ride this giant cat into a baseball stadium, where a baseball player is holding a baseball bat that
is 10 feet long.
5. A pitcher then throws a novel at the baseball player, and he hits it with his 10 foot long bat.
6. The novel goes flying into the air, and explodes into a shower of marbles.
7. The marbles fall to the ground, and you look at it, and see that it spells out the #89.
8. Now, a janitor, an Indian man, reminding you of the symbol "In" comes along, and sweeps away
these marbles, because it's made a big mess.
9. He then becomes tired after all this work, so he sits down on a bench, and gets out a watermelon. He
karate chops this watermelon in two, and starts eating it with his bare hands.
10. After the Indian man is done eating he turns ill, and throws up chunks of watermelon, and in the
middle of this is a cellphone.
11. The Indian man picks up the cellphone, and calls someone, and orders popcorn.
12. You look up into the sky, and see a roaring airplane that drops a load of popcorn. It rains down onto
the baseball stadium. The fans open their mouths, and catch the popcorn on their tongues.
13. Now the story is finished! Could you visualize this story? How many items did you remember?
If you didn't remember that many items you can always try again, or better yet practice your creativity.
Make your own story, linking all of the items together. The more you practice the more you will
improve. You can keep it simple, or make it as wild as you want. Do whatever works.
Tips for Using the Story Method
For some the Story Method can be somewhat difficult to use in the beginning, so here we have some
tips to help you out.
- Exaggerate more! Don't limit yourself in your stories, because you don't have to share them with
anyone. Make it whatever you want. Make it a fantasy.
- If your story has people in it, use people you know. That can be family, friends, loved ones, or even
celebrities.
- If you're struggling creatively, recycle, and reuse scenarios from before.
- Find out whether you prefer doing your stories in a familiar place, or somewhere brand new. While
some will prefer familiarity, others might like the fun of imagining themselves somewhere brand new.
- Try changing the order of the items, and see what works. Make it alphabetical, or have the list
backwards, or do it in such a way that all the first letters of your items spell a word.
- Make use of humor. Be funny, and silly, and create a humorous story.
- Use substitute words, and/or associations. (Explained in the next sections.)
CHAPTER 11:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - SUBSTITUTE WORDS
Substitute Words
For certain items that you have to remember you can use substitute words. For example, let's say that
you have to remember these eight areas in Ireland: Derry, Belfast, Mayo, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny,
Cashel, and Listowel.
For these you can visualize objects with names that sound similar.
This is how you might visualize each place in Ireland:
- For Derry visualize a glass of milk, i.e. dairy.

- For Belfast imagine a bell with legs running really fast.
- For Mayo imagine a jar of mayo.
- For Cork imagine a cork from a wine bottle.
- For Waterford imagine a Ford car made out of water.
- For Kilkenny imagine Kenny from South Park being killed.
- For Cashel imagine a pile of cash burning in hell.
- For Listowel imagine a towel with a list on it. Maybe this very list you are trying to memorize.
Now, all you have to do is link all of these together. Can you see it?
Let's make a story together:
- You're in Ireland. You're on a beautiful street. You go into a pub, and order a glass of milk. You get a
glass of green milk.
- As you're drinking this liquid dairy you look out the window, and see a bell with legs running fast.
- The bartender now asks you for payment for the green milk. You pay him with a jar of Mayo.
- You leave the pub, and find a bottle of wine on the ground. You pick it up, and take out the Cork.
- As you're holding this opened bottle of wine a driver in a car made out of water, which is of the brand
name Ford, grabs it from your hands, and drives off... Yoink!
- The driver in the car is Kenny from South Park. While he is excited about his wine heist he neglects
to look at the road, and he crashes into another car. It's fatal. We have a killing of Kenny, whose water
car did not have airbags.
- Kenny goes to hell. You follow him there, and finds he is poor just like in the TV show. There he is
taunted, and he sees cash burning in hell.
- It's really hot, so you take a towel, and wipe your forehead. You notice there is a list on the towel.
And so the story ends, and that's it. That's how you use substitute words with the Story Method. Now,
take the time to make your own list, and create a custom story that links or chains everything together.
Be creative, and also bear in mind that you can use this in combination with other mnemonics.
This technique of employing substitute words can be done for a Memory Palace, or Memory Journey,
all the same.
CHAPTER 12:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - ASSOCIATIONS, EXAGGERATION
We earlier touched on the idea of associations, and exaggerations in this book. However, it is important
that we review the concepts, and look at them in detail.
The Power of Association
As far as memory techniques go there are two commonalities that you will find throughout. They are:
the power of association, and exaggeration. First, we'll touch on the power of association, and exactly
what it means.
Association for memory, simply put, is the means by which one can remember something based
on what they already know. Creating an association for a new object, or item, can aid in memory. You
are creating a link, or if you will, connection in your mind that like a map will lead you to your
destination.
The associations you employ can be a number of things. It can be visual, it can be numerical, it
can evoke a sense of smell, or taste, or even be humorous -- almost literally anything that you want it to
be.
Let's go on, and see some examples:
- Visual: You want to find Italy on a map. What do you do? You associate it with a boot, and find it by
this shape. Italy is a boot.
- Visual: Also, you want to remember where China is. You recall that it looks like a chicken. So, you
locate the "Chinese chicken."
- Hearing: You have an important day tomorrow morning, your wedding day. So you wake up to the
sound of bells. The sound reminds you of church, and therefore your wedding. It reminds you of the
importance.
- Touching: You meet someone important named Mr Hardy. How do you remember his name? You
shake his hand, and you notice his handshake is hard. The man who gave you a hard handshake = Mr
Hardy.
- Smelling, and Tasting: You have a special pancake recipe, and you'd like to remember it. So, imagine
yourself actually mixing the ingredients together. With each step, you can smell it, and taste it. You
smell the vanilla. You smell the sugar. You taste the sugar. You taste the butter. Etc.
- Movement: You want to remember Einstein's birthday, which is in March. So, you visualize Einstein
marching.
- Humor: You need to know the symbol for Helium, which is "He." So, you think of someone inhaling
helium, and making a funny voice, and then you laughing, going, "He-he-he."
- Numbers: How many men have walked on the moon? How many Apollo astronauts are there? You
think of the association between the moon, and time, and thus the number of months in the year. Your
answer is the number twelve (12).
- Signs, and Symbols: You can use many things for a sign, or symbol to assist in memory. Say you want
to remember the word "phonetic." Just imagine yourself using a phone. But furthermore, this
visualization can help one to remember the definition, too. How do you use the phone? Through your
mouth, which makes sounds. It's done phonetically. Phonetic therefore equals sounds.
- Colors: Companies use colors for brand recognition. They use distinctive colors on their logos to
make them more memorable. But the most obvious users of colors are countries. For example: What
flag comes to your mind when you hear the words red, white, and blue? Obviously, the flag of France.
Or, you know, America.
- Order, Organization: The organization of objects, items, words, and numbers makes them easier to
remember. Grouping together similar things, i.e. associating them with one another, will create mental
links. In the science world, for example, scientists organize living organisms through seven levels --
kingdom, phylum, classes, order, families, genus, and species. Although you probably won't have to use
anything so complex. You might just put a list of items in alphabetical order.
Now that you've seen the various ways to make associations, can you come up with some of your own?
If you're struggling to do so, don't worry. Let them come naturally. Sometimes associations happen
spontaneously. But when they do pay attention, because they can often be reused, and applied
elsewhere.
For example, the color green can be associated with several different things. Green can be
someone's last name. Or green can represent money, or nature, or health. However you want to use it,
just be sure to keep your mind active, and make a habit expanding your thoughts.
Exercise your mind, and see what associations you can make between seemingly unrelated
objects, and/or items.
The Power of Exaggeration and Novelty
The human mind does not pay much attention to the normal, the dull, and the common. What our
brains seek is newness, and freshness, and excitement. It is for this reason that memory champions
frequently, if not always, use exaggerations, and novelty to bolster their memory.
Supposing that they want to memorize a list of animals -- a lion, elephant, and tiger -- they
won't just make them ordinary. They'll make them extraordinary. The lion will be as large as the
elephant, and the elephant will be pink, and the tiger might be green with orange stripes.
As silly as it sounds it is all done to make what is not memorable into something unforgettable.
If you think about your own memories, let's say going some years back, you probably won't remember
the day to day, the getting up in the mornings, and the in-between, and going to bed at night. But if
something strange happened, like a dog sneaking its way into the ductwork, that you would remember.
But of course the real reason we remember the unusual is that it helps us in survival. The placid,
normal, everyday things in life typically don't pose a danger to us, and therefore we don't need to
remember them.
So to remember we must make items, objects, numbers, and so on, things that stick out, and
therefore stick in our minds.
Here you will find a guide on how to exaggerate, and use the notion of novelty:
- Size: Making something larger than normal, or perhaps very small, in your mind makes it more
memorable. Imagine, an elephant the size of a dog, or a dog that is red the size of an elephant.
- Color: Strange, unnatural colors are always a good method for remembering something better. If you
give something a striking color it will be striking to your memory. Think about this. You're driving
down a small road, and you pass by a hot pink house. Will you remember this house more than the
others that are of plain color?
- Location: This is pretty simple. When creating a memory palace, or memory journey, just place an
object in a place where it usually wouldn't be found. Imagine a baby crawling on the ceiling. Why's that
there? Your mind will definitely remember a baby on the ceiling.
- Quantity: It's like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife. Increase the quantity of something to
an absurd amount, and it'll be more memorable.
- Liveliness: Take an inanimate object, and make it alive. For example, a Cola can that can dance.
Strange but easy to remember.
- Role, Function: Using something in an unusual way, or exaggerated manner can make it stand out in
your mind. Imagine jumping on a trampoline, and you're jumping all the way up into outer space. Or
imagine riding atop a train instead of staying inside. Or perhaps using a fork to comb your hair.
- Destruction, Violence: Even though the media constantly shows us destruction and violence, as far as
reality goes for the majority of people, life is relatively tranquil. That said the destruction/violence of
an object can still manage to jar one's mind, and therefore be memorable. For example, if you have
three items -- a rat, a raccoon, and a dog -- they are fairly ordinary, and not memorable whatsoever. But
now visualize them exploding into smithereens, and suddenly they are hard to forget.
CHAPTER 13:
ACRONYM MNEMONIC, ACROSTIC MNEMONIC
Acronym Mnemonic, Acrostic Mnemonic
Often the mind will only need a reminder to remember something. In this case, you can use an
acronym, or acrostic mnemonic. An acronym mnemonic is a word, or pseudo-word, which represents
several words usually by first letters.
Here are some random examples to look over:
- NASA = (The) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- BEDMAS = Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction
- PEMDAS = Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction
- HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (The Great Lakes)
- BMI = Body Mass Index
- CPR = Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- LOL = Laughing Out Loud
- ASAP = As Soon As Possible
- BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation

- FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
As you can see acronym mnemonics can be very useful for memorization. However, what you've been
shown can also take the opposite form. That is to say you can instead have a memorable phrase to
remember a set of letters. One would call this a backronym.
Music students often learn the phrase "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" which stands for
EGBDF. EGBDF as you probably know represents notes on the lines of the treble clef.
But if you weren't aware of this that's okay -- can you think of other backronyms, or acronyms?
Take a moment to think. Remember an acronym used for memorization doesn't have to be a real word.
So long as it mostly follows the conventions of how words are created, with consonants, and vowels
between, it can be anything you want.
CHAPTER 14:
NUMERICAL MNEMONICS
Remembering Numbers Via Numerical Mnemonics
For some odd reason the mind is not very inclined towards memorizing numbers, but through
mnemonics we can help ourselves to remember digits, and we can make use of various "tricks."
Although remembering numbers day to day is not important for most, having certain numbers on hand
can be useful.
Think about emergency phone numbers for example, like 911 in America, or 999 in the UK.
Writing these numbers down to be retrieved just isn't efficient. Of course, those being short numbers
that we are taught from a young age, they are hard to forget.
But what if you want to remember many, many numbers, beyond what most people believe they
can remember? What if you want to remember the first hundred digits of pi?
Then you will need to use numerical mnemonics; however, since there are so many systems to
achieve this goal we shall focus on the simpler ones.
Number Rhyme System
A number rhyme system is a way in which to memorize numbers through the human capacity for
language. Instead of directly remembering the number instead you remember rhymes. This is
something anyone can do, including children.
Normally, it is used in tandem with a Memory Palace, a Memory Journey, the Story Method, or
a mix of the three. But before this concept is explained let us first look at how numbers rhyme with
everyday words.
A list of rhymes for numbers:
0 = Hero, Nero, De Niro

1 = Sun, Bun, Nun
2 = Shoe, Flew, Blue
3 = Tree, Bee, Sea
4 = Boar, Door, Roar
5 = Drive, Hive, Jive
6 = Chicks, Sticks, Bricks
7 = Heaven, Leaven, Kevin
8 = Skate, Plate, Gate
9 = Vine, Sign, Wine
10 = Pen, Men, Glen
So, after you've read those rhymes, try to memorize them as best as you can, and we'll go on to see how
they work with a Memory Palace, with a splash of a Memory Journey, and the Story Method.
Let's say that you need to remember the first 8 digits of pi, which are: 3.1415926.
Step by step:
- You come onto your street, and you notice a tree as tall as a skyscraper. You know that the tree rhymes
with three, and therefore it represents three.
- So, you continue along, and get onto your driveway. You look up, and notice the sun (1) which is
wearing sunglasses.
- You greet it, and then get to your front door (4) which looks like it came out from medieval times.
Odd.
- You go inside, and see a nun (1). She smiles at you. You smile back.
- You go past her, and find a bee hive (5) in the hallway.
- A sign (9) says not to touch it.
- You agree, and go into your living room, and find it is completely blue (2).
- In the living room are numerous fluffy, little birds -- chicks (6) which makes six.
Now run this scenario through your head, and you've remembered the first 8 digits of pi. While eight
isn't necessarily a high amount this exercise demonstrates how you can remember numbers by rhymes,
combining it with a Memory Palace, Memory Journey, and/or the Story Method.
But please bear in mind that the rhymes listed previously are not the only ones available (of
course). You can make up your own rhymes, and create your own unique scenarios to aid in the
memorization of numbers.
Extra Tip: You don't have to memorize numbers individually. Try remembering a set of numbers in
pairs, or in small groups. For example, 15892212 is easier to recall as "15, 89, 22, and 12" or "1589,
and 2212."
Number Shape System
The Number Shape System is a way to memorize numbers based on their shapes. It can be especially
useful for those who don't speak English, and cannot easily use a rhyming scheme. However, it is not
any less effective, and in fact can be beneficial to those that are more visually oriented.
The following list will give you an idea of what each number could be in your imagination:
0 = Ring, Donut, Vinyl Record
1 = Arrow, Tower, Sword
2 = Duck, Swan, Dragon
3 = Heart, Dog's Nose, Open Handcuffs (One Piece On Top of the Other)
4 = Pennant Flag, Sailboat, Pyramid
5 = Snake, Oversized Gummy Worm, Superman's Spit Curl (A la Christopher Reeve)
6 = Cherry, Cartoon Bomb, Ballet Dancer (Throwing Up Her Arm)
7 = Boomerang, Sickle, Hockey Stick
8 = Pretzel, Snowman, Race Track
9 = Balloon On String, Whip, Yo-Yo
10 = A Candle & Wall Clock, Spear & Tire, Pogo Stick & Hula Hoop
With these number shapes in mind we can then go on to craft a Memory Palace, a Memory Journey, or
a story using the Story Method.
For this segment we will try remembering the number 91823105 using a Memory Palace, which
will have a splash of a Memory Journey, and story via the Story Method.
Now, imagine this:
- You're walking down your street with a balloon on a string (9).
- As you're walking an arrow (1) shoots your balloon, and pops it.
- You come up to your house, and notice a snowman (8).
- A dragon (2) touches down from the sky, and breathes fire onto this snowman, melting it.
- Scared you quickly run into your home, where you are greeted by your dog. Your dog licks your face,
and you can't help but notice its big, black, wet dog nose (3).
- You go through the hallway, and enter the kitchen, and see a burning candle, and just above it the wall
clock (10). Is someone planning a romantic dinner?
- You feel hungry now. You go into your fridge, and see a gummy worm (5) on the shelf, which is in the
shape of the number five.
Finally, the scenario ends. How many numbers did you remember? Do you prefer using a system
involving shapes, or rhymes? If you had trouble using shapes for numerical memorization, then don't
hesitate to use whatever method works for you. If you just want to memorize numbers plainly, for
example, just using a Memory Palace, Memory Journey, or Story Method that's okay, too. The method
itself isn't important. What's important is the accomplishment of your goals.
CHAPTER 15:
MEMORIZING NAMES AND FACES
How to Memorize Names and Faces
Memorizing names, and faces, while not necessarily academically important, can have broader social
ramifications. Forgetting someone's name is often embarrassing, and even more so when it's an
individual that you are expected to know.
Have you yourself ever been in a situation where you've forgotten someone's name? Or do you
just generally have a hard time putting names to faces? It's okay if you do, because for many they
struggle with names, and faces every day. It's perfectly normal, particularly in the case in which your
career requires meeting many new people.
For this chapter we will cover four techniques to help you remember names, and faces. The
techniques/methods are called: "Faces for Faces," "Name Visualizations," "Feature Associations," and
"First Name Places."
We begin with "Faces for Faces."
Faces for Faces
As it is, linking things together is easier for the mind than absorbing completely brand new
information. This is why the "faces for faces" method works for memorizing names, and faces. You
take one face, and name, and associate it with another, like you are creating a memory web.
For example: You meet someone named Muhammad. Alright. You notice his face, and take in
his name. But how do you remember it long-term? You probably already know another Muhammad,
don't you?
That's right. The famous boxer Muhammad Ali. So, immediately, you visualize the one, and
only Muhammad Ali alongside your "regular" Muhammad. Now, whenever you see Muhammad you
can remember his name with the image of Muhammad Ali the boxer.
And the same can be applied to any other Muhammad that you meet. You can tie them all
together, using someone that is prominent, or someone that you know very well. The association factor
helps you remember numerous names via exploiting the fact that people often have the same names as
one another.
Now, try it out it out for yourself.
[Insert Picture of Henry] [Insert Picture of Emma] [Insert Picture of Jackie]

[Insert Picture of George] [Insert Picture of Taylor] [Insert Picture of Michael]
[Insert Picture of Daisy] [Insert Picture of Albert] [Insert Picture of Jennifer]
In correspondence to the pictures their names are:

HENRY, EMMA, JACKIE
GEORGE, TAYLOR, MICHAEL
DAISY, ALBERT, JENNIFER
Study these names, and pictures. Associate each one with a person, who you already know, that shares
the same name. And then test yourself. Cover the names, and see who you can remember.
What is your score out of nine? Did you get them all correct? If you are having trouble you can
always use famous people to create associations. Imagine Henry Ford with Henry. Imagine Jackie Chan
for Jackie. Or imagine Taylor Swift for Taylor -- and so on, and so forth.
Name Visualizations
A rose by any other name, and all that jazz. What's it matter what someone's name is? Apparently, a lot
if it is to be remembered with this particular name memorization method. Because one way to
remember a name is by making someone's name into something visual.
Let's take the name Isabella. Isabella "is a bell." Then you imagine Isabella transforming into a
bell. That's who she'll be in your mind. From then on when you try to remember her name, you'll see
Isabella becoming a bell, and that bell will remind you of who she is.
Now, how about a boy? Call him Carter. For Carter you can imagine him changing into a cart,
or even a playing card. The cart that you see Carter turning into will tell you what his name is. It might
not be the whole name, but the first few letters will lead you in the right direction.
When you take names, and visualize them for individuals you have to be a little flexible. It
doesn't need to be precise. Take the name Jerry for example. What can you visualize for the name
Jerry? Is there something called a Jerry? No, but the word cherry is pretty close. So, for Jerry you can
be creative, and imagine his head turning into a cherry, a big, bright, red cherry.
Let's practice this. Break down these names, and make them into images.
List of names:
- Michelle
- Oliver
- Amelia
- Henry
- Taylor
- Oscar
- Poppy
- Benjamin
- Leo
- Sophia
What did you visualize for each name?
Here is what you could have come up with:
- Michelle becomes "my shell."

- Oliver is an olive.
- Amelia is a meal. Whatever meal you want!
- Henry is a chicken.
- Taylor is a tailor, someone who makes clothes.
- Oscar is a garbage can.
- Poppy is a red flower.
- Benjamin is a bench, and a mint.
- Leo is a lion.
- Sophia is a sofa.
What do you think? Were yours similar?
Feature Associations
A person's name can also be remembered through "feature associations." Although this will probably be
an addendum for you, rather than your main "names and faces" mnemonic, it can at times come in
handy.
To use this mnemonic all you have to do is notice a physical feature of a person, or make up one
of your own that reminds you of their name.
For example: You meet someone named Mr Gray. You notice his noticeably greying hair. Now,
you make the mental connection between his name, and his looks. The next time you see him, you will
see his greying hair, and think, "Mr Gray."
More examples:
- You meet a man named Craig. You look at his forehead, and see it has a deep line in it, like a crack.
You focus in on this crack. Craig becomes the man with the crack on his forehead. Crack by no
coincidence sounds like Craig. When you meet Craig again, and look at his face, you will think about
his crack, and the word crack will remind you of his similar sounding name.
- Your friend introduces you to a girl named Laura. Laura you notice right away is rather short. Not that
being short is bad. She's just not very tall. So, you want to remember her name, and you think of her
name Laura as LOW-ra, as in she is low. Laura is low. You will look at her height the next time around,
and see how low she is, and you'll remember she is "low-ra."
- You go to a meeting, for work, and meet the manager named Fatma. Not that there's anything wrong
with how she looks, but she seems a little fat, and as you learn she is a mother. To remember her name,
in your mind, you view her as a fat ma. Not to be offensive, but matching her physical traits with her
name will aid you in remembering who she is.
- You're at a gym, and you bump into a real cool bro named Jack. He's pretty muscular, isn't he? He has
big, rippling muscles. You might say that he is "jacked." Now put these two together, and when you see
Jack at the gym again, you know that he's Jack, because he is the one who is jacked.
- At a party you start chatting up this girl named Scarlett. You want to remember her name, and you try
to link her name, and appearances together. You stare at her face, and then her beautiful, long hair. It's a
scarlet color. You make a mental note. Scarlett is the girl with the scarlet hair. The next time you see her
face, you look at her hair, and notice the scarlet color that tells you this is Scarlett.
Finally, now that you've seen all those examples, can you think of anyone who has a name that can be
linked to one or more of their physical traits? What have you come up with?
First Name Places
This is by far the easiest "names and faces" mnemonic to learn. It doesn't require a huge amount of
creativity, or straining of the brain.
All you have to do is take a person, with their name, and imagine them in a location that
logically fits.
For example: You want to remember someone named Jane. Take Jane, in your mind, and place
her in a jungle with chimpanzees. The next time you run into Jane, you'll see her in a jungle, with some
chimps, and you'll go, "Ah-ha, that's Jane."
Now, see for yourself if you can take the following names, and place them in special locations to aid
your memory:
- Michael
- Donald
- Neil
- Lucas
- Steve
- Mary
- Madison
- Hannah
- Teresa
- Judy
What locations did you come up with for each name? Here are some ideas:
- Michael can be placed on a stage like Michael Jackson.

- Donald can be placed in the Oval Office of the White House.
- Neil can be placed on the moon in an astronaut's suit.
- Lucas can be placed inside of the Millenium Falcon.
- Steve can be placed on a stage speaking to Apple fans.
- Mary can be placed in a stable with sheep.
- Madison can be placed within Madison Square Garden.
- Hannah can be placed in a cartoon world (because of the association with Hanna-Barbera).
- Teresa can be placed in a church.
- Judy can be placed in a court sitting behind the bench with a gavel.
Of course these aren't the only locations you can use. One name can have multiple locations. The name
Michael for example can have several associations. You can imagine Michael on a stage like Michael
Jackson, or you can place him on a basketball court a la Michael Jordan, or the Sistine Chapel in honor
of Michaelagnelo, or maybe in a sewer because of that Ninja Turtle with the orange bandana.
What limits there are depends on who you already know. If you're like most people you should
already know plenty. There are plenty of famous Michaels, and Donalds, and Neils, and Marys, and so
on. Just off the top of your head you ought to be able to place each common name in at least one
location.
But to be perfectly clear you don't have to have multiple locations for one name. One location
for several people of that name is perfectly fine. You can place every Neil on the moon in an astronaut's
suit, or put any, and all Teresas inside of a church. Just choose locations that are memorable to you.
Conventional Memorization of Names and Faces
Maybe you don't want to use all these whacky techniques, and mnemonics for memorizing people's
names, and faces. That's okay. There are conventional methods available to you, too. All it involves is
rote learning. You know, the plain Jane of memorization techniques in which you simply repeat what
you've learned, over, and over again.
Though it may sound unappealing, it can work surprinsgly well; so, when you meet someone,
and hear their name, start using it right away.
Here are some tips:
- First, when you meet someone new make sure that you clearly hear their name. If you didn't hear it
properly politely ask them to repeat what they said. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name.
What did you say it was?"
- In the case someone has an odd name ask them for the spelling. "I've never heard that name before.
How do you spell it?"
- During the beginning of your conversation with someone new use their name as soon as possible.
"Michelle -- nice to meet, you Michelle."
- Place the new person's name in your consciousness by making a remark, or observation about it. "Ah,
Michelle, I have a cousin named Michelle." "Michelle, that's a pretty name."
- Say the person's name throughout your conversation, but of course only naturally. "Wow, Michelle,
that's great to hear." "Michelle, you are hilarious." "I really like that idea, Michelle."
- Upon saying goodbye, ending your chit-chat, say their name one last time. "Goodbye, Michelle. It
was nice meeting you!"
- Finally, when you do leave take a few moments to concentrate on the face of the person you just met,
and quietly repeat their name. "Michelle, Michelle, Michelle..."
CHAPTER 16:
MEMORIZING SPEECHES, AND BOOKS
Memorizing Speeches
According to surveys, the top two fears of people are death, and public speaking -- with public
speaking at #1. So, it seems the idea of giving a speech gives people the willies. One can try to guess
all day long why that is, but a part of it might be the anxiety caused by the worry of forgetting.
Imagine, being up on stage, in front of a crowd of a thousand, and then you don't know what to
say next. What a nightmare!
However, it doesn't have to be this way. You can remember a speech, but perhaps not in the way
that you think. Speaking a speech is not just about remembering something verbatim. Master speech
makers know it's different than that, and they have a mindset, a way of thinking about speeches (i.e.
public speaking).
Here's what you need to do:
1. First, know that your speech will not be perfect, but that's okay. Your job as a speaker is not to be a
machine that makes no mistakes. Your job is to be expressive, and charismatic. As long as you get most
of your speech right, and you stay on point, then it will have been successful.
2. When saying your speech, be self-deprecating when appropriate, and be self-aware. Have a sense of
humor about yourself. Know when you've made a mistake. Laugh it off, and continue along, and be
relaxed.
After all, it's just a speech. If you screw it up, so what? It's not like you'll be arrested, if your
speech doesn't go off as you planned. So, don't put yourself in a tense mood. Being tense will make it
more difficult to execute your speech. Be calm, and cool. That way the blood can flow to your brain.
3. Improvise. It's okay to go off script a bit. It's okay to fill in the gaps by coming up with things off the
top of your head. When a comedian is telling jokes they are seldom exact. They roll with the punches,
and fill in the holes on the fly. You can do the same.
4. Don't just memorize your speech. Really study the topic you are talking about. Go in depth. The
wider your base of knowledge, the better you can remember your speech, and as well you can
improvise.
5. Organize your speech, and create a list of keywords indicating how you should progress. Use these
keywords to jog your memory whilst doing your speech, and remember them through a Memory
Palace, Memory Journey, and/or the Story Method.
Let's delve into this further with a scenario:
- Let's say that you're a teacher, and the faculty at your school have asked you to make a speech for
Black History Month. You wholeheartedly accept.
- Since you are a music teacher, and not a history teacher you have a limited degree of knowledge on
the topic of Black History. But you write a speech, anyway, on its importance. You go in depth on the
topic, learning about many different things, some of which you won't even talk about.
- The day to make the speech comes. You feel prepared. You've practiced your speech in the mirror, and
you've read your speech numerous times.
- Now, you get on stage, and greet everyone. You relax, and you calm down.
- You begin your speech. You fumble some things, but nobody takes that much notice, because you
cleverly improvise.
- You also use a MEMORY PALACE to remember keywords in order to jog your memory for your
speech.
Your Memory Palace is something like this:
- You come walking onto your street, and you meet Martin Luther King Jr. He nods his head in
affirmation, with a smile. There's a thought bubble above his head in which the word "dream" is
written.
- You continue along, and then you get onto your driveway, and there's Malcom X, smoking a cigar, to
greet you with a handshake.
- You shake his hand, and go up to the front door of your home. The door has big, bright letters on it
that spells "NAACP."
- You go inside your home, and take off your coat. The back of your coat says "42" and that reminds
you of Jackie Robinson. You put away your coat in your closet, and go through the hallway.
- You enter the kitchen, where you spot a mule, and on the mule is the #40. Forty acres, and a mule, you
think.
- Next you enter the dining area, and there is an oversized crow standing on the dining table. The crow
has words about his head that says "Jim." You remember Jim Crow laws.
- Following this, you go into your living room, and sit down beside Abraham Lincoln. Abe asks you if
you want some of his cheese puffs. You politely say, "No, thanks."
- After resting a moment, you leave, and go out the backdoor, into your backyard. You hear a roaring
noise, and look up. There's a fighter plane from World War 2 flying in the sky. The fighter plane has a
red tail at the back, and on the front tusks. The tusks remind you of the Tuskegee airmen.
- The next moment, the pilot in the plane (a P-51 Mustang) jumps out, and deploys his parachute. He
touches down, and who do you think it is? It's the 44th president of the United States of America
Barack Obama! Wow!
And that is the end of your speech for Black History Month. Each image, representing a keyword, kept
you on track. The crowd is enthused, and they give you a standing ovation. They clap for three hours
straight, and their palms get all red, and chafed. Some people in the audience actually pass out.
Amazing!
Memorizing Books
So, you want to memorize a book? The first question is: "Is that humanly possible?" Savant Kim Peek
used to easily remember numerous books, verbatim, word for word, and it's reported that he would read
two pages at a time, using the left eye to read the left page, and right eye to read the right.
However, Kim Peek isn't most people. We have to be realistic. Yes, you can memorize whole
books, if you truly have the desire, but even with memorization techniques, it takes a very long time,
and is no easy feat.
Your goal for memorizing a book should be feasible, and about memorizing key information,
and not what is irrelevant to your goals for learning. So, if you want to memorize a book like this, it can
be done, and we have some tips for you to follow:
1. To reiterate, memorizing a book takes a long time (relatively speaking), and is no easy feat. If one
wishes to remember a book much dedication is required. Be prepared to make enough time to study.
2. However, when studying be sure to "space out" your learning; that is to say make use of the spacing
effect. Don't have studying sessions back to back. Give yourself rest.
3. You will remember your book primarily through rote learning. It's not necessarily the best method,
but it is necessary for tomes, and so forth.
4. When you read try reading out loud. Reading out loud will activate the auditory section of your
brain, and it is like you are reading, and also hearing the book at the same time. Of course, reading out
loud can come into conflict with speed reading, so you will want to be selective in reading out loud.
Read out loud the sections that you feel are important, or which is difficult, and therefore requires a
slower pace.
5. Take the time to close your eyes, and visualize information. While speed reading is suitable for many
scenarios, for detailed important text you don't want to just plow through words. Instead really take it
in. Take what you're reading, and recreate it visually in your mind's eye. For example, if you're reading
a book about first aid, and you're on the CPR secction, you will want to slow down, and really imagine
the information. Imagine doing the compressions, pushing down hard, and fast on the middle of
someone's chest, pumping that heart. Use your visual inclination to remember what you're reading.
6. Do "prereading." Begin your book by reading: a) the entire cover b) table of contents c) introduction
d) conclusions, and e) index, and f) glossary (if available).
Place special attention to the table of contents as it will give you a mental framework for what
has to be remembered.
In regards to the conclusions (i.e. the endings of sections) you read them so as to have goals.
You see the conclusions, and know what you're progressing towards.
Suppose you're reading a recipe book on how to make a cake. What do you do? You look at the
picture of the complete cake, don't you? You look at the conclusion first, because it gives you an idea of
what you're going for.
Likewise, the other suggestions help you form a complete picture. This is essential in
memorizing a book, knowing what's ahead of you, and how it all fits together.You must see the bigger
picture.
7. Focus on important information. In reality, the majority of books have superfluous, extra information
that you don't really need to know. So, be aware of this, and have in mind what is, and isn't important.
Give your attention to the important parts. Reread these important parts, and if need be highlight them.
Of course, there is the question: "What exactly is important?"
Read the table of contents of a book, and the introductions, and conclusions to surmise what is
vital to your reading. Keep an eye out for prominence, and especially that which is repeated, and
sprinkled throughout.
In our book, as an example, there is a lot of mention about memory palaces; so, one would
logically conclude that the information about memory palaces is important.
8. Take notes, and write about the focal points for each chapter of a book. Deconstruct what it is you're
learning. Break it down into its essential parts.
For example, if you were trying to memorize a book about, let's say boxing, you'd take notes on
each type of punch, and the tips. Like snap your punches, move forward, head movement, etc.
However, you don't record everything. Why do that? You're not rewriting the book. You are just
keeping a track of keywords, terminology, and things that are essential.
9. Establish a memory palace. Since you have such a huge amount to remember, you will want to use a
memory palace, and one that has numbers. Usually in a memory palace you would just establish a
routine, which you would follow in order, but a book being so large, requires many multiple locations.
So, each location ought to be assigned a number. It's your choice if you want to or not, but it
certainly helps with organization.
Also, it should be noted that you can't use a memory a palace to remember every single word in
your book, so you have to focus on the outline of your book, recurring concepts, keywords, definitions,
and vital information. They should be things that jog your memory, and organize your mind.
10. Be aware of how you're progressing by testing yourself. You can either make your own tests, or you
can hide pages, recite what you can remember, and look back to see what you've missed, doing this
every so often as needed. If you want you can also give yourself grades, and make your goal acquiring
an A+.
11. Learn deeper. Teach to learn. Pretend that you're a teacher, and you're teaching a student about
your book. Even if no one's there to listen to you that doesn't matter. When you try teaching you will
see things from another perspective. You will appreciate certain aspects of the book, and figure out its
architecture, and what you should be paying attention to.
Finally, have patience. Approaching anything as difficult as memorizing an entire book is very
challenging. You can't rush results. Stay determined, and remember that your goal should be
meaningful learning, and not just being able to rattle off things of undetermined importance.
CHAPTER 17:
LEARNING ANOTHER LANGUAGE
How to Efficiently Learn Another Language
Why is it that children can learn two languages at a time with ease? Why is it that adults, who are
supposed to be smarter, struggle? The answer is a two parter. One, children have more time to learn,
and second, they learn differently.
Adults often try to pick up a language by mainly concerning themselves with the memorization
of letters, and learning grammatical rules, but this is inefficient.
You must focus on using visualizations. While that is no secret many people still learn language
through academic institutions that only use outdated teaching methodologies. But the best methodology
for learning another language is the child's method, which is taking a word, and then creating a picture
for it in the mind.
[Insert Picture of "Word -> Image/Meaning"]
As you can see in the diagram a word becomes an image, which instantly creates meaning. This is in
opposition to the traditional method that goes "word -> word -> image/meaning." It's a small
adjustment but a crucial one.
Let's compare the two methods:
You have the Irish word "lacha" which means duck in English.
Method #1 (Old Method) - Memorize that the word "lacha" means duck. When you hear "lacha" you
think the word duck, and then the English word duck forms the image of a duck in your mind, therefore
giving you meaning. This is a total of two steps to get to a definition.
Method #2 (Child's Method) - Associate the word "lacha" with an image of a duck. So, you hear
someone speak the word "lacha" and you imagine a duck. So, you've then found the meaning, and in
total, this was a single step process.
Now, which method do you think is the easiest? As you can see the second method, in which you learn
like a child, reduces the amount of steps you have to go through.
You go from two steps to one step, which in, and of itself doesn't sound like a lot, but in real
terms we are talking half the amount of work. In our method you cut the middle man out, so to speak,
and learn a language with better efficiency, which in turn aids memory.
But it gets even better. You can increase your capacity for memorization by using substiute
words, or as it is also known "symbols."
Let's say that you're learning French. You encounter the word "champignon" which means
"mushroom" in English. To remember "champignon" you use the substitute word "champion" and you
can then imagine a boxing champion, wearing boxing gloves made out of mushrooms.
It's silly, but the nonsense of the imagery aids you in memory.
Here is a list of a dozen foreign words:
Use substitute words, and create imagery to make the translation of these foreign words memorable.
1. Chathair (Irish) = City (English)
2. Pies (Polish) = Dog
3. Pecunia (Latin) = Money
4. Saltar (Spanish) = Jump
5. Courir (French) = Run
6. Kulta (Finnish) = Gold
7. Glas (Welsh) = Blue
8. Torta (Croatian) = Cake
9. Fart (Swedish) = Speed
10. Amour (French) = Love
11. Caramella (Italian) = Candy
12. Roman (German) = Novel
What did you imagine/visualize for each word?
Here is what we imagined:
1. Hairy Cousin It chatting in front of a tall, city building.

2. A dog eating numerous pies.
3. A petunia flower surrounded by money. (Although petunia is not the same as pecunia it shouldn't
matter too much for your purposes. The words just need to be "close enough.)
4. A salt shaker with legs that is jumping into the air.
5. A courier running, delivering parcels.
6. A cult o' people, and they are all adorned in gold.
7. A blue drinking glass.
8. A cake that is in the shape of a tortoise.
9. A rocket car speeding down a road, and it is propelling itself forward with farts.
10. A knight in shining armor with a heart on his chest.
11. A lady eating a caramel in Italy.
12. A Roman soldier, who is holding an oversized book for a shield.
Now, how did yours compare? Did you have similar substitute words, and images? After reading this
list are you able to remember all the foreign words in spite of the multiple languages? Keep in mind
that mnemonics can be combined, and mixed around to your liking.
If you have to memorize a list of words, say for a test, you can utilize a memory palace, or
memory journey, or the story method, or a combination thereof. In the next section we'll briefly
demonstrate how that can be achieved with stupendous results.
***
Bad news, sir, or madam!

You need to remember the previous list of words, all twelve of them, in order, and matching to
the correct languages. We shall delve into a rather complex memory palace, making use of all the tools
we have available to us, including techniques pertaining to what is called a memory journey, and the
story method.
Okay. Let's begin... You imagine yourself walking, and entering your street (noting that this is
location 1) you see Cousin It, the creature with the long hair. He chats to you in an Irish accent saying
that he just came back from the city. You remember that chathair (in Irish) means city.
You say "that's great" to Cousin It, and bid him farewell, and then go down the walkway of your
house (2), and see a Polish hound eating numerous pies. You're reminded that pies in Polish means dog.
You go past this Polish dog, and get to the door (3). Beside the welcome mat you notice is a
statue of a Latino man, holding a petunia, and he's standing on a pile of money. Yes, pecunia in latin
means money.
You get inside your home, and come into the hallway (4). As Spanish music plays a salt shaker
is on the floor, dancing, and he jumps into the air. Saltar means to jump in Spanish. Alright, alright,
alright!
You open the closet door (5) to put away your coat, and a courier holding a parcel destined for
France, runs past you, and leaves your house. Weird! You recall that courir is the French word for run.
Now, you go into your kitchen (6), and it is flooded with water, and in the middle of it all is a
piece of land, upon which there is a cult, and they're all dressed in gold clothes. As they chant, you look
at the water again, and notice a fin (a shark's fin) circling around the island. Ah, this reminds you of
something. Kulta is the Finnish term for gold.
You go to the kitchen counter (7), and grab a blue glass that has a Welsh flag on it. It looks nice,
and you remember that glas is a Welsh word that means blue.
You drink from the blue glass, and upon placing it down, you notice on a shelf above (8) a cake
in the shape of a tortoise. You lick your lips, and notice more details on this tortoise cake. It has a red,
and white checkered pattern, reminding you of the great nation of Croatia. Yes, the Croatian word for
cake is torta, which sounds a lot like tortoise. Interesting.
You leave the kitchen, and enter the dining room. You look out the window (9), and see a rocket
car speeding through the backyard, knocking down all the fences, and squashing everything in its way.
You look at the back of the rocket car, and see that its wheels are Swedish meatballs, and what is
propelling it from behind is a stinky, green gas -- it's farts!
Fart you recall is a Swedish word that means speed. Most interesting. You turn around from the
window, and see a knight in shining armor, with a heart on his chest, holding a bue, white, and red,
French flag. He's standing on top of the dining room table (10).
"Hello there," you say.
The knight salutes you. What a peculiar individual, and at this moment you remember, looking
at the heart on his shining armor, that the French word for love is amour.
Now you head into the living room. An Italian lady is sitting on the sofa (11), and she's eating a
caramel. She seems to be enjoying her candy. Seeing this sight you quickly figure out that the word
candy in Italian is caramella.
So, you exit the living room, and starting going up the nearby stairs (12). But it's blocked by a
Roman soldier. He has a spear in his right hand, which has a German sausage on top, and a shield that's
really a giant book, or more specifically a novel.
You suddenly remember roman is a German word, which means novel in English.
Finally, you have come to the end of this memory palace. You've remembered all twelve foreign
words... Right?
***
Quick Review and Additional Tips for Efficiently Learning Another Language
As the last part to this chapter titled "Learning Another Language" we will quickly be reviewing
previous materials, and giving you additional tips to aid in your learning. Pay attention to these tips,
and integrate them into your linguistic pursuits.
They are numericized for your convenience.
1. Be visually oriented when learning another language. Translate in a direct manner, going from word
to image: Word -> Image/Meaning
2. Use exaggerations, and/or novelty to make your images more memorable.
3. Use substitute words, which will help you to create meaning.
4. Use a memory palace, or memory journey for memorizing words.
5. Combine these elements together as needed.
6. When beginning to learn a new language focus on vocabulary. After learning enough vocabulary you
will naturally grasp grammar, and the rules of how it all fits together.
7. How you learn will impact your adoption of another language. If you read, and write only, you will
not be able to speak, and listen well. But if you only speak, and listen, you will not be able to read, and
write with a great degree of success. Therefore, to properly learn a language, you must speak, and
listen, and read, and write.
8. If you use audio-information, or audio-books to learn be sure not to be passive. Pay attention, and
say aloud what you are learning. Engage with the activity. You won't learn much if you just listen.
9. When you read print books to learn a new language don't be silent. Practice the language by reading
out loud important sections, in particular the foreign vocabulary, and accompanying phrases. This will
help you to not only learn, and retain information, but speak as well.
10. Learn incremently. Don't pile on the workload. In learning any language you want to take baby
steps, and pace yourself.
11. Use entertainment to teach yourself. Not all learning has to be boring. Watch foreign movies, and
TV shows with subtitles.
12. Use technology. Many computer programs, and app(lication)s are remarkably helpful, and help you
learn in ways not found elsewhere.
13. Find a trustable partner with whom you can learn another language. They can guide you, and help
you through the process, especially if you are a brand new beginner.
14. If you're on a strict budget visit your local library, and use whatever materials they have available.
After all, you've paid for the library with your tax money, why not use it?
15. You don't have to learn a huge amount words to understand a foreign language. It's said that to
understand 75% of everyday language you only need to know approximately 1,000 common words. If
you want to be able to understand what's said on TV shows, and in movies, you only require knowledge
of 3,000 words. For fluency, it's 10,000. But most aim to learn 3,000 words, meaning they only have to
learn less than 9 words per day over an entire year.
16. Use it, or lose it. In order to learn a language you must take it in, and equally put it out into the
world, beause progressing in a language can't be a one way street. There must be a back, and forth for
the vocabulary, and grammar to cement in your mind. You must learn with others, and make constant
use of your newly acquired language skills to make it stick. It's much like your body. If you don't
exercise on a regular basis your body withers, and becomes weaker, and smaller. The brain behaves
similarily. It needs to be constantly stimulated to be, and stay strong.
17. If possible immerse yourself in an environment, where you are obligated to embrace the langauge
of the land. If you're trying to learn French for example there would be a great benefit to living in
France, or French Canada.
18. Don't be shy when talking to others in a new language that you are trying to learn. People are
actually far less judgmental than some would believe. Strangers will be accomodating to you, if you are
trying your best. "But what if they aren't?" you ask. Well, anyone who meanly makes fun of you for
making minor mistakes is not someone that you should care about. Forget about them!
19. Have patience. Not everyone learns at the same rate. Your progress will different to that of someone
else. Set your own goals just for you. One person might take one year to learn a language, and for
another it might be three, or four years. The time doesn't matter, so long as you feel you are making
steady progress.
20. Have fun! Learning a new language should be enjoyable, and exciting!
CHAPTER 18:
READING ALOUD, WRITING TO REMEMBER
Reading Aloud -- Why?
The public education system sucks. Apologies for being vulgar, but it just does. The reason why is
because students are taught in a certain way, not for the benefit of the students, but rather the teachers.
Many a teaching methods are oriented around the teacher's, or professor's convenience.
Is that wrong? Not necessarily, but it can hamper an individual's academic, and intellectual
progress. One thing students learn, especially children, is that they have to be quiet, and read in silence.
That's great for manners, and most everyday situations, where you have to share a space, but in reality
it isn't the best route for learning, or namely memorization.
READING OUT LOUD can be very beneficial to your memory. Yes, the practice might seem
boorish, and uncultured, but it is reported that reading aloud can increase information retention by up to
25%.
Another notable fact about reading out loud is that the 16th President of the United States of
America, Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) used to regularly read out loud. How
about that for prestigiousness? But that aside "Honest Abe" was very well known for having an
impeccable memory.
According to stories, Abraham Lincoln could memorize, and recite entire speeches without a
single pause, or stutter. However, these days politicians have their own speech writers, and
teleprompters, and someone yelling in their ear about what they need to do. Wouldn't it be better if they
could just remember, and say their speeches like Lincoln?
It's possible, with enough determination, and the right methods of learning, including of course
reading out loud.
Because reading out loud results in the formation of auditory links in our memory pathways.
When someone reads out loud they remember themselves speaking, and thus form auditory links in
addition to visual links. It's as if two distinct parts of the brain are being used simultaneously.
This is formally known as the production effect in which memory favours words read aloud
relative to those read in silence during study.
(Article about the production effect: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4128297/)
If you think reading out loud might be a learning method you'd be interested in here are some useful
tips to enhance your experience:
1. You can choose reading out loud, and repetition (i.e. rote learning) as your primary method of
memorization for a book. If you want to you don't have to do anything else. This can be a stand alone
method.
2. However, if you want to be more efficient you can combine reading out loud with speed reading.
Speed read through the less important sections of a book, and read out loud, where there is something
important, or more difficult to understand. (We will cover the topic of speed reading later on.)
3. On words that you find difficult to pronounce take the time to learn the pronunciation. Learning how
to pronounce a word will make you remember it, and also make rereading easier in the future.
4. Take advantage of the spacing effect. Read, rest, and reread. Give your brain time to recuperate, and
then review what you've learned.
5. If you are able to read to someone when you're reading out loud. The social attention will increase
memory retention. However, in the case no one is available you can use your imagination, and pretend
that you have company.
6. If you read out loud each, and every line in a book consider recording your voice. You can record
your voice, and have an audio book to listen to. You can listen to this homemade audio book on the
road, or while your eyes are closed, and you're relaxing.
7. For some people music can help them study. This is affectionately known as the "Mozart Effect"
which is the positive intellectual benefit that comes from listening to Mozart while studying, or
performing academic tasks. But according to the research you don't have to listen to only Mozart. Any
sort of music that is upbeat, and positive can help one study; however, it must be noted that the music
should be without lyrics. Lyrics are distracting to the mind, because it is like someone is talking to you,
and humans being naturally social find it hard to ignore voices.
8. Find a suitable place to study, where no one will distract you, and vice-versa. Because your study
environment is important. You obviously can't just read out loud anywhere. Well, you could try, but
maybe it wouldn't work out so well for you.
And that's the end to this segment about reading out loud to remember. Next, we will discuss the merits
of writing to remember.
Writing to Remember
Writing to remember may be considered the opposite of reading out loud to remember. It is more
difficult, and requires more studiousness, and cannot in most circumstances be done on the fly as one
pleases.
Sadly, writing by hand appears to be on the decline, and schools are giving reduced attention to
this skill, and art on the belief that it is not so relevant to the daily lives of students.
Yet recent studies into handwriting prove otherwise. Dr Karin Harman James, a psychologist
from Indiana University, led a study into the effect of writing on the brain. In the study they placed
young students into magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines to measure neural activity in their
brains.
(Study Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4274624/)
With two groups they showed them various letters. Group one, wrote down what they saw,
while the others did not. The findings concluded that there was significantly more neural activity in the
students, who wrote down what they saw, which leads us to the very notion that writing can be an
effective tool in learning.
But it should be noted that typing, especially verbatim, on a computer does not provide the
same results as writing by hand. Handwriting engages your mind. The physical process of moving your
fingers, and muscles, and bones has benefits for your brain.
Psychologists Pam Mueller, and Daniel Oppenheimer proved this idea by testing two groups of
college students. Group A) used laptops to take notes for a lecture, while Group B) only had pen, and
paper.
While both groups showed roughly the same memorization of total facts, it was the students
who used pen, and paper that excelled in remembering better quality facts. The old method of
handwriting enabled them to memorize relevant, important data, as opposed to the others, who could
not differentiate as well.
(Study Citation: Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (in press). The pen is mightier than the
keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note-taking. Psychological Science.)
It seems making hand-written notes forces an individual to process, and grok what they are
hearing, or seeing, focusing on what is most important, recording what is actually required.
And this observation is supported by even more studies. Another psychologist by the name of
Michael Howe found that students who took notes by hand were seven times more likely to remember
what they learned one week later.
The act of writing down notes influences the learning process by helping students A) pay
attention, B) acquire valuable information, and C) shape their education.
(Citation: The Utility of Taking Notes as an Aid to Learning
Michael J. A. Howe
Educational Research Vol. 16, Iss. 3, 1974)
Now the question is: How does one take notes by hand?
1. Be Selective in Note Taking - Note taking is a part of the learning process, and you should not act as
a transcriptionist, copying verbatim. You have to intake information, understand it, and record what is
relevant. Write down what is important.
2. Pay Attention to a Lecturer's Body Language, and Tone - Notice what they are emphasizing, and how
they are explaining. If you are observant you will be able to tell what is important, and what is less
important. In the case you are reading, look out for themes, repetition, conclusions, summaries, and
highlighting (bolded, underlined, italicized words, etc).
3. Interpret Language - Other than technical words, write using your own words. Make your notes in
such a way that you understand it.
4. Write Your Own Thoughts, Concerns and Questions - As you go along be a participant. With your
notes feel free to add in your own thoughts, concerns, and questions.
5. Connect Information - Use numbers, and titles to sort your notes. Add commentary to show
relationships. Use lines, and arrows to indicate that ideas are connected.
6. Draw Pictures, and Diagrams - Even if you don't consider yourself artistic, try drawing pictures, and
diagrams. Recreating, or making your own images can be more impactful than words alone. Activate
the visual part of your brain.
7. Double Space Your Notes - You want to leave enough blank space on your papers, so you can edit,
modify, and add to your notes.
8. Organize and Edit Your Notes - Review, and reorganize your notes as required. Make sure
everything's on point, and edit out mistakes. Ensure that what you have is clear, and can be used later
on.
9. Use Shorthand - When taking notes by hand use abbreviations, and symbols.
Here is a list of common abbreviations:
About = ABT
Alternative = ALT
Amount = AMT
Because = B/C
Background = B/G
Before = B4
Between = BTWN
Circa - C.
Circumference = CIRC
Compare = CP
Continue = CONT
Contrast = CT
Diameter = DIA
Double Check - D√
Energy = NRG
Especially = ESP
Example = EX or EG
Follow Up = F↑
Frequent = FRQ
Government = GOVT
Important = IMP
Information = INFO
In Relation To = IRT
Introduction = INTRO
Look Up = L↑
Material = MAT
Maximum = MAX
Minimum = MIN
People = PPL
Problem = PROB
Quantity = QTY
Reference = REF
Relative = REL
Regarding = RE
Standard = STD
Something = S/T
Someone = S/O
Somewhere = S/W
Subject = SUBJ
Substitute = SUB
That Is = IE
Versus = VS
With = W/
Without = W/O
Within = W/I
Word = WD
Years = YRS
10. Borrow Other People's Notes - Make your own notes, but if you feel something is missing, you can
ask to borrow another person's notes. It may fill in the gaps, and give you new insights.
CHAPTER 19:
MEMORIZING MAPS: THE PEOPLE MAP METHOD
Memorizing Maps: The People Map Method
Memorizing maps can be difficult because there's so much darn information on a map. But after some
time we came up with a solution to make the memorization of a map much easier.
It's not a magic bullet (what is?) but it can do the trick for most people. It involves taking a map,
and transforming it into something extraordinary, so that it's hard to forget. We call it "The People Map
Method."
The following will explain how to go about doing this:
STEP 1 - To begin, get a map, and focus on one area, a relatively small square, which will give you just
enough information to properly navigate yourself.
For your convenience we will show you a small map to demonstrate how this all works.
[Insert Picture of Local Map]
Map of so, and so place...
STEP 2 - Now that you have an area that you want to learn the next step is using visualizations. Make
all of the street, and road names into people. Since roads, and streets are usually named after people the
conversion will be fairly simple.
Also, when you visualize people for each location bear in mind that they don't have to be
realistic, but they do have to remind you of the street or road name that you wish to remember.
So, for example, for our map we created these visualizations:
North/South Roads (Blue)

- Kennedy = John F. Kennedy
- Midland = A man who is half (middle) the height of an average sized man.
- Brimley = The name Brimley reminds us of brimstone... Brimstone, and fire. We imagine a man from
hell, who's made of lava, and fire.
East/West Roads (Red)

- Steeles = A lady made out of steel.
- McNicoll = A man with a nickel head.
- Finch = A man with the head of a finch.
For the characters place circles of color under their feet, so you can remember their directions. If the
road or street is going north-south, then place a blue circle under your person. If it's east-west, then this
becomes red.
STEP 3 - Arrange, and organize the elements. Put each person (representing a road or street) into its
proper place, and duplicate them to depict length. Recreate a rough estimation of the roads using all the
people you've imagined.
[Insert Picture of Revisualized Map]
Revisualized Map
Looking at the map you can see how it's all been revisualized. First, we replaced the roads with the
weird people were created in our imagination. Second, we duplicated each person to represent the
length of the roads; so, each person has numerous duplicates.
STEP 4 - With your "people map" established you can now use it to guide you to your destination.
Mark your destination in your mind with a memorable icon, or symbol, and use the people you've
created to appropriately point with their arms, and/or fingers to where you need to go, thereby creating
a trail to lead you in the right direction.
And if you want to be even more creative, you can give everyone a voice, and they can help you
on your journey by telling you, "This way!" or "Follow me!" or whatever you'd like.
[Insert Picture of 2nd Revisualized Map]
2nd Revisualized Map, with Destination
STEP 5 - Review. Look over the map again, and compare it to the one you've created in your mind.
Check for accuracies, and correct mistakes. As mentioned earlier this is not a magic bullet. Achieving
the task of memorizing a map still requires dilligence.
So, take your time, and surely you will succeed. If you are extra studious, and you don't mind
going the extra mile/kilometer, try drawing out the map using only the images from your brain. This
practice can further boost your memory. Of course, compare your handrawn map to the real thing, and
see how accurate you are.
As a final thought to this section, one of the best ways to learn a map is by practical travel, and
immersing yourself into an environment. If you can't do this there are also websites available to you
that can virtually show you the world. You can travel down a street, or road, with images nearly as
good as the real thing.
But whatever you choose to do, good luck, and travel safe!
CHAPTER 20:
MINDSETS FOR MEMORY INTELLIGENCE - SONGLINES
Songlines
Sometimes the more artistic approach is best for memory. A long time ago, in a galaxy far away,
indigenous Australian tribes would organize, and envoke travel memories using music made up of
"songlines."
These songlines would guide them through the unscrupulous, and wild lands of the outback,
ensuring that they could safely traverse, finding water, and avoiding dangerous elements like cliffs,
crocodiles, and Tasmanian devils.
But likely you won't be traveling through the wild lands of Australia. So, what can the concept
of songlines do for you? Songlines can help you memorize...anything. It doesn't have to be used for just
travelling.
For many individuals, songs can aid in memory. Children, for example, learn all the letters of
the alphabet by singing the alphabet song, and what's interesting is these children grow into adults, and
most adults as we know still rely on this song to remember the order of letters.
In fact, it's so ingrained in our minds that the majority of people cannot even say the alphabet in
backwards order. Z... Y... X... W... It gets harder as you go on, despite one easily remembering every
letter, and being able to manipulate them for crafting words.
But these quirks of the mind are not our focus. Where else do we see songs being used for
academic purposes? Can songs really be a viable method of memorization?
That seems dependent on your personality, although many a science students use song to
remember the periodic table of elements with a great degree of efficency. There are even those who
sing about the countries of the world, and in doing so can list the names of every nation, seemingly
without any effort.
Though impressive we must ask the important questions: Can this work for you? And do you
find the idea appealing? Do you think you could take in information, and transform it into a memorable
song? Let's find out together in an exercise.
Here is a list of ten elements:
Take three minutes, and try remembering them through normal repetition.
- Iron
- Titanium
- Silver
- Zinc
- Lead
- Sodium
- Iodine
- Hydrogen
- Platinum
- Plutonium
What's your score out of ten? Remember it, and let's move on.
Here's a list of another ten elements. Instead of just repeating it this time, instead sing it. Use the music
of any song you'd like, and sing these ten elements in the same time as before (180 seconds):
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Oxygen
- Mercury
- Helium
- Nitrogen
- Carbon
- Gold
Now that you're done, what did you score for this part? Did you remember the elements better using
music? Or did you do equally as good, or even better, with plain repetition? If you performance was
increased with singing, then singing to memorize might just be for you.
While it does seem a bit silly, once you pick up on this habit the benefits can be great. Because
songs have flexibility in that you can use it to learn almost anything, and not only simplistic lists. So,
think of something upcoming that you have to remember, and see whether you can make it into a song.
CHAPTER 21:
MIXING AND MAXIMIZING MNEMONICS
Mnemonics: There's so many to choose from!
As you may have already figured out there are a myriad of mnemonics, and to the novice picking one
to rely on can be a daunting task -- but this shouldn't be the case. You ought not rely on one technique.
In reality, you would be most efficient if you mixed mnemonics together, and used many of
them to maximize your learning.
So, we will be tackling this issue, and seek to summarize, and unify relevant ideas into a
hopefully easy to follow system that one can integrate into their life, whether for work, school, or
elsewise.
Since most information, which is important, is in writing we are going to view books, and
printable information as the main source, and foundation of your knowledge. With that we shall
expound the details of "mixing and maximizing mnemonics."
The following is a a guide (or system) with which you will be able to improve your memory, and its
various facets.
Combine These Mnemonics & Mindsets:
1. There Will Be Rote Learning - In spite of our criticisms about rote learning this will be the
foundation for your learning, and memorization. We briefly covered this topic in a previous section
referring to "The Rule of 7" and "Effective Frequency" stating that one must be exposed to something
at least seven times for it to be registered in the mind. In some cases, it is thirteen. The real number will
be dependent on your personality, and the complexity of materials you are studying. The main
takeaway from this is to have patience when trying to learn. If you want to remember something,
review it, and review it again, and again.
2. The Spacing Effect - As mentioned previously, rest is required in study. Cramming does not work,
and is inefficient. When pursuing academia make use of the spacing effect, observing how the mind
remembers, and forgets, whereby periods of rest are required for one's mind to properly remember. You
may recall the "forgetting curve."
[Insert Forgetting Curve Chart]
Notice from the chart the pattern of how memory declines, and can return to 100% after review, but as
well that with each study session memorization becomes more efficient, and more time can be placed
between each session. This should give you a clue as to how you should schedule your studies.
3. Speed Reading & Reading Out Loud - A combination of speed reading (we cover this topic later on),
and reading out loud is an excellent method of learning from books. You speed read, scanning silently
with your eyes, over less important passages, and slow down, and read aloud on text that is difficult to
understand, or requires more attention.
4. Prepare to Study - As a general rule you should not just dive into studying. There is prereading that
you should do, which is to familiarize yourself with what you are going to be learning. Read the
synopsis, the introduction, the conclusions, the table of contents, index, glossary, outlines, and
whatever that can give you a clearer overview of what you'll be sinking your teeth into (so to speak).
5. Writing to Remember - Make notes about what you're studying. Write down important things, and
keywords, and questions that you have. Write out your thoughts. Write down keywords, and key
materials that you find relevant, or of prominence, or importance. Pay attention to what a writer
repeats, and what is highlighted, and intentionally brought forth to your attention. A good writer will
emphasize what you need to know.
6. The Memory Palace, Memory Journey, Story Method, and More - These are the foundations of
memory trickery, oft used by memory champions, and those needing to rememberg long lists, and
spades of information. By relying on your visual skills, and using exaggerated, hyperbolic imagery you
can make yourself memorize what otherwise could not be easily memorized. So, create a memory
palace in your mind, and use the memory journey, and story method in combination to increase your
efficiency in learning. Use these methods to remember keywords, definitions, and the framework of
what you are studying -- a framework upon which you build.
7. Number Rhyme System, Number Shape System - Number systems as you know don't stand alone,
and are combined with memory palaces. You take numbers, and give them life, and character to make
them easier to remember, and you then stick them in your memory palace.
Many, many numbers can be remembered through a memory palace (and/or memory journey, or
the story method). In fact, memory champions are able to use number systems, and their memory
palaces to recall literally thousands of digits. Suresh Kumar Sharma, from the country of India, is able
to memorize 70,030 digits of Pi, which is a world record.
8. Miscellanea: Substitute Words, Acronyms, and Songlines - There are many different mnemonics to
use. Many of them you will not be using with regularity, but they can still be useful. Three we like are:
substitute words, acronymns, and songlines.
If you recall, substitute words take regular words, and break them down into memorable words
that can be visualized, and placed into your memory palace. For example, the capital of Australia is
Canberra, which can be made into a "can o' berries." You can take this can o' berries, into your
imagination, and then easily remember the capital of Australia.
Lastly, we have acronymns, and songlines. Navy SEALs for example stands for
"Navy Sea Air Land Forces." Easier to remember when it's abbreviated, right?
But for the creatively inclined you can use music, i.e. songlines. Take some information,
whatever you like, and transform it into a song. Songs can be easier to remember, especially if you find
them catchy.
9. Final Thoughts for This Chapter - The human mind is an extremely complex device. Achieving a
high level of intelligence requires knowing one's self, and relying on both the subconscious, and
conscious brain, employing intuition, while making use of an established foundation of knowledge.
So, if you wish to become smarter, you ought to use mnemonics, and learn mindsets, and follow
the advice we've laid out, but also consider finding your own way. We're not you, and you're not us.
You are just you.
When you don't like something you see that is 100% okay. It's acceptable to be contrary. Take
the time to think about how these pieces all fit together, and how you want to go about achieving your
goals. Subtract, add, or mix things up, until everything is just right.
CHAPTER 22:
MINDSETS FOR LOGICAL INTELLIGENCE -
WHY ASIANS EXCEL IN MATH
Ancient Chinese Math Secret?
Math can be a real doozy. It's such a deep, intricate part of our lives, yet seems so difficult to learn. For
many people learning mathematics is like climbing up a humongous, snowcapped mountain. The task
of juggling numbers gives them headaches, and makes them dizzy. Even though math is natural it feel
so unnatural.
Yet for certain individuals math is their strong suit, and they manage it as if it were nothing.
They make it look as easy as eating pie. But do you know why this is? Do you know why they can deal
with mathematics in ways that others can't? You guessed it correct: It's their mindset.
Asians, who are typically seen as a group that excel in math(s), have this mindset. They're not
naturally smarter than people from North America, Europe, Ireland, the United Kingdom, or Australia.
There's no discernible genetic component in Asians that makes them more intelligent in the
subject of math, or anything else. Intellectual, and mathematical skills are not hereditary. Brain-wise
there's no differences between "races." Doesn't matter if you're black, white, yellow, or fuschia colored,
virtually all people have the same capacity for intelligence.
So, then why exactly do Asians seem better at this thing called math? Why is it that in math,
according to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 7 of the top 10 ranked
countries are Asian?
It goes: Singapore (1), Hong Kong (2), Macau (3), Taiwan (4), Japan (5), China (6), South
Korea (7), Switzerland (8), Estonia (9), and Canada (10).
What is the explanation for this? How is it richer countries are ranked far lower? Why is the
United Kingdom #27? Why is the United States of America a paltry #40? Sure, it's not at the bottom,
but both countries are beaten by the likes of Vietnam (ranked #22), a poor but developing Asian nation
that has a per capita, nominal GPD (gross domestic product) of $2,305.
By contrast, the United Kingdom's GDP, per capita, is $40,096. The United States of America
comes in at $57,467. America, the richest country in the world, is intellectually beaten by a country
with a fraction of its resources. This begs the question: Is the American education system a travesty?
Some will be quick to say yes, but one must understand what is really going on. There are
legitimate reasons as to why Asians comparatively do well in mathematics.
Here are the top four reasons why Asians do better in math:
1. Brevity of Asian Languages - Numbers in Mandarin Chinese, for example, are shorter. This
shortness allows for easier memorization. In some memory systems they use Chinese-like words to
remember numbers.
In the Harold Magnum system, a system based on the Major System, one uses short phonetic
sounds to represent numbers.
So, 1-10 is: Suh (1), Tuh (2), Nuh (3), Muh (4), Ruh (5), Luh (6), Shuh (7), Cuh (8), Fuh (9),
and Puh (10).
Similarly, in Mandarin Chinese their numbers are:

- Yī / 一 One
- Èr / 二 Two
- Sān / 三 Three
- Sì / 四 Four
- Wǔ / 五 Five
- Liù / 六 Six
- Qī / 七 Seven
- Bā / 八 Eight
- Jiǔ / 九 Nine
- Shí / 十 Ten
As you can see, the Chinese numbers, objectively speaking, are easier to pronounce, and shorter
compared to what you find in the English language. But there is more to this than the length of
numbers.
2. Logic of Language - Chinese languages also have a numerical logic to them. In Mandarin Chinese to
say twelve you'd say "Shí Èr" which literally translates to "Ten Two." If you want to do thirteen it's
"Shí Sān" or "Ten Three." Going up to twenty one we have "Èr Shí Yī" and it literally translates to
"Two Ten One" (or two tens, and a one).
So, in Mandarin Chinese you have pretty much only ten numbers to remember. Meanwhile,
English requires math students to learn multiple names for a numerous amount of numbers, and they
don't have a consistent logic. You don't just learn one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and
ten. You have bizarre words such as eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, thirty, forty, and
so on.
This means an English speaker has to memorize much more than an Asian person, and it is
highly inefficient. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean number systems are far simpler. Simplicity means
that individuals can juggle numbers better, and therefore be better at mathematics.
3. The Language of Fractions - As for fractions Asian languages tend to be instructive, and intuitive to
students. As an English speaker, for example, you would say "three-fifths" to mean "3/5." Whereas for
someone speaking Chinese they'd say "out of five, take three." The expression of the fraction in
Chinese is literal, leaving no room for ambiguity.
4. Mastering of the Basics - Last but not least this is the key to becoming efficient in math. If you don't
master the basics, then you can't be good at math when it comes to more difficult concepts, like
algebra, calculus, and/or trigonometry.
Many Asian countries, whether intuitively, or consciously, know about this principle. Unlike
western countries they take a great focus on math, and push children towards mastering the basics.
Remember that the basics are a foundation, and if you have a weak foundation you cannot create a
durable house.
In western countries, like America, they seem satisfied with grades of 70% or 80% in math.
That seems good enough...but it isn't. If you only learn 80% of something, then what you are able to
grasp the next year, and the year after that steadily erodes. The missing 20% makes you drastically fall
behind as you go further on.
This is why the Chinese, and Japanese, and Koreans push their children towards perfection. It
doesn't happen all time, but it isn't out of the ordinary for many students in a class to receive marks of
100%.
One hundred is ideal for Asians, while westerners typically have a different viewpoint. Suppose
a westerner gets a mark of 90%, which isn't bad, they will think that's great because they know 90% of
something; on the other hand, an Asian person might see this in the reverse, and instead think that they
are missing 10%.
It's like if you go to a store, and a pie is supposed to have ten slices, and you go home, and open
the box you see only nine. One piece is missing. You got ripped off! You don't go, "I got 90% of what I
paid for that's totally awesome!" You're outraged. You go back to the store, and throw the nine slices of
pie at a worker, and count it as karma.
Just kidding! Don't do that. But do you understand the importance of mastering the basics? If
you don't master the basics you cannot go on to master anything else. The basics of math, or any
subject really, is what carries you through.
Imagine that you're a boxer, and you don't have good footwork. Sure, you can use your arms
pretty good, but what's that mean in the ring when you have two left feet? You won't be able to land a
punch. Your opponent will make circles around you, and knock you out.
Likewise, the same thought applies to mathematics. To be good at math you have to master your
arithmetic, and that means being able to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division without
so much as a stutter.
But I bet you're probably reading this, and thinking, "How can I be good at math, when Asians
have the edge? I don't speak their language!" And you wouldn't be wrong. That is why we will be
proceeding on, after this chapter, to teach you about being efficient at arithemetic...in your own
language.
Our coverage on efficient arithmetic will impart to you a math mindset that can be learned by
almost anyone with a willingness to learn.
CHAPTER 23:
EFFICIENT ARITHMETIC, ADDITION
Why Bother Improving Your Math Skills?
Most adults can do very simple calculations in their mind, without a calculator, or even pen and paper,
but they struggle when it comes to larger numbers.
"So, what?" some hoodlum might say. "What's the big deal? Who needs to know math when
you can just use a calculator?! Press the buttons, and bammity bam, you got your answer! No biggie!"
Yes, that is true, but mathematical intelligence is a part of overall intelligence. It doesn't only
enrich one area of your life. Math is a part of science, engineering, the financial industry, and more
importantly everyday tasks.
You as an individual need to be efficient in math, because you need math for doing things like:
filing your taxes, paying off your bills, figuring out how much to tip at a restaurant, adding up the cost
of all the goods in your cart, cutting a piece of wood, baking a cake, and the list goes on, and on.
Whether you want to believe it or not math is a big part of your world. Even though it seems
like a headache the subject of numbers need not be overly complex. All you have to do is master the
basics, and you will see a benefit.
Don't see math as a burden. You can be good at math, and being good at math shouldn't be the
exception. Everyone should be a good at math. If you are good at math it means you will be
comfortable, and confident with numbers, and that means something positive.
It can for example increase your wealth. Because when you know math well you will better
understand things like finance, and risk and reward, and interest, and returns, and all that which can
lead you to more money. With a solid foundation of math you won't get stuck in financial traps that so
many encounter, like having too much credit card debt -- or buying lottery tickets as an investment.
Yes, that sounds very silly, but for some it is their reality.
In Canada, America's neighbor to the north, the poorest Canadians buy the most amount of
lottery tickets. Those who earn less than $20,000 per year spend 3.6% of their income on lotteries! But
the chances of winning the "jackpot" are astronomically low.
For Lotto Max, to win the top prize, your odds are approximately 1 in 28,633,528. To compare
the chances of being struck by lightning is a dismal 1 in 56,439.
(Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/lotteries-what-are-the-odds-1.775281)
Okay, yes, you can still argue that knowing math well doesn't always lead to wealth. This is
true, it doesn't always, but if you had to pick between two people, and predict who'd become rich later
on in life, which person would you pick? The one with poor math skills, or the one who is
knowledgeable about math?
There is your answer.
First Things First
First, to be efficient in arithmetic, you have to have a basic framework for math. This book is for adults,
who were raised on traditional math, and not the widely ridiculed "Common Core" system.
To quote Louis CK: "My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks, standardized
testing and common core!
Carrying on, let's look at some tips before we really dive in.
Tips:
1.When Doing Mental Math, Visualize, and Hold the Images of the Numbers in Your Mind - Focus,
and recreate the equations in your imagination, as if you're really writing them down on paper, or on a
whiteboard, or blackboard. When doing this imagine boxes around your numbers to remember values,
and keep them aligned, and organized.
If you wish to you can also make use a memory palace to aid your memory.
2. Say Out Loud What You're Doing - You don't have to scream at the top of your lungs, but as you go
through each step vocalize. Vocalization can help you with your memory. This is important for staying
on track, especially if calculating larger numbers.
3. Practice - Try to get out of your comfort zone. Practice math in your head. When you have to do a
calculation don't take out your calculator right away. First give it a shot, using only your mind. Then
check to see whether you were wrong.
4. Make Mistakes - Don't do it intentionally, obviously. You want an accurate answer when you
calculate numbers, but know that it's okay to make mistakes. If you're not doing anything where
someone's life is depending on you, taking a stab at a math question, and getting it wrong is not a sin.
5. Experiment - Not everyone learns the same. When trying to solve a math problem, experiment, and
see if you can find a better method than what you've been taught. The results may surprise you.
++++ How to Add Faster ++++
Even though people find multiplication, and division more difficult, adding can actually be harder to do
mentally, because there are fewer patterns, and tricks to it.
However, you can still improve the process of addition by using methods that streamline your
work.
The Primary Methods For Adding Faster:
Part 1 - Adding Left To Right

Part 2 - Grouping Complementary Numbers
Part 3 - Using Multiplication to Add
Part 4 - Rounding Digits
Part 5 - Combining It All Together
Part 6 - Pattern Recognition, and Answer Memorization
Part 1 - Adding Left to Right (Only)
Instead of adding right to left, try going left to right. This helps you estimate more quickly.
The math problem:
135
+ 246
-------
The thought process:
- 100 + 200 = 300

- 300 + 30 = 330
- 330 + 40 = 370
- 370 + 5 = 375
- 375+ 6 = 381
The pattern of movement:
ACE or 135
+ BDF + 246
-------- --------
As you can see when employing left to right movement you go in a particular pattern. Notice the letters
representing all of the numbers. The adding of these numbers goes in alphabetical order. It's A + B, then
C, D, E, and finally F.
This keeps everything mentally organized in your mind, which will help you add more quickly.
For the rest of our mathematical examples we will be going left to right by default.
Part 2 - Grouping Complementary Numbers
In many calculations you can use the regular routine, going in an ordered manner, like previously
shown; however, there will be times when you can group together "complementary numbers."
Complementary numbers for our purpose are simply numbers that fit together, and add up to a
flat ten, hundred, or thousand.
Here are some examples of complementary numbers:
- 1 and 9 (Equals 10)

- 3 and 7 "
- 5 and 5 "
- 6, 3, and 1 "
- 43 and 57 (Equals 100)
- 21 and 79 "
- 50, 40, and 10 "
- 550 and 450 (Equals 1000)
Let's see how this all works through a simple exemplary problem...
Example: 7 + 2 + 3 = ???
7
2
+3
----
Step A.
7 - We scan the numbers to get a rough idea of what we're dealing with.
2 - Okay, we focus in on the 7.
+3
----
B.
7 - What goes with 7 better? 2 or 3?

2 - The 3 is complementary.
+3 - 7 + 3 = 10.
---- - Put the 10 below the line.
10
C.
7 - Now we have a 10. Let's continue holding onto that.

2 - We go over to the number that hasn't been included yet: 2.
+3 - We put that 2 under the 10.
---- - We have a 10, and 2 to be added together.
10
+2
D.
7 - Now we've been through all the numbers. We must do our final adding.
2 - 10 + 2 = 12
+3
----
10
+2
----
12
We've come to our answer, which is 12. We solved this problem more efficiently by initially putting the
7, and 3 together, which are complementary to each other.
Try-It-Out Exercise: See If You Can Find The Total
Mentally, put the complementary numbers together.
5 2 9
3 7 1
2 5 8
Did you find the answer?
Part 3 - Using Multiplication to Add
Sometimes in addition you will notice repeating numbers. Rather than adding these all up, step by step,
you can instead multiply to come to a quicker conclusion.
Math problem: 532 + 502 + 531 = ???
532
502
+ 531
-------
A.
532 - In the first column, we notice three 500s.

502 - 500 x 3 = 1500
+ 531 - We mentally drop down the 1500
-------
1500
B.
532 - In the second column, we see a zero, and two 3s (i.e. 30s).
502 - No need for the zero.
+ 531 - 30 x 2 = 60
------- - The 60 drops down.
1500
+ 60
C.
532 - 1500 + 60 = 1560.

502
+ 531
-------
1560
D.
532 - In the third column, we notice a pair of 2s.

502 -2x2=4
+ 531 - We put this below the line.
-------
1560
+ 4
E.
532 - 1560 + 4 = 1564

502
+ 531
-------
1564
F.
532 - Still in the third column, we have a 1 left over at the very bottom.
502 - 1564 + 1 = 1565
+ 531 - Our answer is 1565.
-------
1565
Rounding, especially rounding up, can be useful in the endeavour of adding. Although it is not
something you will always resort to it can be good for when you're in a pinch, or you just want to
quickly calculate a simple number. Let's look at a math problem to demonstrate this.
A simple math problem to demonstrate rounding (up):
998
+ 43
--------
Thought process:
A.
998 - What can we round up? We immediately see the 998.

+ 43
--------
B.
1000 - We round up the 998 to 1000.

+ 43 - Since we added 2, we put a -2 off to the side to remember it.
--------
-2
C.
1000 - We add up all the numbers, 1000, and 43.

+ 43 - 1000 + 43 = 1043
--------
1043 -2
D.
1000 - We shan't forget the extra 2 we added in.

+ 43 - So, we now have to subtract two.
-------- - 1043 - 2 = 1041. This is our answer.
1043 - 2 = 1041 - Therefore, 998 + 43 = 1041.
Part 5 - Combining It All Together
We have steadily progressed, and nearly come to our final point for this section. As you may have
noted all the previously mentioned methods, to aid in the task of adding, have been shown alone (apart
from moving left to right); however, you can combine everything together.
Here is what you need to know for improving your adding skills:
- Adding Left To Right

- Grouping Complementary Numbers
- Using Multiplication to Add
- Rounding Digits
- Pattern Recognition, and Answer Memorization
Now, we carry on to a math problem to simultaneously demonstrate all 5 adding methods/techniques:
999
423
673
+ 803
-------
Thought process:
A.
999 - We begin on the far left, in the first column, and we will progress
423 to the right.
673 - We inspect the math problem, and see 999, which we can round
+ 803 up to 1000.
-------
B.
1000 - It now mentally becomes this.

423 - 1000 replaces 999.
673
+ 803
-------
C.
1000 - We can now scratch out the 1000, and mentally drop it down.
423 - We leave a -1 to the side to remember our rounding up.
673
+ 803
-------
1000 - 1
D.
1000 - In the first column of numbers we notice the complementary numbers

423 of 400 and 600, which makes 1000.
673 - 400 + 600 = 1000
+ 803 - We must add this 1000 to the 1000 at the bottom.
-------
1000 - 1
+ 1000
E.
1000 - 1000 + 1000 = 2000

423
673
+ 803
-------
2000 - 1
F.
1000 - With the 2000 in place, we head to the next number, which is 800.
423 - We have to add this 800 to the 2000.
673
+ 803
-------
2000 -1
+ 800
G.
1000 - 2000 + 800 = 2800

423
673
+ 803
-------
2800 -1
H.
1000 - We move into the second column.

423 - We see a 20, and 70. No need for the 0.
673 - Instantly from simple answer memorization we know this makes 90.
+ 803 - 20 + 70 = 90
------- - That drops down, and we now have to add up the 2800 and 90.
2800 -1
+ 90
I.
1000 - 2800 + 90 = 2890.

423
673
+ 803
-------
2890 -1
J.
1000 - Onto the final column, where we see three 3s. Given this, we choose
423 to multiply.
673 -3x3=9
+ 803 - We have to add this 9 to the 2890.
-------
2890 -1
+ 9
K.
1000 - 2890 + 9 = 2899

423
673
+ 803
-------
2899 -1
L.
1000 - We do the final numbers. Subtract the one (1) that came from rounding.
423 - 2899 - 1 = 2898
673 - The answer is 2898.
+ 803
-------
2899 - 1 = 2898
Some thoughts on this process of adding:
- The exact approach you take to (efficiently) solving a math problem is dependent on two things. The
first is the nature of the problem, and the second is how your mind works. In pursuing intelligence, you
must experiment, and find out what works for you. Perhaps you prefer to solve a problem one way, but
not the other, that's 100% fine.
- While having the right mindset for something is certainly important in becoming smarter the main
thing you need is practice. To become better you must have a certain amount of practice. What that
amount is, is dependant on your personality.
But for the most part anyone can get in at least a little practice, particularly for math. When you
find yourself needing to calculate numbers for ordinary situations, instead of opting to use a calculator
right away, try doing it in your head first. Don't worry if you get it wrong. No one is judging you, and
you cannot fail. A part of practice includes making educated guesses, and making mistakes. Mistakes
can be good. They tell you what not to do.
- As stated earlier, the key to becoming good at mathematics, or anything really, is mastering the basics.
Once you can perfectly solve the smaller problems, you can confidently go on to the larger ones.
This is probably the most annoying way to increase your math efficiency in the area of addition,
because it requires some amount of rote learning. Whether you choose to follow through with this route
of study, or not, take a look at the additions table, and pay attention to it.
Do you see the diagonal patterns, and how the numbers being added together have a gradual,
steady climb? This can help you understand how adding up numbers work, and their order. Like a
multiplication table an additions table has a method to its "madness."
The additions table can be a subtractions table, too (much like how multiplication is the inverse
of division).
If you take a number, which is not bolded, and run it against the numbers at the very top, and
side, you can make a subtractions equation.
Notice #25 in the bottom right-hand corner. "12 + 13 = 25" but "25 - 12 = 13" and conversely
"25 - 13 = 12."
Try it out yourself, and study the table. If you can remember what is here it would be a great
boon to your mental arithmetic. Immediately knowing what these smaller numbers add up to will help
you computate larger, daunting figures.
Additions Table
+ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Fini.
CHAPTER 24:
EFFICIENT ARITHMETIC, SUBTRACTION
---- How to Subtract Faster ----
Now that we've gotten past the additions section we can tackle the challenge of subtraction.
Fortunately, subtracting tends to be easier than adding in spite of how it may seem at first. Subtraction
has the benefit of having many shortcuts; however, we will be focusing on the most basic ones that give
you the most "bang for your buck."
The Primary Methods For Subtracting Faster:
Part 1 - Subtracting Left To Right

Part 2 - Subtracting with Adding
Part 5 - Make It Nine (Subtracting from 100, 1000, 10000, etc)
Part 6 - Use Negative Numbers
Part 1 - Subtracting Left to Right (Only)
Once again, we find ourselves doing arithmetic from left to right. Much like in addition we can find the
answer faster by going left to right, instead of right to left.
Math problem:
89
- 13
-----
Thought process:
~ 80 - 10 = 70
~9-3=6
~ 70 + 6 = 76
~ 89 - 13 = 76
It's pretty simple, isn't it? You just reverse your usual order. But it should be noted that going right to
left is acceptable as well. However, for the sake of simplicity the rest of our examples will go from left
to right by default. Please to be aware.
Part 2 - Subtracting with Adding
When we face subtraction problems, and try to solve them through a traditional method it is difficult,
because it is unnatural.
Imagine there is a quantity of pizza on a table. Let's say 12 slices. You take 3 slices for yourself,
for lunch, and that is the number you remember -- but you don't take away 3 slices from the pizza pie,
and then go on to count what remains.
That would be odd, right? Yes, of course it's odd, but this is similar to what people do when they
are doing subtraction problems.
So, we must then think differently. We must think more naturally, and therefore think about
subtraction through addition. Let's see how this works.
Here is a math problem:
56
- 23
-----
When you look at this math problem you might think in steps like: "5 - 2 = 3 (or 50 - 20 = 30), and then
6 - 3 = 3. Put them together to make an answer of 33."
This isn't what we want. Of course, it isn't wrong. Technically, it's right. However, when it
comes to larger numbers this method of subtraction can become problematic.
Let's look at another math problem:
977
- 423
------
Instead of thinking about this as "900 - 400, then 70 - 20, then 7-3" and so on, and so on, we will
instead go, "423 + What? = 977." Here we've inverted our pattern of thought. We try to figure out the
numbers that will add up, and equal the top figure of "977."
We think, "How much do we have to add?"
A.
977 ~ We think about this as an additions problem.

- 423 ~ 423 + What? = 977.
------ ~ We go column by column, starting at the far left.
B.
977 ~ 400 + What? = 900 ?

- 423 ~ 400 + 500 = 900.
------ ~ We drop the 500 down as a 5.
5
C.
977 ~ Next we go to the second column.

- 423 ~ 20 + What? = 70.
------ ~ The answer is 50.
55 ~ 20 + 50 = 70.
~ Now, drop down the "5."
D.
977 ~ We go to the final, and third column of numbers.

- 423 ~ 3 + What? = 7
------ ~ Since 3 + 4 = 7 the "What?" part is 4.
554 ~ Place down the 4, and we get our answer: 554.
~ 977 - 423 = 554
If you want to check the answer you simply add the middle, and bottom figures together. If it equals the
top, then it is right. So, we do the calculation. Yes, 554 + 423 = 977, and therefore 977 - 423 = 554.
Like in adding, you can also use rounding of numbers for expediting the process of subtracting.
Rounding Up a Top Figure
Here is a math problem demonstrating this:
249
- 125
------
Thought process:
A.
249 ~ We examine the problem. It's 249 - 125. What can be rounded up?
- 125 ~ The 249 can become 250.
------
B.
250 ~ Our problem turns into 250 - 125.

- 125 ~ We place a -1 to the side because we rounded up by one.
------
-1
C.
250 ~ Starting in the first column on the left we find 200 - 100 = 100.
- 125 ~ We drop this down as a 1.
------
1 -1
D.
250 ~ We look at the second, and third column.

- 125 ~ Since we have rounded up the top number we find a fairly easy
------ route to subtraction in 50 - 25.
125 -1 ~ 50 - 25 = 25
~ We put this 25 below the line.
E.
250 ~ Now, we remember that we rounded up the 249 by one. So, we

- 125 have to subtract that one. We use the -1 that we put down earlier.
------ ~ 125 - 1 = 124
125 -1 = 124 ~ And therefore, 249 - 125 = 124.
Note: Even though we went through a whole rigmarole in reality you will be able to mentally solve this
much faster than we have shown. One does not require pen, and paper for such a simple math problem.
You can do it all rather quickly with rounding up.
Rounding Up a Bottom Figure
Let's look at another problem, but with the rounding up applying to the bottom figure:
470
- 228
------
Thought process:
A.
470 ~ We examine the problem, and see that nothing on top can be
- 228 rounded up. 470 is pretty much already flat.
------ ~ We look at the bottom, and find that the 228 can be made into
into 230.
B.
470 ~ Our problem then transforms into 470 - 230.

- 230 ~ We place a + 2 off to the side, because we rounded up with two.
------ ~ As you may have noticed this is the opposite to what one does when
+2 rounding up a number on top. What we need here is a positive instead
of a negative, because we are doing a subtraction problem.
C.
470 ~ Going in our usual routine of left to right we know that 400 - 200 = 200.
- 230 ~ We place that 200 underneath the line as a lone 2.
------
2 +2
D.
470 ~ We look to the 70 and 30 portion of this problem.

- 230 ~ 70 - 30 = 40
------ ~ This 40 is placed down beside the 2(00).
240 + 2
E.
470 ~ We remember we rounded up the 228 by 2. Meaning that we

- 230 subtracted extra. So, we must add that back in.
------ ~ 240 + 2 = 242.
240 + 2 = 242 ~ Therefore, 470 - 228 = 242
Rounding Down a Top Figure
In some cases you can also round down:
103
- 75
-----
Thought process:
A.
100 ~ We round down the 103 to 100, and place a 3 to the side.
- 75
-----
+3
B.
100 ~ 100 - 75 = 25
- 75 ~ The 25 goes below.
-----
25 + 3
C.
100 ~ 25 + 3 = 28
- 75 ~ Therefore, 103 - 75 = 28
-----
25 + 3 = 28
Rounding Down a Bottom Figure
You can also round down a bottom figure:
200
- 13
------
Thought process:
A.
200 ~ The 13 at the bottom becomes a 10.

- 10 ~ We place a -3 to the side
------
-3
B.
200 ~ 200 - 10 = 190

- 10
------
190 - 3
C.
200 ~ 190 - 3 = 187

- 10 ~ Therefore, 200 - 13 = 187
------
190 - 3 = 187
Now that you're done this section take the time to think about some more subtraction problems, and see
if you can round out the numbers to aid in your maths.
In mathematics there is a minimal amount of things that you have to remember, and just know right off
the bat. As we've said before mastering the basics is key to becoming smarter, and with that, you must
know how small numbers subtract from one another.
In the chapter in which we covered the topic of addition we looked at an additions table. This
table can also serve as a subtractions table. Go back, and study it at your leisure. Since not every
number is represented make sure to fill in the gaps of your knowledge by creating, and solving your
own subtraction problems.
Start off with the manageable numbers at first, and patiently take your time to progress. When
you are excellent at subtracting the smaller numbers (100 and below) then you can continue on for a
greater challenge. The knowledge you gain will become a part of your mind.
Part 5 - Make It Nine (Subtracting from 100, 1000, 10000, etc)
If you are subtracting from 100, 1000, or even 10000 you can take a shortcut. You can make it 99, 999,
and 9999 respectively, and then subtract -- after which you would add back in a one.
Let's see how this works.
Example 1) 10000 - 7594
10000
- 7594
--------
Thought process:
A.
9999 ~ 10000 becomes 9999.

- 7594 ~ You place a one to the side for later.
--------
+1
B.
9999 ~ We go to the first column from the left.

- 7594 ~ 9000 - 7000 = 2000
-------- ~ Drop this down as a 2.
2 +1
C.
9999 ~ We go to the second column.

- 7594 ~ 900 - 500 = 400
-------- ~ Drop this down as a 4.
24 + 1
D.
9999 ~ We go to the third column.

- 7594 ~ 90 - 90 = 0.
-------- ~ We place down the 0.
240 + 1
E.
9999 ~ Onto the last column.

- 7594 ~9-4=5
-------- ~ The 5 goes below beside the 0.
2405 + 1
F.
9999 ~ We took away 1 from top, so we have to add this back in.
- 7594 ~ 2405 + 1 = 2406
-------- ~ Therefore, 10000 - 7594 = 2406.
2405 + 1 = 2406
Also, remember that you can check your answer by adding the difference to what was taken away. You
see that "2406 + 7594 = 10000" so what we have is correct.
Example 2) 3000 - 816
3000
- 816
------
Even though 3000 is not a 1000 we can still use our 9s in a reapplication of our "trick." Remember that
the top number only has to be close enough, and doesn't always have to be a precise block. You just
have to remember the changes. So, moving on...
Thought process:
A.
2999 ~ 3000 becomes 2999.

- 816 ~ We place a 1 to the side to be added in later.
------
+1
B.
2999 ~ We drop down the 2000 as a 2.

- 816
------
2 +1
C.
2999 ~ We go into the second column, and find 900, and 800.
- 816 ~ 900 - 800 = 100
------ ~ Place this down as a 1.
21 + 1
D.
2999 ~ We're in the third column, and find a "9" and "1."
- 816 ~ 90 - 10 = 80.
------ ~ We drop this below as an 8.
218 + 1
E.
2999 ~ At the end, we encounter a 9, and 6.

- 816 ~ 9 - 6 = 3.
------ ~ Add this 3 with the others.
2183 + 1
F.
2999 ~ Now we need to add in the 1 that we took away.

- 816 ~ 2183 + 1 = 2184
------ ~ Therefore, 3000 - 816 = 2184.
2183 + 1 = 2184
To see if this is right we can reverse our operations, and we get this: 2184 + 816 = 3000. Since it all
adds up to the original "top number" (3000) we know that it is correct.
Part 6 - Use Negative Numbers (and More)
An invention of ours this will be the main way that we do subtraction. Our approach will also include
previous techniques which can be combined into one.
So, we will go from left to right, think of subtraction using addition, and use numbers in the
negative. Where numerical manipulation is available we'll use that as well. (Numerical manipulation
meaning rounding, and doing things like making 1000 into 999, etc.)
To give a quick explanation of how you use negative numbers in subtracting: You use negative
numbers in place of borrowing.
Example 1) 463 - 389
We have this math problem in which many of the bottom numbers are larger than the top ones. But we
can deal with this using negative numbers.
463
- 389
--------
A.
463 ~ We see the 400, and 300 in the first column. Easy enough.
- 389 This subtracts normally.
-------- ~ 400 - 300 = 100
100 ~ We place this 100 below.
B.
463 ~ We go into the second column, and see 60 - 80. This requires
- 389 borrowing if done in a traditional manner. We don't want that.
-------- ~ Instead we use negative numbers.
100 ~ 60 - 80 = -20
-2 ~ To mentally understand this problem we think of it as
80 - 60 instead, and just put a minus symbol beside the result.
~ So, "80 - 60 = - 20."
~ We place this at the bottom as a -2.
C.
463 ~ In the third column we see a 3, and 9.

- 389 ~ 3 - 9 = -6
-------- ~ We place the -6 with the -20 to make - 26.
100
-26
D.
463 ~ Now the problem turns into 100 - 26.

- 389 ~ We can think of this as 26 + What? = 100.
-------- ~ Or we can make the 100 into a 99.
100
-26
E.
463 ~ The new problem is now 99 - 26.

- 389 ~ We place a +1 down to the side because of the one we took from 100.
--------
99
-26
----
+1
F.
463 ~ 90 - 20 = 70.
- 389 ~ Place this below as a 7.
--------
99
-26
----
7 +1
G.
463 ~9-6=3
- 389 ~ The 3 goes below beside the 7.
--------
99
-26
----
73 + 1
H.
463 ~ 73 + 1 = 74.
- 389 ~ Therefore, 463 - 389 = 74.
-------- ~ Add 74, and 389 together to check the answer.
99 ~ 389 + 74 = 463.
-26 ~ It's correct-o-mundo.
----
73 + 1 = 74
Example 2) 336 - 254
336
- 254
------
Since you have previous experience in using negative numbers for subtraction, we will go through this
example a bit faster but at the same time try not to complicate things. Please, follow along as best you
can, and don't be afraid to go back for review.
A.
336 ~ We scan the problem, and see that only one of the bottom numbers,
- 254 50, is more than what is directly above (30).
------ ~ We skip this for now, and go on to figure out the other parts first.
B.
336 ~ 300 - 200 = 100.

- 254 ~ 6 - 4 = 2.
------ ~ We drop this down to make 102.
102
C.
336 ~ We go to the second column.

- 254 ~ 30 - 50 = - 20
------ ~ We place the -20 below the 102.
102
- 20
----
D.
336 ~ We have to solve 102 - 20.

- 254 ~ We round down the 102, and make it 100.
------ ~ Because of this subtraction we place a + 2 down to the side
100 ~ We now get 100 - 20, and a + 2.
- 20
----
+2
E.
336 ~ 100 - 20 = 80
- 254
------
100
- 20
----
80 + 2
F.
336 ~ 80 + 2 = 82
- 254 ~ Therefore, 336 - 254 = 82
------
100
-20
----
80 + 2 = 82
Example 3) 721 - 587
721
- 587
------
A.
721 ~ We scan the problem, and see how it's structured.

- 587 ~ The numbers in the first column can be subtracted "normally" while
------ the rest cannot; they have a requirement for borrowing with the
200 traditional method.
~ We go on to calculate 7 - 5, or 700 - 500. This is 200.
~ We drop this down as 200.
B.
721 ~ In the second column, instead of 20 - 80, we mentally flip it, and
- 587 make it 80 - 20. That makes 60, but it is to be - 60.
------ ~ We place it below in the center as - 6.
200
-6
C.
721 ~ We go into the third column of our problem.

- 587 ~1-7=-6
------ ~ The - 6 drops down beside the other - 6.
200
- 66
D.
721 ~ We change the 200 into 199.

- 587 ~ And we put a + 1 off to the side.
------
199
- 66
-----
+1
E.
721 ~ 199 - 66 = 133

- 587
------
199
- 66
-----
133 + 1
F.
721 ~ 133 + 1 = 134

- 587 ~ Therefore, 721 - 587 = 134
------ ~ Check the answer: 587 + 34 = 721
199
- 66
-----
133 +1 = 134
Example 4) 23 - 14
Here we have a simpler example ("23 - 14"). One could quickly do this in their head, but to expound on
using negative numbers in subtraction we will go through the whole mental process.
Our math problem:
23
- 14
-----
A.
23 ~ We begin calculating at the left. 2 - 1, or 20 - 10, gives us a

- 14 1 to drop down (i.e. 10).
-----
1
B.
23 ~ We look at the second column of numbers. Since they will give us

- 14 a negative number, we can use the space below, and place in a 0.
----- ~ The 0 simply clarifies what we did earlier in Step A.
10
C.
23 ~ Take the 3 and 4 on the right, and do the subtraction.

- 14 ~3-4=-1
----- ~ This - 1 drops down to the side.
10 - 1
D.
23 ~ 10 - 1 = 9
- 14 ~ Therefore, 23 - 14 = 9.
----- ~ We also see that 14 + 9 = 23, meaning our answer is correct.
10 - 1 = 9
Example 5) 666 - 577
Our final math problem for this section:
666
- 577
-------

A.
666 ~ We examine the problem, and see how it's structured.

- 577 ~ We can "attack" the first column.
------- ~ 600 - 500 = 100
100 ~ This drops down as a 100.
B.
666 ~ We go into the second, and third column.

- 577 ~ We do a mental inversion of the problem.
------- ~ 77 - 66 = 11
100 ~ Our 11 becomes a -11.
-11 ~ We put the -11 directly under the 100.
C.
666 ~ Instead of making the 100 into 99 we decide to leave it as is,

- 577 and we round down the - 11, making it into a - 10.
------- ~ We then drop down to the side a - 1, because of the previous step.
100 ~ Now we have to calculate 90 - 1.
-10 ~ 90 - 1 = 89
----- ~ Answer check: 577 + 89 = 666.
90 - 1 = 89 ~ It's correct.
A final note on using negatives for subtraction. All the examples you've seen are purely demonstrative,
and made to show each step in detail. But for your own problem solving, your own mental process, you
do not need to be so strict, and do each, and every part. You can selectively skip parts, as you please, to
increase your efficiency.
In this endeavour, the best of luck to you!
CHAPTER 25:
EFFICIENT ARITHMETIC, MULTIPLICATION
Multiplication Isn't That Hard
For many, multiplication is considered the hardest subject to learn in arithmetic. But actually it isn't.
There are numerous shortcuts in multiplication that makes it far easier than one would think.
In this book, we have provided numerous techniques to help you increase your efficiency in the
subject of multiplication. However, learning all of them is not obligatory. Some might suit you, and
some might not.
But we want you have an array of methods to choose from, so that you may have many options
when doing multiplication.
We will only cover what we believe is most relevant, and focus on multiplying numbers in a
limited but nonetheless useful range. We are focusing on everyday math.
The Primary Methods For Multiplying Faster:

Part 1 - Mastering the Basics, Learning the Multiplication Table
Part 2 - Left to Right Multiplication
Part 3 - Right to Left Cross Multiplication
Part 4 - How to Quickly Multiply Two Digit Numbers, Ranging from 11 to 19
Part 5 - Deconstructing and Reconstructing Multiplication Problems
Part 6 - Multiple Multiplication Tricks
Part 7 - Rapidly Squaring Two Digit Numbers
Part 1 - Mastering the Basics, Learning the Multipication Table
The key to being good at multiplication is mastering the basics, and being able to instantly know the
answers to simple multiplication problems. That said, study this multiplications table, and try to
remember as much as you can. Technically speaking, you only need to know multiplication up to
number ten to do large calculations.
Multiplication Table
X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
3 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39
4 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
6 6 12 18 24 30 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64
7 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 84 91
8 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96 104
9 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90 99 108 117
10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
11 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 110 121 132 143
12 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156
13 13 26 39 52 65 78 91 104 117 130 143 156 169
Note: The inverse of multiplication is division. Knowing multiplication is a requirement for division.
The multiplication chart you've seen can also tell you how to divide numbers. For example, in the
bottom right-hand corner, 156 ÷ 12 = 13, and 156 ÷ 13 = 12.
Part 2 - Left to Right Multiplication

Left to right multiplication is useful for multiplying smaller numbers. Particularly, two digit numbers
that are to be multiplied by one digit numbers.
As you know, this is opposite to the usual calculating, which goes from right to left. But going
left to right instead, going from larger to smaller, has the benefit of helping you estimate the product
sooner.
See the following examples for how it works.
Example 1) 35 x 3
35
x 3
------
A.
35 - Begin on the left.

x 3 - 3 x 3, or 30 x 3 = 90
------ - Place 90 on bottom.
90
B.
35 - Move to right.
x 3 - 5 x 3 = 15
------ - Place the 15 below the 90.
90
+ 15
------
C.
35 - Add 90 and 15.

x 3 - 90 + 15, or (90 + 10) + (5) = 105
------ - 35 x 3 = 105
90
+ 15
------
105
Example 2) 23 x 8
23
x 8
-----
A.
23 - Start on the left.

x 8 - 2(0) x 8 = 160
----- - Place the 160 below the line.
160
B.
23 - Go to the right.
x 8 - 3 x 8 = 24
----- - Place the 24 under the 160.
160
+ 24
C.
23 - 160 + 24 = 184
x 8 - Alternatively, (100) + (60 + 24) = 184.
----- - 23 x 8 = 184
160
+ 24
-----
184
Example 3) 69 x 9
69
x9
----
A.
69 - Begin on the left.

x9 - 60 x 9 = 540 (Think of this as 6 x 9, and add a 0 to the end)
---- - Place the 540 below the line.
540
B.
69 - Go to the right.
x9 - 9 x 9 = 81
---- - Place the 81 under the 540.
540
+81
----
C.
69 - 540 + 81 = 621
x9 - 69 x 9 = 621
---- - Alternatively, you can take the 69 x 9, and make it into 69 x 10, which makes 690.
540 - Then 690 - 69 = 621.
+81
----
621
Tips:
- When adding to come to an answer in multiplication be aware that you can use other previously
learned math tricks.
- You can add left to right, if you wish.
- If you are not using pen, and paper, and instead doing calculations in your mind, be sure to visualize,
and verbalize what you are doing to aid in your memory.
Part 3 - Right to Left Cross Multiplication
If you need to multiply slightly larger numbers, with a maximum and minimum of two digits, right to
left cross multiplication can help. It reduces the amount of steps needed for multiplying, and we know
that reducing complexity is a positive.
Cross multiplication, as the name strongly implies, involves multiplying numbers in a cross-like
fashion, moving diagonally, in what one could call an "X."
To clarify we have several examples, and explanations showing how this works.
Example 1) 12 x 24 (No Carrying)
12
x 24
------
A.
12 - Multiply the two right numbers, in the right column. So, 2 and 4.
x 24 -2x4=8
------ - Drop down the 8.
8
B.
12 - Now cross multiply, going in an "X" shape.

x 24 -2x2=4
------ -1x4=4
88 - Add these two numbers together.
- 4 + 4 =8
- Place in the "8" to the left of the other 8.
C.
12 - Multiply all the numbers to the left.

x 24 -1x2=2
------ - Place the 2 beside the 8s.
288 - Your answer is 288.
Example 2) 15 x 25 (Minimal Carrying)
15
x 13
------
A.
1 15 - Multiply the two numbers on the right, 5 and 3.

x 13 - 5 x 3 = 15
------ - Split the 15.
5 - Place the 5 below the line, and the 1 off to the left side.
B.
1 15 - Now cross multiply, mutiplying diagonally in an "X" fashion.

x 13 - 5 x 1 = 5, and 3 x 1 = 3.
------ - Add these numbers together.
5 -5+3=8
C.
1 15 - Having held the 8 in your mind, add it to the 1 you put aside.
x 13 -8+1=9
------ - Place this 9 below the line, beside the bottom 5.
95
D.
1 15 - Finally, multiply the numbers on the left.

x 13 -1x1=1
------ - Place this 1 beside all the other numbers, below the line.
195 - You end up with 195.
- 15 x 13 = 195
Example 3) 25 x 36 (Full Carrying)
25
x 36
------
A.
3 25 - Multiply the numbers on the right in the right column.

x 36 - 5 x 6 = 30
------ - Split up the 30. Write the 3 to the upper left, and place the 0 below the line.
0
B.
3 25 - Cross multiply the numbers, going in a diagonal pattern, the movements

x 36 which would resemble an "X."
------ - 5 x 3 = 15
0 - 2 x 6 = 12
- Add these together.
- 15 + 12 = 27
C.
3 25 - Add the 27 (from the previous step) with the 3 you placed in the upper left.
3 x 36 - 27 + 3 = 30
------ - We can now scratch out the 3 in the upper left.
00 - Now, we take the new 30, and split it up.
- Take the new 3, and place it off to the side below the previous 3.
- Leave the new 0 beside the other 0, so it's "00."
D.
3 25 - Multiply the two numbers in the first colum of our problem.

3 x 36 -2x3=6
------ - Now, add the 6 to the 3 placed to the side.
900 -6+3=9
- Drop down the 9 with the two zeroes.
- You get 900.
- 25 x 36 = 900
Example 4) 55 x 91 (Minimal Carrying)
55
x 91
------
A.
55 - Multiply numbers on right.

x 91 -5x1=5
------ - Being a single digit this needs no carrying. Drop it down.
5
B.
5 55 - Cross multiply.
x 91 - 9 x 5 = 45
------ -5x1=5
05 - Add everything up.
- 45 + 5 = 50
- Split the 50. Drop the zero down, and put the 5 to the upper left side.
C.
5 55 - Multiply the numbers in the first column of our problem.

x 91 - 5 x 9 = 45
------ - Add 45 to the 5 on the side.
05 - 45 + 5 = 50
D.
5 55 - Place the 50 from the previous step below the line to the left.
x 91 - You then have your answer.
------ - 55 x 91 = 5005
5005
Example 5) 76 x 45 (Full Carrying)
76
x 45
------
A.
3 76 - Multiply the two numbers on the right.

x 45 - 6 x 5 = 30
------ - Split the 30.
0 - Put the 3 to the side, and the 0 below the line.
B.
3 76 - Cross multiply.
x 45 - 6 x 4 = 24 and 7 x 5 = 35
------ - Add these products together.
0 - 24 + 35 = 59
C.
3 76 - Using the 59 from the previous step, add the 59 to the 3.

6 x 45 - 59 + 3 = 62
------ - Split the 62.
20 - Place the 6 to the side under the 3, and drop the 2 down beside the 0.
D.
3 76 - Multiply the numbers in the first column of our problem.

6 x 45 - 7 x 4 = 28
------ - Add this to the 6 on the left side.
3420 - 28 + 6 = 34
- Place the 34 beside the 20 at the bottom.
- 76 x 45 = 3420
Example 6) 21 x 23 (No Carrying)
21
x 23
------
A.
21 - Multiply the numbers only on the right, i.e. the right column.
x 23 -1x3=3
------ - Place the 3 down to the right.
3
B.
21 - Cross multiply.
x 23 -1x2=2
------ -2x3=6
83 - Add them up.
-2+6=8
- Place the 8 beside the 3.
C.
21 - Multiply the numbers in the first column of our problem.

x 23 -2x2=4
------ - Drop this below the line to the left.
483 - You now get 483.
- 21 x 23 = 483, which is your answer.
Part 4 - How to Quickly Multiply Two Digit Numbers, Ranging from 11 to 19
If you have two sets of numbers, with two digits each, in the range of 11 to 19, in any combination, you
can do a shortcut to multiply much faster than the normal route. This is especially beneficial for mental
math, that is to say, math done only in one's head.
Let's find out what this is through some examples.
Example 1) 19 x 19
19
x 19
-----
Step A.
19 - Add the number (19) in the first row with the digit on the bottom right (9).
x 19 - 19 + 9 = 28
----- - Multiply the product (28) by 10.
280 - 28 x 10 = 280
- Place this below the line.
B.
19 - Multiply the two numbers in the second column (9 and 9).

x 19 - 9 x 9 = 81
----- - Place the 81 below the 280.
280
+81
-----
C.
19 - Add up the numbers at the bottom.

x 19 - 280 + 81 = 361
----- - Your answer is 361.
280 - 19 x 19 = 361
+81
-----
361
Example 2) 12 x 13
A more detailed example:
12
x 13
-----
A.
12 - Add the number (12) in the first row, with the digit at the bottom right (3).
x 13 - 12 + 3 = 15
----- - Multiply it by ten, and place it below the line.
150 - 15 x 10 = 150
B.
12 - Multiply the two numbers in the second column.

x 13 -2x3=6
----- - Place the 6 under the 150.
150
+ 6
-----
C.
12 - Add the bottom numbers up to get your answer.
x 13 - 150 + 6 = 156
----- - 12 x 13 = 156
150
+ 6
-----
156
Example 3) 15 x 17
15
x 17
-----
A.
15 - 15 + 7 = 22
x 17 - 22 x 10 = 220
-----
220
B.
15 - 5 x 7 = 35
x 17 - Place the 35 under the 220.
-----
220
+35
-----
C.
15 - 220 + 35 = 255
x 17 - 15 x 17 = 255
-----
220
+35
-----
255
Example 4) 11 x 13
11
x 13
-----
A.
11 - 11 + 3 = 14
x 13 - 140 x 10 = 140
-----
140
B.
11 -1x3=3
-----
140
+ 3
-----
C.
11 - Add everything together.

x 13 - 140 + 3 = 143
----- - Your answer is 143.
140 - 11 x 13 = 143
+ 3
-----
143
Example 5) 18 x 17
18
x 17
-----
A.
18 - 18 + 7 = 25
x 17 - 25 x 10 = 250
-----
250
B.
18 - 8 x 7 = 56
-----
250
+56
-----
C.
18 - 250 + 56 = 306
x 17 - Or think of it as (250 + 50) + (6) = 306
----- - 18 x 17 = 306
250
+56
-----
306
Example 6) 12 x 12
12
x 12
------
A.
12 - Top number (12) + lower right number (2) = 14.

x 12 - 12 + 2 = 14
------ - 14 x 10 = 140
140 - Drop down the 140.
B.
12 - Top right number (2) x lower right number (2) = 4.

x 12 -2x2=4
------ - Drop down the 4.
140
+ 4
------
C.
12 - Add the numbers together.

x 12 - 140 + 4 = 144
------ - 12 x 12 = 144
140
+ 4
------
144
Part 5 - Deconstructing and Reconstructing Multiplication Problems
For most people what makes multiplication difficult is dealing with large, and awkward numbers. But if
one were to deconstruct, and reconstruct their math problems they could make them more manageable.
For example, 44 x 3 appears somewhat confusing. But if you broke it down, i.e. deconstructed
it, you could make it easier to grasp. The problem can also be expressed as (40 x 3) + (4 x 3). So, this
becomes (120) + (12) = 132.
It's possible because multiplication is the representation of sets. Let's look at the math problem
of 5 x 10. You can imagine this as 5 boxes, each holding 10 chocolates each.
Even if you split up the "boxes" you'd have the same amount of "chocolates." 3 boxes of 10
chocolates, plus 2 boxes of 10 chocolates still equals 50. So, (3 x 10) + (2 x 10) is pretty much the same
as 5 x 10.
So long as one number remains the same, the other number can be broken apart to make a
problem more manageable.
Now, let's carry on, and see more examples of this. We will have "regular examples" and
examples using rounding, which is a little more sophisticated but not too overwhelming.
Regular Examples of Deconstructing/Reconstructing in Multiplication:
Example 1) 53 x 5
53 x 5 = ???
Thought process:
A.
(50 x 5) + (3 x 5) = - We deconstruct the problem, and it turns into this.

- Notice that the smaller number (5) remains the same
throughout? This is a requirement for this to work.
B.
(250) + (3 x 5) = - We do the first part to the left.

- 50 x 5 = 250
C.
(250) + (15) = - We do the second part.

- 3 x 5, or 5 x 3 = 15
D.
(250) + (15) = 265 - We add the numbers up.

- 250 + 15 = 265
- 53 x 5 = 265
Example 2) 88 x 12
88 x 12 = ???
Thought process:
A.
(88 x 10) + (88 x 2) = - Deconstruct the math problem.

- See how we split the 12 into a 10, and 2.
B.
(88 x 10) + (88 x 2) = - Multiply the first bit.
- 88 x 10 = 880
C.
(880) + (176) = - Multiply the second bit, going left to right.

- 88
x2
------
160
+ 16
------
176
D.
880 - Add everything together.

+ 176 - 880 + 176 = 1056
-------- - 88 x 12 = 1056
900
150
+ 6
-------
1056
Example 3) 23 x 30
23 x 30 = ???
A.
(20 x 30) + (3 x 30) = - Deconstruct the problem. Make it smaller.

- Now we have two multiplication problems.
B.
(600) + (3 x 30) = - Multiply the left side.

- 20 x 30 = 600
C.
(600) + (90) = - Multiply the right side.

- 3 x 30 = 90
D.
(600) + (90) = 690 - 600 + 90 = 690

- Therefore, 23 x 30 = 690.
Examples of Deconstructing/Reconstructing in Multiplication with Rounding:
When deconstructing, and reconstructing problems you can use the rounding of numbers to make your
problems easier to handle.
Rounding Up
Example 1) 38 x 40
38 x 40 = ???
A.
(40 x 40) - (2 x 40) = - Reconstruct by rounding up the 38 into a 40.

- Make the problem two parts.
- 40 x 40 minus 2 x 40 (because you added 2 to the 38).
B.
(1600) - (2 x 40) = - Solve the first part.

- 40 x 40 = 1600
C.
(1600) - (80) = - Solve the second part.

- 2 x 40 = 80
D.
(1600) - (80) = 1520 - Finally, we can solve the problem.

- 1600 - 80 = 1520
- Therefore, 38 x 40 = 1520.
Example 2) 59 x 8
59 x 8 = ???
A.
(60 x 8) - (1 x 8) = - Round up the 59 into a 60, and make the multiplication

problem two parts.
- Since you've added an extra eight, you must also take
this away.
B.
(480) - (1 x 8) = - Solve the first part.

- 60 x 8 = 480
C.
(480) - (8) = - Solve the second part.

-1x8=8
D.
(480) - (8) = 472 - Subtract.

- 480 - 8 = 472
- 59 x 8 = 472
Rounding Down
Example 1) 11 x 29
11 x 29 = ???
A.
(10 x 29) + (1 x 29) = - We round down, knocking off 1 from the number 11.
- So, it is now reconstructed into a 10.
- Now we have 10 x 29, and 1 x 29 that we must eventually
add together.
- Note: There are actually quicker shortcuts for
multiplying with 11, but for the purposes of
demonstration we don't be doing that.
B.
(290) + (1 x 29) = - We multiply 10 x 29.

- 10 x 29 = 290
C.
(290) + (29) = - 1 x 29 = 29
D.
(290) + (29) = 319 - 290 + 29 = 319

- 11 x 29 = 319
Example 2) 12 x 103
12 x 103 = ???
A.
(12 x 100) + (12 x 3) = - Round down the 103 to 100.

- Make the problem into two parts/problems.
B.
(1200) + (12 x 3) = - Solve for the first problem.

- 12 x 100 = 1200
C.
(1200) + (36) = - Solve the second problem.

- 12 x 3 = 36
D.
(1200) + (36) = 1236 - Add everything together.

- 1200 + 36 = 1236
- 12 x 103 = 1236
A closing reminder on deconstructing, and reconstructing: The concept for deconstructing, and
reconstructing generally centers around using multiples of ten, numbers than can be divided by ten
without a remainder (10, 20, 40, 50, 90, 100, etc).
Part 6 - Multiple Multiplication Tricks
Rethinking how you think about numbers in multiplication can increase your ability to calculate. In this
section we've provided you with tips on multiplying numbers ranging from three to twenty. Much of it
as you might observe involves "deconstructing."
How to Multiply by 3
Instead of straight multiplying by 3, instead multiply by 2, and add the multiplicand.
Example:
- 56 x 3 mentally becomes (56 x 2) + (56).

- (112) + (56) = 168
- 56 x 3 = 168
Double, and then double again.
Example:
- 80 x 4 can be thought of as 80 x 2 x 2.
- Ergo, 80 x 2 = 160.
- Then 160 x 2 = 320.
- Therefore, 80 x 4 = 320.
Take the number that isn't 5, and divide it in two, then times by 10 for your answer.
Example: 5 x 450
5 x 450 = ???
A.
(450 ÷ 2) x 10 = - Transform your problem.

- 5 x 450 becomes (450 ÷ 2) x 10 =
B.
(225) x 10 = - Do the division first.

- 450 ÷ 2 = 225
C.
225 x 10 = 2250 - Multiply by ten.

5 x 450 = 2250 - 225 x 10 = 2250
- Therefore, 5 x 450 = 2250.
First, we must remember our multiplication terminology.
Take for example: 13 x 12 = 156

13 is the multiplicand.
12 is the multiplier.
156 is the product.
Now, we go onto learning about how to multiply with the #6. We shall learn through example only,
ergo carefully observe...
Multiplying 6s with even numbers up to 8:
Example: 6 x 8 = What?
6 x 8 = ???
A.
6 x 8 = ??? - Focus on the 8.
B.
6x8= 8 - We duplicate the 8, the multiplicand, and place it to the

far right of the equal sign.
C.
6 x 8 = 48 - Now, going back to the 8 again, what is half of 8?

-8÷2=4
- Place this 4 beside the 8 that is after the equal sign.
- You get 48.
- Therefore, 6 x 8 = 48.
Multiplying 6s with even numbers higher than 10:
6 x 16 = ???
A.
6 x 16 = - Focus on the 16.
B.
6 x 16 = 16 + __ - Duplicate the 16, and place it to the right.
C.
6 x 16 = 16 + 80 - Now, what's half of 16?

- 16 ÷ 2 = 8
- Multiply this by 10.
- 8 x 10 = 80
- Place this 80 to the far right, so that we get 16 + 80.
D.
6 x 16 = 96 - Add up the 16, and 80.

- 16 + 80 = 96
- Therefore, 6 x 16 = 96.
Multiplying 6s with non-even numbers:
6 x 27 = ???
A.
6 x 27 = - Focus in on the 27.

- This needs to be multiplied by 10, and
placed on the opposite side.
B.
6 x 27 = 270 + __ - 27 x 10 = 270
C.
6 x 27 = (270 ÷ 2) + __ - You must now divide this by two.
D.
6 x 27 = (135) + __ - 270 ÷ 2 = 135
E.
6 x 27 = 135 + 27 - Take the 27, and place it on the far right.
F.
6 x 27 = 162 - 135 + 27 = 162

- Therefore, 6 x 27 = 162
Instead of thinking of a problem as 7 x ___ rather you should break it down. Make it (5 x ___ ) + (2 x
___ ).
For this to work you have to remember the trick to multiplying 5s. Multiply the number by 10,
and divide in 2.
Now, let's go on to see this in detail.
Example: 7 x 85
7 x 85 = ???
A.
((10 x 85) ÷ 2) + (2 x 85 ) = - We use this formula: ((10 x ___ ) ÷ 2) + (2 x ___ ).

- We plug in the 85s.
- 7 x 85 becomes: ((10 x 85) ÷ 2) + (2 x 85).
B.
((850) ÷ 2) + (2 x 85 ) = - We do what's in the inner brackets first.

- 10 x 85 = 850
C.
(425) + (2 x 85) = - Next division.

- 850 ÷ 2 = 425
D.
(425) + (170) = - Now we do the multiplication on the right.

- 2 x 85 = 170
E.
(425) + (170) = 595 - Add everything together to get 595.

- Therefore, 7 x 85 = 595.
How to Mutiply by 8
To multiply a number by 8, just double the second number a total of three times. In the case of "8 x 25"
it becomes "25 x 2 x 2 x 2" which equals 200.
Example: 8 x 70 (or 70 x 8)
8 x 70 = ???
A.
70 x 2 x 2 x 2 = - Transform the problem.

- The problem becomes 70 x 2 x 2 x 2.
B.
140 x 2 x 2 = - The first doubling.

- 70 x 2 = 140
C.
280 x 2 = - The second doubling.

- 140 x 2 = 280
D.
280 x 2 = 560 - The third, and final doubling.

- 280 x 2 = 560
- Therefore, 8 x 70 = 560.
Instead of multiplying by 9, multiply with 10, and subtract the multiplicand.
Example: 89 x 9
89 x 9 = ???
A.
(89 x 10) - 89 = - 89 x 9 becomes 89 x 10 minus 89.
B.
(890) - 89 = - 89 x 10 = 890
C.
890 - 89 = 801 - Subtract the multiplicand.

- 890 - 89 = 801
- 89 x 9 = 801
How to Multiply a 2 Digit Number with 11
Example: 23 x 11
23 x 11 = ???
A.
23 x 11 = 2 - Take the first digit of the multiplicand, 2, and copy it

to the other side of the equal sign.
B.
23 x 11 = 2 3 - Take the second digit of the multiplicand, 3, and copy it

to the far right, leaving space between.
C.
23 x 11 = 2 3 - Add up the two digits in the multiplicand, so 2, and 3.

-2+3=5
D.
23 x 11 = 253 - Place the 5 between the 2, and 3.

- 23 x 11 = 253
How to Multiply a 3 or More Digit Number with 11
Example: 11 x 415
11 x 415 = ???
A.
11 x 415 = 4 5 - Take the first, and last digit of 415, and copy them
opposite the equal sign, leaving a space between
to write more numbers.
B.
11 x 415 = 4 65 - Beginning from the right you must sequentially

add all the numbers together of 415.
- So, take the 5, and the 1, and add them up.
-5+1=6
- Place this 6 between the 4 and 5 on the far right side.
C.
11 x 415 = 4565 - Still focusing on the 415, take the second, and
first digit, and add them both together.
-4+1=5
- Put the 5 in the last space, and 11 x 415 = 4565.
How to Multiply a 3 or More Digit Number by 11 -- with Carrying
Example: 11 x 8956
11 x 8956 = ???
A.
11 x 8956 = 8 6 - Take the first, and last digit in 8956, and

copy them to the other side of the equal sign.
- The 8, and 6 should be kept apart.
B.
1
11 x 8956 = 8 16 - Now you must add up the numbers in 8956.
- First, add the 5 and 6 to begin.
- 5 + 6 = 11
- Since the 11 is two digits we must do some
carrying. So, split up the 11.
- Leave a 1 between the 8, and 6 on the right,
and place another 1 above the 8956.
C.
11
11 x 8956 = 8 516 - Next, add the 9 and 5 from the 8956.
- 9 + 5 = 14
- Remember the 1 from before? Add the 1 to this total.
- 14 + 1 = 15
- Since this is two digits we must split it up.
- Drop the 5 between the 8, and 16, and leave
the 1 above the 8956.
D.
11 1
11 x 8956 = 88516 - Move onto the last two digits of 8956.
- 8 + 9 = 17
- Add the 1 from before to the 17.
- 17 + 1 = 18
- This is a two digit answer. It must be split up.
- So, leave the 8 to the right, before the five,
and place the final one above the answer area.
E.
11 1
11 x 8956 = 98516 - Add the 1 from the top to the 8 that is at the
beginning of your answer. This then makes 9.
-8+1=9
- Now we have an answer for our math problem.
- 11 x 8956 = 98516
Another Example: 11 x 566
11 x 566 = ???
A.
11 x 566 = 5 6 - Focusing in on the 566, take the 5, and the 6

and duplicate them; place them on the other side
of the equal sign, with a space between.
B.
1
11 x 566 = 5 26 - Add together the last two digits of 566, so 6, and 6.
- 6 + 6 = 12
- Split up this 12. Place the 1 above the 566, and place
the 2 into the available space on the far right.
C.
1 1
11 x 566 = 5226 - Add up the first, and second digit from 566,
along with the 1 that you left above earlier.
- 5 + 6 + 1 = 12
- Split up this 12. Place the 1 above the answer
area, and drop the 2 into the last space left.
D.
1 1
11 x 566 = 6226 - Add the 1 above to the 5 in the answer area.
-5+1=6
- Now we've done our last calculation.
- Therefore, 11 x 566 = 6226.
The Conventional Method for Multiplying 11s
Think of the multiplier 11 as a 10, and 1 separately. So, for example, 11 x 34 becomes (10 x 34) + (1 x
34), or (340) + (34) = 374.
Another example: 11 x 86 is turned into (10 x 86) + (1 x 86), and this transforms into (860) +
(86) = 946.
Deconstruct. Multiply the multiplicand by 10, and 2, then add both products together.
Example: 42 x 12
42 x 12 = ???
A.
(42 x 10) + (42 x 2) = - We split up the multiplication problem.

- The 12 becomes 10, and 2, each which will be
multiplied by 42.
B.
(420) + (42 x 2) = - We begin left to right. 42 x 10 = 420.
C.
(420) + (84) = - 42 x 2 = 84
D.
(420) + (84) = 504 - 420 + 84 = 504

- 42 x 12 = 504
Add the multiplicand to a number valued at half of the multiplicand, and times the result by ten.
Example: 62 x 15
62 x 15 = ???
A.
62 ÷ 2 = 31 - We quickly half the multiplicand 62 to get 31.
B.
(62 + 31) x 10 - Now we create the structure to find the answer.

- The multiplicand (62) + half the multiplicand (31) x 10.
C.
(93) x 10 - Do the addition.

- 62 + 31 = 93
- Our problem becomes 93 x 10.
D.
93 x 10 = 930 - Do the multiplication now.

62 x 15 = 930 - 93 x 10 = 930
- Therefore, 62 x 15 = 930.
Multiply by 2, and then multiply by 10.
Example: 165 x 20
165 x 20 = ???
A.
(165 x 2) x 10 = - 165 x 20 becomes (165 x 2) x 10.
B.
(330) x 10 = - Multiply by 2.
-165 x 2 = 330
C.
(330) x 10 = 3300 - Multiply by 10.

165 x 20 = 3300 - 330 x 10 = 3300
- Therefore, 165 x 20 = 3300
To multiply by 25, instead multiply by 100, and then divide by 2 twice.

The formula would look like this: (100 x ___ ) ÷ 2 ÷ 2.
Example: 25 x 53
25 x 53 = ???
A.
(100 x 53) ÷ 2 ÷ 2 = - Transform the math problem.

- 25 x 53 becomes (100 x 53) ÷ 2 ÷ 2.
B.
(5300) ÷ 2 ÷ 2 = - Do what's in the brackets first.

- 100 x 53 = 5300
C.
2650 ÷ 2 = - Divide 5300 by 2.

- 5300 ÷ 2 = 2650
D.
2650 ÷ 2 = 1325 - Divide by two once more.

25 x 53 = 1325 - 2650 ÷ 2 = 1325
- Therefore, 25 x 53 = 1325.
Part 7 - Rapidly Squaring Two Digit Numbers
Squaring a number, i.e. multiplying a number with itself, can be done in a more efficient manner with a
bit of trickery. Look to the following example to see how it's done.
Example: 25² or 25 x 25
25² = ???
A.
5
25² = - Split up the 25 based on place value.
- So, separate the tens, and ones.
(20 x ) - The 5 goes above, and the 20 below, which is
to be made into a multiplication problem.
B.
5
25² = - Add the 5 from earlier to the 25.
- 25 + 5 = 30
(20 x 30) - Drop this 30 down beside the 20.
- We get 20 x 30.
C.
5
25² = - Do you remember the 5 still at the top?
You must square this number, and add it
(20 x 30) + 25 = to the multiplication problem below.
- 5 x 5 = 25
- We place this 25 beside the (20 x 30) with
a plus sign.
D.
5
25² = - Multiply the numbers within the brackets.
- 20 x 30 = 600
(600) + 25 =
E.
5
25² = 625 - Finally, add 600 to 25.
- 600 + 25 = 625
600 + 25 = 625 - Therefore, 25 x 25, or 25² = 625
Tip: For calculating larger numbers use the tricks you learned previously. Use all the multiplication
methods together.
CHAPTER 26:
EFFICIENT ARITHMETIC, DIVISION
Division Is Tough
Out of all subjects in arithmetic division is the most difficult. It can often be imprecise. There is a great
degree of estimating, and in addition to this the act of subtracting.
Yet it is still essentially a form of multiplication. For example, 12 x 12 = 144, but 144 ÷ 12 =
12. Ergo, to improve in division you must be well acquainted with the "art" of multiplying.
Mastering the basics of multiplication is mandatory; however, there are additional
methodologies to make more efficient the process of dividing numbers.
The Primary Methods for Dividing Faster:
Part 1 - Reducing
Part 2 - Using 10s/100s/1000s to Divide
Part 3 - Short Division
Fun Fact: The division symbol "÷" (also called an obelus) is simply the visual representation of a
common fraction, having a line, and two dots instead of numbers, i.e. the numerator, and denominator.
A Quick Reminder
80.9 ← Quotient R10 ← Remainder

Divisor → 11 ) 890 ← Dividend
Part 1 - Reducing
Since the act of division is really about distribution this means we can reduce a division problem.
For example, the answer to 99 ÷ 66 is the same as the answer to 33 ÷ 22. Both come out to 1.5.
The only difference here is that the latter is easier to calculate.
Thus, we can divide (or reduce) a division problem to make it into something that is far more
comprehensible.
Example: 948 ÷ 8
8 ) 948
A.
4 ) 474 - We examine the problem of 948 ÷ 8, and quickly

see that the divisor, and the dividend can both be
divided by a shared number, and remain whole.
- Using the simplest number we divide by two.
- This becomes 474 ÷ 4.
B.
2 ) 237 - We divide by two again to further simplify

our problem.
- We end up with 237 ÷ 2.
C.
1
2 ) 237 - We see that 2 goes into the 2 once, so we
place a 1 just above.
D.
11 - Next, 2 goes into 3 once, and leaves behind a 1,

2 ) 237 or if you will, a 10.
1 - This combines with the 7 in the next column,
creating 17.
E.
118 R1 - 2 goes into 17 how many times?

2 ) 237 - 8 x 2 = 16
1 - We find ourselves with a remainder of 1.
- Because 17 - 16 = 1.
F.
118.5 R1 - We make the remainder into a 10.

2 ) 237 - 2 x what = 10 ?
1 - The answer is 5. After placing a decimal
point we put the 5 at the very end.
- Therefore, 948 ÷ 8 = 118.5.
Here are some division problems that we want you to look at. Instead of doing the division, just think
about how you can reduce the numbers to make them easier to calculate.
A) 999 ÷ 18
B) 126 ÷ 42
C) 10000 ÷ 5
D) 420 ÷ 20
E) 50 ÷ 15
Here's what these could have turned into:
A) 999 ÷ 18 → 111 ÷ 2 = 55.5

B) 126 ÷ 42 → 63 ÷ 21 = 3
C) 10000 ÷ 5 → 20000 ÷ 10 → 2000 ÷ 1 = 2000
(In the problem of "10000 ÷ 5" instead of reducing it you can increase it to make it simpler to calculate.
When dividing by 5 you can just double everything to "round" it out.)
D) 420 ÷ 20 → 420 ÷ 20 = 21
E) 50 ÷ 15 → 10 ÷ 3 = 3.333
Now that you've seen all of these problems, can you think of any other division problems that can be
reduced, and simplified?
Part 2 - Using 10s/100s/1000s to Divide (When Divisors Are Lower Than Dividends)
We can make use of tens, hundreds, and/or thousands to estimate, and help with division problems. See
how it works in the following example.
Example: 9884 ÷ 6
6 ) 9884
A.
6 ) 9884 - We see that the divisor can be neatly placed

into the 9, but we begin our calculations by
6 x 1000 = 6000 trying to come up with an estimate first
using 1000.
- 6 x 1000 = 6000
B.
6 ) 9884 - How close is 6000 to 9884? We see there's

a difference of about 4000.
6 x 1000 = 6000 - Based on our previous step we find that
6 x 500 = 3000.
6 x 500 = 3000
C.
6 ) 9884 - We now need to do some addition, and subtraction.

- 6000 + 3000 = 9000
6 x 1000 = 6000 - 9884 - 9000 = 884
- With that result we make another calculation using
6 x 500 = 3000 100 this time.
- 6 x 100 = 600
6 x 100 = 600
D.
1600
6 ) 9884 - We now add up all the numbers directly in
- 9600 front of, and behind the equal signs.
------ - 1000 + 500 + 100 = 1600
284 - We put the 1600 all the way above our problem.
- 6000 + 3000 + 600 = 9600
6 x 1000 = 6000 - We subtract this from the dividend.
- '9884 - 9600 = 284'
6 x 500 = 3000
6 x 100 = 600
E.
1600
6 ) 9884 - We take the 284, and divide with 6,
- 9600 using short division.
------ - 284 ÷ 6 = 47.3
284 - Remainder 2
6 x 1000 = 6000
6 x 500 = 3000
6 x 100 = 600
47.3 R2
6 ) 284
F.
1600
6 ) 9884 - Add together all the quotients.
- 9600 - 1600 + 47.3 = 1647.3
------ - Therefore, 9884 ÷ 6 = 1647.3
284
6 x 1000 = 6000
6 x 500 = 3000
6 x 100 = 600
47.3 R2
6 ) 284
1600 + 47.3 = 1647.3
9884 ÷ 6 = 1647.3
A Tip for Using 10s/100s/1000s to Divide
When estimating you can take your largest product, and the appropriate factor, and divide it by two,
and then two again, and again, continuing on, until everything adds up to your liking.
Example: 1675 ÷ 9
A.
9 ) 1675
9 x 100 = 900 - You see how 100, and 900 are divided by two?
9 x 50 = 450 - Then it happens again, and once more.
9 x 25 = 225 - You add it all up, and get 175, and 1575.
100 + 50 + 25 = 175
900 + 450 + 225 = 1575
B.
175 - From here you get a good estimation for your

9 ) 1675 answer.
-1575 - Now you just have to do the rest, and you find
------ 1675 ÷ 9 = 186.1
100
Part 3 - Short Division
The main method for doing division is long division; however, this can get quite complicated. For
smaller, everyday calculations there is short division. Short division does not necessarily require fewer
calculations, but it can be done without large amounts of writing. This shall be shown through example.
Example 1) 2583 ÷ 4
4 ) 2583
A.
6
4 ) 2583 - How many times does 4 go into 25?
- 6 times. 4 x 6 = 24.
- We put the 6 above.
B.
6
4 ) 2583 - What's 25 minus 24?
1 - It's 1.
- We mentally carry this to the next number,
which is 8. This makes 18.
C.
64
1 - It's 4.
- 4 x 4 = 16. We put the 4 above.
D.
64
4 ) 2583 - We need to subtract for the 18 and 16 now.
12 - 18 - 16 = 2
- We "give" this 2 to the next number,
which is 3.
- This creates a 23.
E.
645
4 ) 2583 - 4 goes into 23 how many times?
12 - 4 x 5 = 20
- The 5 goes above.
F.
645 ¾
4 ) 2583 - Once again we subtract.
12 - 23 - 20 = 3
- The remainder is 3.
- Now we have three options to end this.
We can either leave the remainder as is,
calculate further to get a precise number,
or leave a fraction. We will leave a fraction.
- The fraction is made up of the remainder
placed above the divisor. So, this is
3 out of 4, or three-quarters.
- We leave behind a ¾ which is 0.75
- 2583 ÷ 4 = 645.75
Example 2) 4352 ÷ 6
6 ) 4352
A.
7
6 ) 4352 - We examine the problem, and find 6
doesn't go into 4. We use the 43 then.
- How does 6 go into 43?
- 6 x 7 = 42
- 7 is placed above.
B.
7
6 ) 4352 - Next is subtraction, using the previous
1 number.
- What's 43 - 42?
- 43 - 2 = 1
- We give this 1 to the next number, which
is 5, and we get 15.
C.
72
1 - 6 x 2 = 12
- Place the 2 above.
D.
72
6 ) 4352 - What is 15 - 12?
13 - 15 - 12 = 3
- We take this 3, and plug it into the
very last number, which is 2.
- This gives us a 32.
E.
725
13 - 6 x 5 = 30
- We hold the 30 in our mind, and the
5 goes up top.
F.
725 ⅓
6 ) 4352 - We subtract 30 from 32.
13 - 32 - 30 = 2
- Our remainder is 2, or 2 out of 6.
- If we cut this in half we can reduce
it to a 1, and 3 to create ⅓.
- We place this ⅓ beside the 725.
- Our answer is now 725 ⅓.
- 4352 ÷ 6 = 725 ⅓ or 725.333
CHAPTER 27:
EFFICIENT ARITHMETIC, HOW TO
EASILY CALCULATE PERCENTAGES
How to Easily Calculate Percentages
Calculating percentages is a lot easier than most think, and knowing how to do so efficiently can come
in handy when doing things like trying to figure out a tip to give, or how much taxes will amount to.
We will begin by learning how to calculate 1%, and 10% of a number, but be sure not to skip anything
as advanced techniques will rely on previous techniques.
How to Calculate 1%, 10%.
Every number has a decimal point, even if you do not see them. The number ten for example can be
thought of as 10.0 or "ten point oh."
To find out 1% of a number just move the decimal point two times to the left.
Example: 1% of 189.0 = 1.890
To get 10% just move the decimal point left once.
Example: 10% of 113.0 = 11.30
How to Calculate 15%
To find 15%, find 10% first, and then half that to get 5%; add the 10%, and 5% together.
Example for finding 15%: 222 → 22.2 + (22.2 ÷ 2) → 22.2 + 11.1 = 33.3 → 33.3 is 15% of 222.
How to Calculate 5%, 20%
To find 5%, first find 10% (don't forget to refer to the previous section), and then divide in two.
Example for finding 5%: 900 → 90 → 90 ÷ 2 = 45 → 45 is 5% of 900.
To find 20%, find 10%, and then double the result.
Example for finding 20%: 160 → 16 → 16 x 2 = 32 → 32 is 20% of 160.
How to Calculate 50%, 25%
To find 50%, just take your number, and divide it in half.

Example for finding 50%: 888 → 888 ÷ 2 = 444 → 444 is 50% of 888.
To find 25%, first find 50%, and then divide that in half. So, take your number, and divide it by two
two times.
Example for finding 25%: 500 → 500 ÷ 2 = 250 → 250 ÷ 2 = 125 → 125 is 25% of 500.
Find 10%, double that, and add another 10%. So (10% x 2) + 10% = 30%.
Example for finding 30%: 80 → 8 x 2 = 16 → 16 + 8 = 24 → 24 is 30% of 80.
Method A to get 40%. Find 10% first, and then double, and double again.
Example A for finding 40%: 35 → 3.5 x 2 = 7 → 7 x 2 = 14 → 14 is 40% of 35.
Method B to get 40%. Find 50%, and 10%, then subtract the 10% from the 50%.
Example B for finding 40%: 420 → 420 ÷ 2 = 210 → 210 - 42 = 168 → 168 is 40% of 420.
To get 60% first divide your number in two to get 50%. Then with the same number shift the decimal
point once to the left to find 10%. Add these together, i.e. 50% + 10%.
Example for finding 60%: 200 → 200 ÷ 2 = 100 → 100 + 20 = 120 → 120 is 60% of 200.
Find 10% of a number, and double that to get 20%. Then find 50%, and add it with 20% to obtain what
is 70%.
Example for finding 70%: 130 → 13 → 13 x 2 = 26 → 130 ÷ 2 = 65 → 65 + 26 = 91 → 91 is 70% of

130.
To get 80%. Find 10%, double it, and subtract this from 100% of your number.
Example for finding 80%: 450 → 45 x 2 = 90 → 450 - 90 = 360 → 360 is 80% of 450.
To get 90%. Find 10%, and subtract it from 100% of your number.
Example for finding 90%: 56 → 5.6 → 56 - 5.6 = 50.4 → 50.4 is 90% of 56.
To get 35%. Find 25% (dividing by 2, and 2 again), and then obtain 10%. Add these all together. 25% +
10%.
Example for finding 35%: 500 → 500 ÷ 2 = 250 → 250 ÷ 2 = 125 → 125 + 50 = 175 → 175 is 35% of
500.
If you want to find 45% of a number, first find 50% (via halving), and then subtract 5%. To find 5%
move the decimal point left once on the value that represents 50%.
Example for finding 45%: 620 → 620 ÷ 2 = 310 → 31 is 10% of 310, or 5% of 620 → 310 - 31 = 279
→ 279 is 45% of 620.
To find out 55% of a number, find 50%, and then 5%. Add these two together for your answer.
Example for finding 55%: 456 → 456 ÷ 2 = 228 → 22.8 is 5% of 456 → 228 + 22.8 = 250.8 → 250.8
is 55% of 456.
To obtain 65% of a number, find 50%, then using that 50% get 5%, and lastly 10%. Add these all
together. 50% + 5% + 10% = 65%.
Example for finding 65%: 300 → 300 ÷ 2 = 150 → 15 is 5% of 300 → 30 is 10% of 300 → 150 + 15 +
30 = 195 → 195 is 65% of 300.
To find 75% divide your number in two to find out what 50% is, and then divide again in two to get
25%. Remembering what you got for each, add the results, 50%, and 25% together to obtain your
answer.
Example for finding 75%: 228 → 228 ÷2 = 114 → 114 ÷ 2 = 57 → 114 + 57 = 171 → 171 is 75% of
228.
To find 85% first find out 10% of your number, and divide this by two to obtain 5%. Add the 10%, and
5% together to create 15%. Then take this 15% away from your original figure to obtain 85%.
Example for finding 85%: 150 → 15 is 10% of 150 → 15 ÷ 2 = 7.5, or 5% of 150 → 15 + 7.5 = 22.5 →
150 - 22.5 = 127.5 → 127.5 is 85% of 150.
To calculate 95% of a number, first find 10%, then divide that in two to get 5%. Finally, subtract this
5%.
Example for finding 95%: 400 → 40 is 10% of 400 → 40 ÷ 2 = 20, or 5% of 400 → 400 - 20 = 380 →
380 is 95% of 400.
How to Calculate Other Percentages
Make use of the previously shown techniques, and get as close as you can to the desired percent, and
then fill in the gaps, by calculating with 1%, and multiplying as required. Afterwards, add everything
together.
Example: What is 52% of 816?
816 → 816 ÷ 2 = 408 → 8.16 is 1% of 816 → 8.16 x 2 = 16.32 → 408 + 16.32 = 424.32 → 424.32 is
52% of 816.
In essence this is what we did → 50% + (1% x 2) = 52%
How to Calculate Percentages for Fractions
- Multiply the numerator by 100, and the denominator by 1.

- With the new result "scratch out" an equal number of zeroes in both the numerator, and denominator,
if they are available.
- Afterwards, do the division. Divide the top with the bottom number to obtain the percent-value.
Numerator → 22 100 2200

---- x ---- = ------ 220 ÷ 9 = 24.4
Denominator → 90 1 90
Therefore, 22 out of 90 is 24.4% (approximately).
Calculating Percentages for Numbers with Decimal Points: Ignore the Decimal Point
If there is an awkward decimal point in the middle of a number, just ignore it, and calculate as you
normally would, then return the decimal point at the very end.
Let's say you want to find 50% of 1.6. For simplification sake, 1.6 can be thought of as 16.
From there, do the normal routine of operations. Divide it in half for 50%, and obtain the number 8.
Afterwards, readjust the decimal point to get your real answer. The decimal point moves left to
make 0.8, i.e. 50% of 1.6.
Finding 50% of 1.6:

1.6 → Ignore the Decimal Point → 16 ÷ 2 = 8 → Return the Decimal Point → 0.8 is 50% of 1.6
Final Thoughts on Math and Arithmetic

We're very near the end of our coverage on mathematics. Did you get through the whole section? Or
was it overwhelming?
It might seem a little confusing, because of all the techniques, but there is no obligation to learn
every trick, and tip; however, there are a couple of things you should not forgo.
- First, master the basics. No matter what subject you approach the aim should always be mastering the
basics. You cannot intellectually grow if you do not master the basics. The basics are your foundation.
A strong house can only be built on a strong foundation.
- When doing calculations, without pen and paper, or calculator, be sure to really visualize, and hold the
numbers in your head. Pretend that you are writing on a whiteboard, and/or say aloud what you are
doing. If you want you can even use a memory palace to memorize the digits.
- Practice as much as you can, and don't be afraid of failing, and making mistakes. The attitude that you
use to learn will determine your success. Failing is not bad. Failing teaches you what not to do. Of
course, you never aim to fail, but failures should not be shameful so long as you learn from them.
At last we bring this to a close. Hopefully, you learned a lot, and you are now much better at
arithemetic. But if you find yourself a bit lost, feel free to go back, and look at all the details. Just be
sure to have patience. If there's anything to take away from this it's that patience is required to learn
mathematics.
CHAPTER 28:
INCREASE YOUR READING SPEED
(SPEED READING)
The Importance of Reading
According to Frontier College, a Canadian national literacy organization, the ability to read has a
significant, and direct impact on household income. Literacy, which is measured on a scale of 0 to 5,
with 5 being the highest, shows itself to affect how much one can earn during their career.
Households with a literacy level of 4 to 5 are found to have 70% higher income than those with
literacy levels of 1, and below. Compared to households with literacy levels of 2 the difference is 30%.
(https://www.frontiercollege.ca/getattachment/6f6bd77f-043f-4ce3-96a0-
9a2ec2902d73/Discussion-Paper-Literacy-and-Poverty-by-Frontier.aspx)
Of course, being able to read efficiently is not just soley about money. Reading can enrich an
individual's life, and act as a source of entertainment, or comfort. That said, reading is something one is
required to do every day, and it is imperative that you be as literate as much as possible.
However, for many they find reading to be a pain, and the average person only reads at a rate of
200 words per minute, or roughly a page per minute. On the other hand, a speed reader can read as fast
as an astounding 1000 WPM.
So, the question is, can you actually read this fast? The answer is probably no, but the good
news is almost everyone can improve their reading speed. There are methods for reading faster that
nearly anyone can do.
But before we start we first have to test your reading speed.
Find a clock, or stop-watch, and use it measure how long it takes you to read these two short stories
from Aesop's Fables. But read everything at your normal pace. Don't try to rush for a better result. The
clock starts as soon as you read the first title...
The Lion & the Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him
unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap,
the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused thinking that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and
finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a
hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the
voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound
him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse
can help a Lion."
Lesson: A kindness is never wasted.
The Hare & the Tortoise
A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.
"Do you ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh.
"Yes," replied the Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race and prove
it."
The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the
thing he agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the
runners off.
The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it
was for him to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise
should catch up.
The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place
where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up,
the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in
time.
Lesson: The race is not always to the swift.
The end! How long did it take you to read those two short stories? Combined there were 400 words
including the titles. To find out your words per minute, or WPM, multiply the total amount of words
you read by 60, and divide it by the seconds you took to read.
Example:
- You read 400 words.

- 400 x 60 = 24000
- Let's say you took 100 seconds to read everything.
- 24000 ÷ 100 = 240 WPM
- Formula → (Words Read x 60) ÷ (Time in Seconds) = Words Per Minute
So, how many words per minute did you read? Write it down, and put it away for later. For now we will
go on to learning about speed reading.
We have several techniques available to us, which when combined can increase one's reading speed:
1. Move Your Eyes Faster
Most people can read faster than they think, but they are not aware that they are limited by the speed of
their eyes. To read faster you have to force your eyes to move faster. Lazy eye movements, and
plodding along, makes you a slower reader. If you want to read fast, you want to make your eyes
active, rapidly sweeping across the numerous words in a book.
2. Use A Finger To Guide You Along Text
To move your eyes faster when reading, use your finger to set the pace. Use it to guide you along text.
Point at the words in a book, and move your finger along at a brisk pace. Since eyes naturally follow
motion you should be able to keep up with the movements of your finger, even if you go fast.
At the start, you might want to try a moderate speed, but as you practice, you should go faster,
and faster, until you've reached a satisfactory rate of reading. Afterwards remove your finger, but keep
your eyes moving as they did previously.
3. Suppress Subvocalization
Along with faster eye movements, you will also be required to suppress subvocalization.
Subvocalization is the habit of saying words "aloud" in one's head when reading. But you must
suppress the urge to subvocalize, because it will slow you down.
When reading, particularly for speed, be conscious of how you read. Don't look at words, and
verbalize them in your mind. Minimize your subvocalization.
As you read, don't tighten your jaw as if you're about to say something. Avoiding tensing, and
moving the muscles in, and around your mouth. Relax your jaw. Relax your mouth. Let it be loose.
This can help you reduce subvocalization.
4. Read In Chunks
Read in chunks. Reading in chunks means you will read several words at a time instead of going from
word to word.
Fortunately, most people can read (if they try) three words in an instant. However, it gets tricky
when you attempt to go beyond this, because there is a requirement to use your peripheral vision. But
with practice this becomes possible, and you can read four or five words at once with ease.
The key to reading four or five words at once is controlling, where, and how you place your
attention. As you read, unless there is a new word to be learned, do not give focus on a single word.
Instead pull back your gaze, and read "chunks" or groups of words, and move your eyes across the
page, absorbing in gulps rather than sips.
You should find that reading groups of words will help you to read faster almost
instantaneously. If you've ever read a newspaper you'd be familiar with this. Because of how
newspapers are organized, their stories being in columns, they encourage speedier reading by
presenting text in such a way that your eyes naturally take in multiple words at a time.
But since most publications aren't done in the style of newspapers you must make yourself read
in chunks in order that you can efficiently download information into your brain.
At first, you may find it difficult to break your old habits, but when trying to speed read you can
begin slowly, and work your way up. Maybe at the start you can only take in two words at once, but
later on you will be able to do three, then four, and then five.
The main thing here though is that you must be aware of how you read, and push yourself to
break your old behaviors. Force yourself to see a larger amount of words at a time as your eyes move
across the page. Make use of your peripheral vision.
5. Ignore "Filler" Words
Not everything on a page is important. Not all words are needed to understand the meaning of a
sentence, or paragraph.
For example, let's look at this conversation:
"Allison, where did you go?"
"I went to the store."
What you have there is a full sentence response, but you could find the same meaning in half
the amount of words. If you simply read it as "went to store" you would be fine, because you still have
a verb, a preposition, and noun.
So, when you are reading ignore words that are not crucial to meaning. Now that is not to say
you don't look at these words, but rather that you don't give them your full attention.
Take this sentence: "The man fell down, and hurt his head, but he was okay."
What words can you ignore?
You can ignore "the" "down" "and" "his" "but" and "was."
And with that you mentally see: "Man fell. Hurt head. He okay."
It sounds like poor English, but it's okay because you aren't writing. You are reading, and those
six words give you the same meaning as the full sentence which comprises of a dozen words.
Yes, you might call this skimming, but in reality isn't. You will still have an understanding, and
grasp of the content.
It's like the highlighting of a book. When you have a book you obviously don't highlight
everything. You only highlight what you believe is important, and that is the right way to do it.
Similarly, in speed reading, you take the approach of only reading what is important, and this
means ignoring "filler" words, and various rubbish.
6. Use A Fast Pace, And A Slow Pace For Reading
Proper reading isn't just about speed alone. It's also about comprehension, and how much you absorb.
So, your objective isn't always to get through your reading as fast as possible. Yes, you do want to
maintain a good pace, but this should not be done to the detriment of comprehension.
This is why, when speed reading, you have to vary your rhythm. Read quickly, and also slowly.
Read slowly when there are new words, new concepts, or crucial information.
Do not think that efficiency means you must always persist at the same rapid rate. Nay, reading
is much like driving a car. When you drive a car you can go fast on the highway, but are obligated to
slow down on residential streets, or school zones. Yet even though you travel at different speeds you
always try to be as efficient as possible, and get from point A to point B as fast as is allowed.
Ergo, when reading, read fast, but where you see fit slow down to better absorb the material you
are studying.
7. Improve, and Expand Your Vocabulary
To increase your reading speed increase the amount of words that you know. Improving, and expanding
your vocabulary is an excellent way to help you read faster. Naturally, unfamiliar words, and
terminologies act as speed bumps that slow you down.
Although this is a somewhat difficult manner in which to ameliorate your reading speed it is a
proven, and tried-and-true method. When reading books keep a dictionary handy. As you come across
words that you do not know, look them up in your dictionary, and find the definition. If you do this as a
habit you will find soon enough that your vocabulary has increased a great deal, and therefore your
reading speed.
Last but Not Least
Before we end this chapter, you need to retest your reading speed, using the speed reading techniques
that you've just learned. Go back to the earlier portion of this chapter, containing the two stories, and
with a stopwatch find out how fast you can read now.
In words-per-minute (WPM), what is the difference between your earlier reading speed, and
what it is now? How much has it improved? Has it improved?
CHAPTER 29:
CRITICAL THINKING, AND SKEPTICISM: A SUMMARY
What Is Critical Thinking?
We all know what thinking is, but what is critical thinking? Critical thinking can be thought of as
thinking on a higher level, the ability to see the truth, and remain skeptical of claims through scientific
reasoning, and observations of cause and effect.
However, critical thinking can be a difficult thing to achieve; because of human subjectiveness
many, if not most people, see the world through their own lens, which might be foggy, and dirty.
If one is to think criticically they need to think outside of their perspective. They need to go
through a particular method of thinking (a mindset) to find the truth. Doing so can have great benefits,
or at the very least save one from harm.
To be a criticical thinker you must not blindly accept everything. Yes, many times it is more
than appropriate to immediately accept the answers you are given, but for bigger things there is a
requirement to ask the right questions, and gather quality information. There is an obligation to avoid
your innate biases, and not solely rely on one's feelings. Logic over feelings is the mode to take when
critically thinking.
This is easier said than done.
How to Think Critically
A) Have a clearly defined goal of what you are trying to achieve, or what your desired outcome is.
B) Suspend judgment.
C) Gather quality, nonpartisan information.
D) Use multiple sources of information, if possible.
E) Use educated guesses.
F) See both sides.
G) Identify conflicts of interest.
H) Identify motives.
I) Look for inconsistencies, and contradictory elements.
J) Recognize human biases, and faults in thinking.
K) Recognize, and address hyperbole.
L) Know that your feelings aren't facts.
M) Rely on what you know, but do not be overliant.
N) Ask the right questions: Who, what, where, when, why, and how?
Examples of Questions to Ask:

- Who is this person, or people imparting answers, and information? Are they reliable, and what is their
history?
- Who owns, and/or controls the information I am receiving? Who is behind it?
- What is this? (Acquire a summary, and understanding of what you are presented with.)
- What could be the goal of this person, or group I am engaging with? What might be their motivation?
- Where did this information come from? Is it from a biased source? Why would they be biased?
Especially in regard to an occurence -- what came before this? What came after it? Is this truly the
whole picture?
- When did this information come into being? (Time can make a difference in the quality of
information. Recent information tends to be more reliable than older information.)
- Why? Why would they come to this conclusion? Why do they think this particular way? Why are they
qualified? Why does this matter? Why should I listen?
- How did this information come into being? How credible is this? How many other people support this
information? How does this work? How is this possible? How do they know this? How do I really feel
about this? How can I find out more?
O) Come to a conclusion, and re-examine what you have, if you've discovered new information.
Examples of Critical Thinking & Skepticism
Example 1: A Child Tells You He Saw a Dinosaur
Do you believe him? Most adults will say "no" right away without so much as batting an eyelid. But
this is because they are cognitively biased. They already have an idea assembled in their mind about
how the world works, and are overconfident. But to think critically you can't have this type of attitude.
Instead make a goal in your mind to get to the bottom of this. First, you need to suspend
judgment. Being prejudiced can hinder your search for the truth. You have a feeling about what is right,
but those feelings aren't facts. Although it is not always a bad idea to "go with your gut" feelings can be
misleading.
So, now that you've suspended judgment (for now) you have to ask the right questions of
yourself, and to the child. You need to gather quality information.
So, what questions should you ask? The classic questions, in no particular order, are based on
the "what" "where" "when" "why" and "how."
We begin by trying to get a grasp of what we are presented with. We might ask the child, "What
did this dinosaur look like?"
He responds, "It was as tall as a mountain, and green, and had big sharp teeth, and a long tail."
Hearing that you recognize something that is hyperbole based on pre-existing information. How
could a dinosaur be as tall as a mountain? This must be investigated.
We probe further. "Are you sure it was really as tall as a mountain?"
"Well, no," says the child. "But it was big."
Okay, it was big. You want to know, "What type of dinosaur was it?"
The child replies, "I think it was a t-rex."
How odd, but you want to find out if this could be legitimate. You wonder about the where.
Where did this information come from? Where did this child see this t-rex?
You ask the child, "Where did you see this dinosaur?"
"At the park," says the child.
"When did this happen?" you say. You ask this because time can matter to information. Older
information is often less reliable. If the child saw the dinosaur yesterday he could give better
information than if it were several months ago.
Now, the child says to you, "Yesterday."
You think about all the information you've gathered so far. It seems fine as it is, but you must
ask yourself, "Why would this child tell me this? What is the motivation?"
Of course, you can't ask this directly, so you infer, using an educated guess. With all that you
know about children, and this child in particular, you think that he wouldn't have any compelling
reason to lie to you, or mislead you. He's not asking for money. He's not asking for favors. He is simply
telling a story, imparting his experience (i.e. information) to you.
Therefore you give him due consideration, and continue seeking more information, and ask him
"how" questions. "How did this t-rex sound?" you ask. "How is it that you weren't frightened?"
The child answers you, "The t-rex was real loud, but I wasn't scared, because it was just a man
in a costume."
Then using past information you remember that the local museum held an event about
dinosaurs, but not being over-reliant on past information, you want to verify your thoughts. You inquire
more.
"Was this for the museum?" you ask.
The child replies, "I think so."
You nod, and find an answer to the original question you had in your mind. Yes, the child
probably did see a dinosaur...but not a real one. It's likely he was being honest all along. His story was
consistent for the most part, and did not exaggerate too much.
However, should you find otherwise, and receive new information, you will update your
conclusion, because often conclusions are not concrete.
Example 2: A Man Tries to Sell You "Super Vitamins"
A man comes up to you on the street. You stop to see what he wants. He shakes your hand, and says
hello. He tells you that he has something that might interest you.
"What is it you?" you ask.
"You're looking a little pale," he replies.
"You what?" you say.
"I can fix that," says the salesman. "With these!" He shows you a suitcase full of vitamins.
"Why would these help me?" you think. You suspend judgment, and listen.
"These are super vitamins," says the salesman. "The best that money can buy. They'll make you
healthy."
You want to be healthy. You've always had that goal in mind, but will "super vitamins" make
you healthy? You already know that vitamins are essential to human health. Vitamin C, for example,
which is found in oranges, can stave off scurvy...but you don't have scurvy. Maybe he knows something
that you don't.
You need to probe him, and gather some quality information. You are relying on what you know
right now, but you don't want to be overreliant. He might have some answers for you.
Okay. You ask him about the "super" part in his super vitamins; it sounds like hyperbole. "What
makes your vitamins super? What exactly are super vitamins?"
The salesman readily replies, "They're vitamins that have thrice the bioavailability compared to
regular vitamins."
You feel like this can't be right, but you know that your feelings aren't fact, and maybe he's
right. You ask another question.
"How does it work?" you ask.
"The ingredients are finely milled," says the salesman. "That means the vitamins are smaller on
the molecular level, and can be absorbed better into your body."
"And where were these vitamins made?" you say.
"Canada," says the salesman.
"I don't trust Canada," you say back.
"Sure, lots of us don't," replies the salesman, "but I work for a very reputable company."
"What's the name of the company?" you say.
"The Super Vitamin compnay," says the salesman.
"Never heard of it," you say. "When did this company get into business?"
"1984," replies the salesman. "It's old a.f."
"Hmmm," you say.
You think to yourself, why you haven't heard of super vitamins before. Could there really be
such a thing?
"Would you like to buy the vitamins?!" asks the salesman. "25% off, but this is a limited time
offer! It won't be here tomorrow!"
You see what the salesman is doing. He is trying to scare you. He knows about loss aversion, a
cognitive bias that humans have in which the fear of loss is stronger than the possibility of gaining.
"Well?" says the pushy salesman. "Don't you want the super vitamins, so that you can be
healthy? They will increase your energy by 89%!"
You start thinking again: "How is that possible? Why is he telling me this?" It seems obvious
that he is motivated by money, and is most likely using exaggerations to sell his products. You decide
to do some more digging for answers but not through the salesman.
You have to find out more. How can you find out more? You decide to use your pocket gizmo to
research information on "super vitamins." You find many answers, and find that the most common
thought is that there is no such thing as super vitamins that can increase your energy by 89%.
"Look here," you say, while showing what you've found, "these vitamins can't increase your
energy by 89%."
"No, no, no," says the salesman. "I said that it can increase your energy by up to 89%."
You remember what he told you earlier. The salesman is being inconsistent, or is lying. You
don't trust him as much as you did before.
You come to a conclusion that these vitamins are not superior to other vitamins. Likely, it's
marketing hype. But you want to be sure. Much to the chagrin of the salesman, you go back onto your
pocket gizmo for more info to re-examine your ideas. A bit more digging, and you have reaffirmed
your conclusion.
"I'm sorry," you say, "I do not want to buy your vitamins. I do not think they're more super than
any other popular brand out there. If I bought them, I'd be paying more than is necessary."
"Seriously?" says the salesman. "Seriously?!?"
You nod. The salesman storms off.
Example 3: A Politician Wants to Become President
You want to vote for the next president of your country. A prominent politician presents himself on TV.
You don't much like him from the rumors you've heard, but you suspend judgment to hear what he has
to say, and you do not judge him on his surly appearance. He begins speaking without stuttering
whatsoever. You make an educated guess, and think that he's been doing this for a very long time.
That's one thing to note: He has experience. (Experience is good, right?)
"And I will bring jobs back to this country," says the prominent politician. "And I will cut back
on the greedy banks, and financial institutions. And I will do this, and that. Blah, blah, blah."
Right away you find a conflict of interest. This prominent politician is the chairman of a big
bank, and has a significant ownership in the company. Why would he cut back on the greedy banks?
The prominent politician continues on, trying to emotionally sway the audience.
"I love everyone," he says. Then a minute later he talks about building a wall to keep people out
of the country. Your eyebrows raise as you spot this inconsistency.
"The wall will be a mile high, and span the entire country," says the prominent politician.
Your eyebrows raise again. This must be hyperbole. A structure that large, and tall could not be
built. But your feelings aren't facts. You decide to look up some nonpartisan information to check if it's
possible. You find that while it is physically possible economically it isn't.
Then using multiple sources of information you find more things concerning this political
candidate. For one, he's a very rich man. A billionaire. A classic, cut-throat businessman. You call into
question his character. Perhaps a billionaire should not be shaping the country, because he does not
understand the ordinary person's needs?
So, what are his motives? What exactly is he all about? He's already extremely successful, so
why does he want to become president? You can only make a conclusion with more information. You
continue watching the TV.
"I want to cut the fat," says the prominent politician. "I want to bring jobs back to this country.
More things need to be made here, and not overseas."
"How can he do that?" you wonder.
The prominent politician doesn't explain, and leaves a void for an answer. You have some ideas
about how this could be possible, but you are not over-reliant on what you know as it is limited. You
instead wait for more info, but unfortunately do not receive it.
The prominent politician carries on with his speech. "Taxes are too damned high! I want to
lower them! 9 out of 11 families can't even pay their taxes!"
"Where did this information come from?" you wonder. You do some quick research, and find
that this "fact" is nowhere to be found. You make a note of that, and continue watching the prominent
politician's speech.
The prominent politician is shaking his head, and screaming at the crowd, "Yeeeeee-haw! Yippy
kai yay!"
"When is this going to end?" you think to yourself.
The prominent politician starts doing cartwheels on stage, and jumping, and spinning around.
He's pumping everyone up. They're hooting, and hollering, getting excited.
"And that's what the economy is like right now," says the prominent politician. "Crazy, ain't it?
But that's because government is corrupt! It's spending your money like crazy! Did you know that the
country is one zillion dollars in debt?! One zillion! Yawwwwwwwwwww!"
Half an hour later the prominent politician's speech ends. You shut off the TV, and sit down to
critically think whether he is someone you should vote for.
Based on everything you've heard, you are reluctant to do so; however, this prominent politician
will soon be debating another politician, thus allowing you to see both sides
Once you have gatherd all your information, then you will be able to make a proper decision.
After all, choosing the president of a country is not a task to be taken lightly. Diligence, and research is
required.
Afterthought on these examples: Learning about critical thinking can be difficult, because it is usually
not a step-by-step process. It is not like doing a paint-by-numbers painting. Sometimes you will have to
put emphasis on one thing, and less on another. You will have to make many decisions about what's
important, and what isn't.
Critical thinking also requires maturity, and using a degree of skepticism, curiosity, and
experimentation, combined with the best of one's instincts.
The main thing, however, is one must realize that information, and ideas you encounter cannot
be trusted without sufficient information. Trust should not be given out like candy. It must be earned.
There must be enough legitimate data to hold up the claims of anything in which there is pronounced
importance.
Of course, this becomes tricky as most data/information is second-hand, and this requires a
small leap of faith in authority figures, and an established chain of trust. But ultimately, it's all just
humans, flawed humans, from the top to the bottom.
So, because of that one has to be inclined to thinking indepedently, and you must make a
number of judgment calls about people, and what their merit seem to be. Can you trust them? Do you
trust them based on other people's trust? You must figure out their motivations, and whether there are
any conflicts of interest. You have to be careful, and examine the characters of various individuals.
In dealing with society, you need to "stay on your toes." Educate yourself to build up your
mental strength. Know about various human behaviours, and biases. Stay impartial, and see both sides.
To be a critical thinker, you cannot be over-emotional, and you are obligated to reserve
judgment, until you have received enough information.
Somewhere in the process you will draw a line, separating facts from opinions, and in doing so,
you will certainly make mistakes, but self-observation, self-awareness, having patience, and taking the
time to really think can go a very long way.
Remember critical thinking, much like anything else, is a skill that requires adequate practice. If
you want to be smart you have to do your homework.
Skepticism: A Part of Critical Thinking
In reality, critical thinking encompasses many types of thinking, and intellectual skills. One of the
strongest facets of critical thinking is skepticism. Skepticism has many definitions, but can be thought
of as an attitude of doubt to what is presented as reality, and acknowledgment of the limits of what an
individual can perceive.
So, as it is, nearly everyone has a degree of skepticism, but some more-so than others. An
example of a famous skeptic is the "Doubting Thomas" from the Bible.
Jesus Appears to Thomas (John 20:24-29)
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So, the other disciples
told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails
were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the
doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you!”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand, and put it
into my side. Stop doubting, and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord, and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who
have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In that biblical story, Thomas is doubtful that the other followers of Jesus have seen Jesus (on account
of him being crucified), so he says he will wait to see for himself, and that he will examine Jesus's
body. He does so, and only then does he believe. But at the end Jesus somewhat admonishes Thomas
for not having faith, and not believing earlier.
While this attitude is common in many religions, it is not a good attitude to take elsewhere.
Thomas's skepticism should not be frowned upon. He wanted to witness the return of Christ with his
own eyes, and that is not an unreasonable attitude to take.
Skepticism is a way in which we can protect ourselves. Having a healthy amount of doubt, for
what seems unbelievable, is good. It's not a negative quality to have. Most people would do good to be
more skeptical.
In the year 2007 to 2011, if you can remember (https://www.cnbc.com/id/40842683), there was
a crazy fad over plastic bracelets with holograms on them. They were sold at retail for $20 to $30, and,
including imitators, globally sold millions.
Through slick sales-pitches, and marketing, they were promoted as a product that increased
balance, and strength, and enhanced athletic abilities. All that from some plastic!
Even though it was obvious to some that it didn't work whatsoever, many consumers were still
roped in, and wasted their money...because of a lack of skepticism. And what's odd is these were not
children. These were fully grown, for the most part, functioning adults that bought into it.
But why? Perhaps it could be blamed on the celebrity endorsements, seeing as people often put
far, far too much trust in celebrities. Either way, the product's sales were demonstrative of a lack of
skepticism from the public.
Sadly, skepticism is not something that is widely taught in schools. Skepticism can be
problematic to teachers, because in reality they do not want you questioning their lessons, and making
their careers more difficult than they already are.
But this attitude is understandable, especially since the merits of skepticism can be hard to
understand, and frankly it can be tricky to deal with. Realistically, one cannot measure how much
skepticism they need to employ, and skepticism often requires one to resist their natural ways of
thinking.
Skepticism also often presents uncomfortable ideas to an individual. Then there is a balance one
must strike. Yes, skepticism, like anything else must be balanced. Too much skepticism, or more
specifically doubt, can be detrimental to an individual.
Skepticism might make you an outcast in a group, and not submitting to peer pressure could
reduce one's social standing; however, many of us already know this, the majority is commonly
incorrect.
And it takes a lot of mental fortitude, and courage, to resist a consensus. For good reason
though. Usually, but not always, two heads are better than one.
So, with skepticism, one has to make hard decisions about whether the majority is wrong, or
right, and saying that the majority is wrong is a lot harder than conforming, and going along with their
opinions.
However, as mentioned earlier, skepticism requires balance. Like anything else you cannot be in
the extreme. You have to balance skepticism with being open-minded, and sometimes you must accept
what you are given without heavy inquiry.
In the medical industry, for example, they have what they call high-utilizing patients. High-
utilizing patients, also known by the pejorative "frequent fliers" are patients deemed as paranoid,
demanding check-ups, and attention far above the norm, and/or what is required.
So, over time, some doctors, and nurses become dismissive towards certain patients, and ignore
their needs, because they are seen as being unnecessarily needy. This might seem logical to them, from
a feelings view-point, but there can be deadly consequences.
Edith Rodriguez, a 43 year old woman, was ignored by medical staff for (approximately) 45
minutes, after she had collapsed to the hospital floor, and was writhing, and screaming in pain, and
vomiting blood. Later on, she died.
Although many news reports of this story did not spell it out, it seemed that Edith Rodriguez
had mental health problems, and most likely was deemed a "frequent flyer." On her last visit, the
nurses, and doctors decided to ignore her, because they thought it was nothing -- just the same as
before.
Unfortunately, their decision (or lack of) proved deadly. A woman died for no reason. They had
too much skepticism. They were doubtful after experiencing this individual's behavior for so long, and
they eventually became dismissive.
This is not what skepticism is about. Skepticism does not mean always being doubtful, and
mistrustful. Healthy skepticism sometimes requires making exceptions to "the rule." Additionally, you
have to be skeptical about the skeptics, too; no one can be spared, or seen as special.
Suppose you are sick, and your doctor doesn't believe you, but you know through your own
mind, and body that you are in fact sick, then you have to refute the opinion you received, and seek a
second, third, or fourth opinion from elsewhere. Because, after all, who knows you better than
yourself?
And so it goes, yes, there can be such a thing as over-skepticism as well as a lack of skepticism.
A good example of this is the villainization of marijuana. Marijuana has medicinal properties, and can
be therapeutic, but for many years has been treated like a hard, harmful drug.
If one were to be skeptical, they could do some independent research, and question the status-
quo, and see that this is clearly not the case. Marijuana, and its numerous strains, has been observed to
help with ailments like: anxiety, depression, inflammation, skin disorders, and several types of cancer.
It has been wrongfully mischaracterized as a villainous substance, but one will know with
sufficient knowledge that the information on the benefits of marijuana have been suppressed by
pharmacological industries to make the public misinformed, and wary of a useful substance that would
challenge their bottom line.
But this isn't really about marijuana. It's about much more. Your skepticism can impact your
life, and in this day, and age, with widespread computer technology, there should be no reason to be
ignorant. Even though the internet can be a minefield of information, ultimately it is beneficial to
skepticism, so long as you have the mind to be consciously skeptical.
Thankfully, we are living in a time, where skepticism is generally accepted, and encouraged (at
least in academic circles). In the olden days, skepticism could have been deadly. Intellectual Giordano
Bruno, who lived in Italy in the mid-1500s, was executed for being a skeptic.
His beliefs contradicted Catholic ideologies, and for that they sentenced him to death. They
hung him upside down naked, and then burned him at the stake, because he did not believe in hell, the
Holy Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the virginity of Mary, and transubstantiation. He also did not
believe that the Earth was the center of the universe, and he thought stars were just distant suns,
surrounded by their own planets, which had the possibility of harboring life.
Though we accept these ideas today at the time it meant a literal death sentence for Giordano
Bruno. But the idea here is not to scare anyone, rather that skepticism ought to be appreciated. Most
people push others to be open-minded, but an intellectual needs to be skeptical just as much, if not
more.
What's great is skepticism doesn't have to be complex either. Many of you know about
skepticism through common sayings like: "If it's too good to be true, it probably is." That phrase is a
perfect representation of what it means to be skeptical. It strongly suggests being skeptical, yet is not
absolute.
So, to be a proper skeptic, be someone who asks questions, be thoughtful, and mentally weigh
the answers you receive.
Also: Have a strong foundation of scientific knowledge. Understand the scientific process, and
pursuit of truth. Thinking scientifically can extend beyond the realm of science.
CHAPTER 30:
SCIENTIFIC THINKING, TESTING & EXPERIMENTATIONS
Scientific Thinking: A Part of Skepticism
When one seeks to think scientifically, they ought to read scientific literature, from reputable sources,
and learn as much as they can. If reading isn't a possibility, due to time constraints, then video, or audio
learning can be a boon.
However, absorbing knowledge is only one part in scientific thinking. You must also have a
mindset, where you use deductive reasoning, and you carefully observe, create connections,
intelligently speculate, and find links between information. Much like putting together a jig-saw puzzle
you want to see how it all fits together.
In many cases, where a jigsaw puzzle piece is missing, you may even have to create your very
own "puzzle piece." Because there is a multipronged approach to becoming something of a scientific
thinker. A scientific thinker's mindset, like an onion, will have many layers to it. But one of the more
important aspects to scientific thinking is the scientific method.
The scientific method is the mode one takes to resolve problems, and to discover new
information. It is extraordinairly important in academia, and thankfully can be broken down into 8
simple steps.
The Scientific Method:
1. Ask Questions - What is your purpose? What do you want to find out? What do you want to know?
Form questions through your curiousity.
2. Do Background Research - See what already exists out there, and whether you can build on it.
3. Construct a Hypothesis - Make an educated guess, a prediction about what you believe may occur.
What are your expectations?
4. Test Your Hypothesis Via Experimentation - Do so in a scientific manner, using careful
measurements, and collect information with as few biases as possible, preferrably zero.
5. Analyze Your Data - Look at the data you've collected. Were there increases, decreases, or did it stay
the same? How did one thing affect the other thing? What are the differences?
6. Draw A Conclusion From Your Results - Was your hypothesis correct? What did you find out? How
does your experiment compare to what else is out there?
7. Refine, Alter, Expand, Or Reject Your Hypothesis - If your research does not yield the result you
want, think about modifying your hypothesis, and testing again to find new data.
8. Share - Don't keep your findings to yourself. Share it. Sharing is an important part in discovering the
truth as it allows other minds to examine, and correct what you have should there be any errors in your
information. You don't want any errors in your information, do you?
How to Conduct Tests/Experiments:
In addition to what was outlined in the scientific method there are extra details that must be adhered to.
A goal of testing is to do away with biases, and find information that is as accurate as possible. So, in
the scientific community they do what they call "controlled experiments."
In a controlled experiment, everything must be constant (the same), except for the variables of
which there are two. You have the independent variable, and the dependent variable. The independent
variable is what you are testing, while the dependent variable is what you're measuring, and observing.
Knowing what each is, and how they work will allow you to draw a conclusion.
Example of a Controlled Experiment:

This experiment is about plant growth.
- You ask a question: Will my plants grow better in a sunnier area of the house?
- You do some research, and find that generally speaking sun is good for plants.
- You construct a hypothesis. "If plants are placed in a sunnier area they will grow better."
- You create an experiment. You establish the constants, acquiring two identical plants, each housed in
identical pots, with identical amounts of soil.
- You put one plant in a shady corner, and the other near a window that gets plenty of sunshine. The
location is the independent variable. You're testing the effect of sunshine.
- You write down the present date, and will then measure the height of each plant. As time goes on you
will record more data, seeing how much the plants grow, or do not grow. This is the dependent variable.
- So, it begins. Giving each plant the same amount of water, and care, you wait to see the results. Every
week you record growth, or shrinkage.
- After a month, you find the plant in the shady spot grew 3 inches, but the plant near the window grew
4 inches. You analyze this data, and find the plant that received more sunshine grew approximately
33% more than the plant placed in the shady spot.
- You finish, and draw the conclusion that your plants will grow better in the sunnier areas of your
house.
- You accept your hypothesis.
An Important Note: In academia an important feature of experimentation is reproducibility. If one

person does an experiment, and gets result "XYZ" then someone else should be able to do the same,
and also obtain "XYX."
If not, if the results of the experiment cannot be reproduced, then you cannot count the
information as reliable, or useful.
An Important Question: How does scientific thinking apply to one's life, when one is not overly
concerned with the pursuit of science?
One does not have to remember the exact jargon, and steps laid out in this literature to be scientifically
minded. You only need to have a general idea of the concept of the scientific method to aid you in your
skepticism, and critical thinking, which can then have an effect on your ability to mentally navigate the
world.
Yes, having the ability to properly experiment can be useful beyond the realm of science. Take
martial arts for example. Martial arts is at its root self-defense. Often when people take martial arts they
subscribe to the philosophical thoughts of those who are teaching; they blindly subscribe to patterns,
and traditions, all the while not knowing if what they are learning is useful, or true.
If you take a scientific approach to the martial arts, however, you can lead yourself to what does
actually work, and therefore gain the skill of being able to protect yourself. So, then what exactly does
this mean?
It means testing -- taking what you have learned, and trying to apply it to scenarios that are as
real as possible. Find resisting opponents, and see whether technique "X" is effective against technique
"Y" or vice-versa.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is considered one of the more effective martial arts, is an excellent
example of a martial art that applies scientific thinking, even if they do not outright say it.
In Jiu Jitsu, you meet with adversaries that oppose you on the mat, and you have an idea in your
mind (a hypothesis) about what might work. Then you test this out by "rolling" or sparring. You find
what works, and what doesn't. You observe, and you reject what is useless, and absorb what is useful.
There is a process of refinement, and trying things out to see what results you get. You collect
physical data, so that you know how to defend yourself.
Likewise, in other pursuits you will also find the need to discover information that you would
not otherwise obtain through conventional means (i.e. second-hand data), and this will then help your
intellect.
So it goes, having the abilty, and mind to test things, and find your own conclusions is a very
empowering ability.
Rapid-fire Testing
The "real world" is a rapid, fast paced place in which keeping up often is not enough, and one must
instead be ahead of society to benefit. To be ahead you must find out things that others have not found
out; to do this you must pursue newfound knowledge by testing, and experimentation.
In particular, rapid-fire testing. Rapid-fire testing is the process by which one makes discoveries
through expedited experimentation in which conclusions are quickly drawn, and sometimes redrawn.
Imagine that you are running a business. Let's say you operate a bakery. Your sales are down,
and you have bills to pay. What do you do? First, ask a question. "How can I boost sales?"
You come up with a hypothesis. "If I make new items that could boost sales, I can make more
money."
So, this is what you do. You come up with ten new items for your bakery, and put them up for
sale. You place a poster on the window advertising that you have ten new items.
As the days go by you record sales. After two weeks you believe you've collected enough data.
You analyze it, and find the coconut cream buns are your best seller, with the salty knots coming in at a
close second.
And so, you remove all the other new items from your menu, and you keep the coconut cream
buns, and salty knots. Much to your delight, you find that your overall sales have significantly
increased. Your experiment, your testing of new items, has helped you out by giving you a better
insight into what customers want.
But rapid-fire testing does not have to be limited to something like a bakery, nor does it have to
take two weeks long. One can do rapid-fire testing in many different areas. Suppose you have a website
that you want to get more traffic to; you could each hour tweak, and manipulate the content that you
put out, and then measure the results, and learn what brings in users.
Or you might use rapid-fire testing for personal issues. Say you have dry skin. Well, you could
make a grid pattern on your skin, and on each square test out various moisturizers. After a relatively
brief amount of time you'd see which brand works best.
Even for social matters rapid-fire testing works. If you're in school, and want to attract a partner,
perhaps one day you'll wear something white. Then the next day you'll sport black. After that, red, and
blue, and purple, and so on, and so on. By observing, recording how many girls, or boys approach you,
you can tell what colors people respond to the most.
Of course, rapid-fire testing like this is not very scientific. Rapid-fire testing is kind of a good
enough way of carrying out experiments. Rapid-fire tests forego a degree of accuracy for speedier
results. Take the trying out different clothes "experiment" for example.
To make it scientific, you'd have to wear the exact same clothes each day, except for the change
in colors. And then you'd have to take into account the season, the time of day, your body weight, the
places you visited, etc, etc.
That would all take a very long time! Which is not what you want, because that's not what
rapid-fire testing is about. Rapid-fire testing brings you to a conclusion at the cost of a certain amount
accuracy. It's for when you're pressed for time. You test things out with the understanding that it won't
be precise, but it will give you answers that are adequate for your purposes.
How to do Rapid-fire Testing:
A) Think of a problem you have, and ask a related question.

B) Do some research to see if your question's already been answer. No? Continue on.
C) Make a hypothesis, an educated guess of what you believe will happen.
D) Quickly assemble what you need for testing, and begin experimentation. It doesn't have to be too
complex, just adequate enough for your purposes.
E) Over a relatively short period of time you ought to have collected your data. Analyze that data.
F) Come up with your conclusion. Was the hypothesis wrong?
G) Are you satisfied with your study? If need be modify your hypothesis, and/or come up with a new
experiment.
H) If you want to, share your results, and see what others who are qualified think.
Example of Rapid-fire Test:
A) You feel really tired after meals. You don't want to feel tired, so you ask yourself the question:
"What am I eating that's making me tired?"
B) You do some research, and find there are 16 foods that can make one tired after eating; however,
there's only one food from that list that you consume on a daily basis. So, you focus on pasta.
C) You make a hypothesis. "Cutting out pasta will make me less tired, and sleepy."
D) You don't need much for this experiment. You just need pen, and paper to record the results. On day
one, you begin, and you eat normally, having your regular pasta dishes; you then record how energetic
you feel on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being the lowest. After eating all that pasta you find your energy
level is at a 4. The next day, you then cut out the pasta, but otherwise eat normally. You get through
your pasta-less day, and you deem your energy level to be a 6.
E) Now your two day experiment comes to an end. You look at your data, and compare the numbers.
Pasta = 4 energy. No pasta = 6 energy. There is a difference of 2.
F) You conclude that you want to continue eating pasta, but that if you want to boost your energy you
can abstain from eating it, or reduce the amount. So, your hypothesis was correct. Cutting out pasta will
make you less tired, and sleepy.
G) You're satisfied with your self-study, but will also consider fixing up your diet. Maybe you can eat
another type of pasta? Would whole wheat pasta have a different effect on you? You can modify your
pasta-experiment, and its hypothesis. Perhaps your hypothesis will be: "Whole wheat pasta will make
me feel more energetic compared to regular pasta."
H) You're excited, so you share your results on social media. Commenters tell you to just get more
sleep.
A/B Testing
A/B testing is an excellent example of rapid-fire testing. A/B testing is a method of testing that is
commonly seen in business; like the name implies it tests two different things, and quickly compares
the value of each.
Suppose that you wanted to enter a poetry contest. You decide to do A/B testing to see which
poem to enter. You show your friends, and family a set of two poems: a poem about birds, and a poem
about cats. They say that they prefer the birds poem, and now you know which is the better of the two.
You've just done A/B testing, but it can be taken further. A/B testing can be chained. It doesn't
have to stop at one test. You're entering a poem contest, and you want to win for sure, right? So, you do
more testing based on the last test.
Now, you present your friends, and family the birds poem again, and a newer poem about
butterflies. You ask what their preference is. They say they prefer the butterflies one.
You move along, and take the butterflies poem, and have them compare it to your next poem
that praises leafy trees.
They don't like the leafy trees poem. They like the butterflies poem. You continue your testing.
The butterflies poem is now pitted against a poem about mothers. You find that they enjoyed the
mothers poem, 9 to 1.
The mothers poem is then put up against a poem about angels. The angels poem for some
reason proves more popular. Since this is your last poem, you take it, and finally enter it into the poetry
contest. In a twist of irony, your angels poem loses, taking second place to a poem about about cats....
All jokes aside, this is how A/B testing works. You simply do a series of tests, testing items in
pairs to find out which of the group is the most superior. It is much like a tournament, where one team,
or person comes out on top.
That's the gist of it. You ask: How does A compare to B? Does A work better, or is it B? If it's B,
how does B fair against something else? How does that something else do against another thing? And
so on, and so on, until you find out what works best.
CHAPTER 31:
EXPANDING YOUR SKEPTICISM: TRICKS, TRAPS, AND SCAMS
(PART 1 OF 2)
Expanding Your Skepticism: Tricks, Traps, and Scams
As you may know by now, skepticism is a strong component to critical thinking, but the pursuit of
skepticism can be challenging. Every day we are overwhelmed with gobs of information, making
various claims about various things, and they fully expect us to believe them.
But should we? What exactly is one to believe? What should one do with what they are being
told? And most importantly how do we protect ourselves in a world where people (sometimes) are out
to get us?
Your best bet is establishing a firm foundation of knowledge. Since skepticism is not a part of
the education system many people will not be familiar with the numerous tricks, traps, and scams that
exist, but you can learn them about them here, and avoid being taken advantage of.
What's great about this is you don't need to know every single case of fraudulence, because
scams are often repeated throughout history. They all work on the same principles, but are just veiled
so, at least for a time, people won't catch on.
But remember that when encountering anything that could be a trick, trap, or scam you have to begin
with asking questions. Asking questions is always the first way to avoid being fooled.
Some Important Questions to Ask:
- What is this person, or group's motivation? Is it money? Is it a gag? Is it fame? (What do you think
they want?)
- In this exchange, or interaction, what am I receiving? What is the true value of what I am receiving?
Why, and how is it valuable?
As well when seeking information to check out the legitimacy of a claim, make sure it is nonpartisan
information, meaning that it is from a third party, having no link to the person, or group being
investigated.
Don't forget too that sometimes you can use your gut. Instinct while not always the best option
can come in handy at times, and is often an indictor that something is off. But it is usually better to
build a foundation of knowledge from which you can create an objective perspective.
So, without further adieu, you will now learn about some common tricks, traps, and scams.
A Psychic Parable
Individuals that claim to be able to read minds are said to have ESP, which stands for extra-sensory
perception. However, as far as science knows, mind reading (knowing what is in someone's mind
without any physical means) is impossible.
Yet every day people are often fooled, and made to believe that their minds can be read. This is
done through numerous tricks, but the most common method is to create illusions of psychic power
through mendacity... i.e. lying.
So, imagine this scenario. You're walking down the street, and you see a place with a sign
outside saying that Julie the Pyschic can read your mind, and see your future. Curious, you go in for a
visit. You pass through some hanging beads, and are welcomed to a table that has a crystal ball in the
middle.
"Hello," says Julie the psychic, who is wearing a purple bandana. "What is your name?"
You tell her your name. She moves her hands around her crystal ball.
"I see," she says, "I see that you are having struggles in your life."
"Oh?" you say.
"Yes," says Julie.
"I think I'm doing okay in my life," you reply.
"No," says Julie. "You have buried your feelings, deep down inside. You are masking your pain.
There is dissatisfaction in your life that you are ignoring."
"Is that so?" you say.
"Yes," says Julie, "I can see that you are struggling financially."
You're a little surprised. It's true. You are struggling financially. You're making ends meet, but
money-wise you're not where you want to be. You perk up a little.
"Tell me more," you say.
Julie closes her eyes, and looks like she's struggling for an answer. She starts making weird
noises.
"Yes, yes," she says, "the reason why you are struggling in life is because there is a negative
energy around you."
"A negative energy?" you repeat.
"Yes, I feel the negative energy," says Julie. "It is overwhelming you."
"What do I do about this negative energy?" you ask.
Julie opens her eyes, and takes out a box. She flips open the lid, showing a bunch of colorful
crystals.
"What's all this?" you say.
"They're repelling crystals," says Julie. "They will repel negative energy, and evil spirits, and
improve your life... They can even make you rich."
"I don't believe it," you say.
"It's true," says Julie. "I sold one of these crystals to a friend, and he won the lottery right after."
"No?" you say.
"Mhmmm," says Julie, "and he's now living in the Bahamas, and has a yacht. Amazing story,
no?"
"I don't know," you say.
"You don't believe my powers do you?" says Julie.
She hands you a marker, and a piece of paper. She tells you to draw a picture, and that she will
know what your picture is without looking. She stands up, turns around, and covers her eyes.
"Alright, are you done?" asks Julie.
"Yes," you say.
"Hide the picture," says Julie, so that's what you do.
Julie turns back around, and takes her usual seat. She squints, and rubs her temples.
"What're you doing?" you ask.
"I am reading your mind," says Julie. "I'm trying to see what you drew." She seems to struggle.
"I see... Something like... A box... Four round objects at the bottom... And numerous doors... Is it... A
car?"
You show the picture you drew of a car.
"Wow!" you exclaim. "How did you know?"
"These are my powers," replies Julie. "I have ESP. Extra-sensory perception."
You nod. Julie shows you her crystals again. They're rather expensive, but she claims they can
ward off negative energy, and evil spirits, and that they can bring you great wealth. Still you're hesistant
because of the high price-tag.
"Come now, you're a smart person," she says. "I know that you will recognize the value of these
crystals. Use your intuition to pick one. Go with your instinct. Feel the crystals. Put your hand over
them. They are giving off positive energy."
You put your hands over the crystals, and pick up the green one.
"Wise choice," says Julie. "It is a beautiful crystal, isn't it?"
"Yes," you say.
"Your troubles are bound to go away," says Julie. "I promise you that."
You, and Julie conclude your business, and you pay for the overpriced green crystal. You put it
in your bag, and go on your way. You feel positive already.
Two days after, you enter a contest, and win a brand new car! You get the car, and take it for a
spin around town. You feel amazing, and are astonished that your green crystal has brought you so
much luck.
But then you take a wrong turn on the road, and end up somewhere really shady-looking.
There's a body lying in front of you, so you apply the brakes.
"Hello?" you whisper.
You get out of your car to check on the person. As soon as you do, a bunch of goons jump into
your car, and drive off, stealing it. You chase after them for a couple seconds, and scream, but you
know you've been beat.
You go back to the person on the road, and upon further inspection find that it is actually a
dummy, as in it's not a real human being. You've been duped. You call the cops, and report the crime.
Afterwards, you go back to the psychic, and you complain to her.
"Hey, Julie!" you exclaim. You slam down your green crystal on her table. "You told me this
crystal would ward off negative energy, and evil spirits!"
"It didn't do that?" says Julie.
"I was robbed!" you say. "A bunch of filthy men stole my brand new car! What do you have to
say for yourself?"
"Hey," says Julie, "I don't control the universe. Now, get out of my place before I call the cops,
you filthy animal."
You turn around, and storm off, leaving the psychic behind. You go home, and complain to your
mom. You tell her about the psychic, and how your green crystal was supposed to make you as rich as
an American basketball player.
Your mom laughs at you, and says, "If that psychic was really psychic, why would she need to
sell those silly crystals? Couldn't she just use them for herself, and become wealthy?"
"But, but what about when she knew what I drew on that piece of paper?" you ask. "She turned
around, and covered her eyes. There's no way she could've known."
Your mom laughs again. "If the psychic was turned around, why would she need to cover her
eyes? Ah, you see. She probably had small mirrors in her hands to sneak a peek."
You now realize that you've been fooled. You slap your forehead, realizing what a foolish fool
you've been.
CHAPTER 32:
SOCIAL ENGINEERING
(PART 1 OF 2)
We continue on from the last chapter.... Did you see what happened in our story? The psychic, like
many other scammers, used a myriad of tricks to fool her reluctant participant. It all seems kinda
baffling, but in reality these tricks are none too complex.
They are merely a combination of simple observation, with a dose of psychology, which one
would call SOCIAL ENGINEERING.
Social engineering is a way in which to manipulate someone to get what you want out of them.
It is mentally-driven ruses, and tactics to bend society to your will.
Some may say that it is unethical, but that does not always have to be the case. Social
engineering can be used for good, although whether that happens depends on your goals, and who you
are as a person.
Either way, it is advantageous to learn about the methods of social engineering, because
awareness will help you avoid being duped.
And you do not want to be duped. You do not want to be considered a "useful idiot." A useful
idiot is a person, who unwittingly pushes, or supports a particular agenda. Usually this happens because
one's emotions have been manipulated. For example, one may support green taxes, or carbon emission
penalties, etc, when in reality the government just wants more money. Devious, isn't it?
Some may think of this as being a pawn, and who wants to be a pawn? So, you need to learn
about social engineering.
Thusly, the following is our collection of the most useful, common methods, and techniques
found in social engineering. This is part 1.
Social Engineering: A List of Tricks, and Strategies
Dishonesty, Lying - Dishonesty is the foundation of social engineering, and its most basic element is
lying. And people do it without even realizing they are doing it. When you're on a date for example you
exaggerate your good qualities to a potential mate, but minimize your flaws. It's not to say that there is
any maliciousness to this behavior, but you naturally do social engineering, trying to make yourself
look better.
So, it seems we are all inherently dishonest, and everyone lies a little, but some are obviously
better at it than others. Though in spite of being the oldest trick in the "book" lying is not as simple as it
seems. A good lie has to be supported by a foundation of psychological manipulation.
Scammers as you probably already know will lie right to your face...but they do it in a specific
manner.
"Realistic" Lies - Scammers don't make outrageous claims. They curb their claims, and try to make
them realistic to a certain degree. They'll make claims that sound possible. If for example, you were
selling a herbal weight-loss supplement to the public, would you tell them that they could lose all their
bodyfat in a single week?
No, because people wouldn't believe that. Instead you'd say they could lose something like up to
5 pounds in a week. You restrict the hyperbole to sell the herbal supplement. You make your claim
believable, but at the same time extraordinary enough that it will attract customers. Your lie seems
realistic.
Confidence - If you are a scammer, or a self-proclaimed psychic, a key to tricking someone is speaking
with the utmost confidence. Because people naturally look for odd behavior, and try to find out your
intentions from your tone. Acting confident is one of the most important things here to convince others
of your good nature. In the story with the psychic named Julie, Julie never had a hint of self-doubt. It
even seemed like she believed her own bull.
Verbal Reassurance/Addressal of Fears - When you are a stranger humans will have doubts, and fears
about you, or what you say. You can't ignore this. You have to address these fears. Even if you can't
legitimately help their fears you can still make them feel more confident about their situation. In
dealing with someone their confidence is as important as your own. It can be as simple as gently
refuting criticism. If someone says you're trying to pull the wool over their eyes, you could just smile,
and say, "Heavens, no! I would never do such a thing!"
Stoke the Fires of Fear - Sometimes making people afraid is a good thing. When you want to influence
someone fear can work out very well.
In the early 2000s, former Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge, was encouraged by
members of George W. Bush's Cabinet to raise the nation's terror alert before the 2004 American
presidential election. Because of the ethical quandary, Ridge resigned in late November of that year.
But why would the government want to make people afraid? Putting fear into the public would
persuade them to vote for George W. Bush a second time, because he was seen as the commander in
chief, a fierce protector of the people.
In times of trouble, and fright, people will naturally seek those who appear strong, and capable.
Fear can make individuals act irrationally to the benefit of those pulling their strings. Because fear is
primal, and it is ingrained into the subconscious. If you get a human fearful, you can persuade him or
her to do what you want.
Turn a Negative into a Positive - Is everything negative really negative? Sometimes you can turn a
negative into a positive with a certain amount of creativity.
Example: In the 1960s, and 1970s, Heinz responded to complaints about their ketchup slowly
pouring out of its bottle by making adverts turning a negative into a positive. They released a
western themed ad, which called Heinz ketchup the "slowest ketchup in the west," and they
showed off the richness of their ketchup, slowly pouring out, versus some generic catsup that
was thin, and liquidy. Later on, in the 70s, they made another advertisement about the
anticipation of tasting Heinz ketchup, and their slogan was, "The taste that's worth the wait."
Get Them to Say Yes - To convince someone of something get them in a positive mood, and find things
that they can agree on. Ask them questions to which they cannot say no. Because getting someone to
agree with you, and say "yes" (even on unrelated matters) can have a great impact on the direction of
your conversation.
Suppose that you were trying to get a child to take his medicine. What would you say to him?
You might say, "Do you want to be healthy, and strong?" And then he'd nod, and say "yes." Then you'd
go, "Then take your darn medicine!"
Well, maybe it doesn't have to be exactly like that, but in trying to convince someone of
something, you must steer away from negativity, and elicit positivity. Get them to say yes, and nod.
Avoid Negative Language, Use Positive Language - In getting someone to say yes, you have to put
them in a positive mood, and so avoid using negative language. Use words that are positive.
For example, if you're talking about the time difference between Toronto, and Dublin, instead of
saying that Toronto is 4 hours behind, say that Dublin is 4 hours ahead. Sure, it's a subtle difference, but
subtleties can influence the mind.
Another Example:
A reporter asks the CEO of a Chinese company, doing work in Africa, why they didn't hire
Africans. The CEO says, "Africans are hard workers, but our workers are more efficient."
This is negative languge, because it diminishes the Africans. Instead the CEO should say,
"Africans are hard workers, but our workers are very efficient." This is better because it is not
so negative, and doesn't strongly express that the Chinese workers are superior.
Verbal Disarming - If someone is suddenly aggressive toward you it is possible to disarm them by
changing what they are thinking about by telling them something unexpected.
Example: You're walking down the sidewalk, and a drunk guy looks at you with a mean face,
and says, "What are you looking at?!" What do you do? You disarm him by making him think of
something else, and get his mind off whatever's making him angry. You reply with something
completely unexpected, and placid, and say, "There's around 100 billion stars in every galaxy.
There are about 10 billion galaxies. Do you know what this means? This means one billion
trillion stars in the observable sky. It's such a huge amount, isn't it?"
The drunk guy deflates, and scratches his head. He seems a bit confused. "Oh, uh, yeah,
he says. It is." Now he is no longer angry.
The Power of Suggestion - All human minds are susceptible to the power of suggestion. Suggestion,
even if not accepted at first, can influence the development of dialogue, or negotiations, and it is just as
it sounds. You give suggestions, you give ideas, or statements to bolster your desired outcome.
If you were haggling over the price of something you could simply say about your price that: "It
is a fair price." You could repeat this several times, and let it absorb into the person's mind. You might
not get your exact asking price, but it would have the effect of establishing a baseline.
But suggestion is not limited to others; there is also self-suggestion (or auto-suggestion) that can
be used to help modify your own behavior/mind.
Suppose you wanted to be more positive in your life. In the morning, when waking up, you
could say to yourself, "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better, and better."
The mere utterances of these words could improve your mood, and alter your mind for the
better. This phrase as you may know is from Émile Coué, a famous French psychologist, he endorsed
optimistic autosuggestion as a form of psychotherapy. A pioneer in his field he fully believed in the
power of suggestion for good purposes.
Sounds ridiculously new-agey, but we know suggestion is potent, because there exists "the
placebo effect." The placebo effect is the effect in which someone ill is given fake medicine (usually
sugar pills) but then later on they report feeling better.
What's strange about this is that their feelings are not wrong. There is a real positive, but
temporary, impact on their health. So, in other words, the placebo effect works, or would you call it the
power of suggestion?
A Story About the Power of Suggestion: Charlie Chaplin (Reportedly) Enters a Look-alike Contest
The following text comes from "The Straits Times, Tuesday, August 10, 1920."
Lord Desborough, presiding at a dinner of the Anglo-Saxon club told a story which will have an
enduring life. It comes from Miss Mary Pickford, who told it to Lady Desborough, “Charlie Chaplin
was one day at a fair in the United States, where a principal attraction was a competition as to who
could best imitate the Charlie Chaplin walk. The real Charlie Chaplin thought there might be a chance
for him so he entered for the performance, minus his celebrated moustache and his boots. He was a
frightful failure and came in twentieth."
(http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19200810.2.4)
Now, that story begs the question: "Why did Charlie Chaplin come in twentieth place?" It was due to
the power of suggestion. Even though Charlie Chaplin was Charlie Chaplin, the lack of expectations,
and the suggestion he was someone else helped him fly under the radar.
Maybe a few people noticed him, but they probably thought, "It couldn't be... What would
Charlie Chaplin be doing here?"
Make Them Think Your Idea is Their Idea - Humans can be rather egotistical, believing in their
superiority; sometimes suggestion is not enough to persuade them. Often, you'll have to inject your
ideas into their mind, but make them think that it is their own. This way they will accept it, because
they believe they were the progenitor. So it goes, sometimes you will have to overcome someone's
egotism.
To illustrate the power of the ego, there is an old tale about an Indian King who was drowning.
His men reached out to him, and kept saying, "Give my your hand!" But the King refused, and they
were baffled at his behaior. As it looked like he was about to perish his Vizier extended his arm, and
said, "Take my hand!" The King then took hold, and was pulled into the boat. The other men asked the
Vizier why the King would not accept their help. The Vizier replied, "It is because you demanded his
hand, but I offered mine for him to have."
Now the question is how do you implant an idea to make someone think it is theirs? Plain, and
simple, you can simply be dishonest, and just say that the idea or thought you're presenting is
something that they told you in the past.
"Remember, Ella?" you say. "You told me that you were going to be here at six? Did you really
forget? I reminded you three times, at least." (This is a lie.)
"Oh, did you?" replies Ella, feeling a little confused.
"It's okay," you say, not wanting to have your statement probed. "I'm not annoyed or anything."
"Alright then," says Ella. "I'm sorry about being late."
"But since you were late," you say, "you have to buy the first round of drinks."
Ella sighs, "Ah, why did we come up with this rule, anyway?"
"It was your idea," you say. "Don't you remember, Ella?"
Make Them Feel Empowered, Make Them Feel Like They Matter - Use the human ego. Make people
feel empowered, make people feel important, and strong, like they have the power to make choices --
but in reality, you are pulling all the strings, and you are pushing them towards the "right choice" (i.e.
what you want them to do).
Example 1: The CEO of Peech-E Computers is holding an annual meeting, and is having
problems running his demo to show off an upcoming product. He can't get onto the internet
because of all the journalists wirelessly connected to it.
So, he stops for a moment, and says to them, "Alright, everyone. It seems there are too
many people connected to the internet right now. So, I'll give you two options. A) Everyone in
the audience disconnects, so we can get this show going, or B) Continue as you're doing, and
we don't see the demo. But it's a really cool demo, and it'll blow you away. What do you think?
Should we disconnect from the internet?"
All the journalists disconnect from the internet, because the CEO of Peech-E Computers
persuaded them to do so, by making them feel like they were empowered, and had choices. But
in reality there was only one choice.
Example 2: Companies use the concept of female empowerment to sell products like
sanitary pads, soap, and other hygiene products to women.
Remembering the Hits, and Not the Misses - Psychics, scammers, and hustlers will get 9 out of 10
things wrong...at least. Yet they somehow manage to stay in business. This is because they make you
remember the hits, and not the misses. When they get something right, they blow their horns about it,
and bring attention to it -- but if they're wrong they keep quiet.
One can think of this as a highlights reel. If you're trying to advertise, let's say an upcoming
boxing match, you don't show off the worst of the fighters... Right? You show them at their best. You
show their KOs, and TKOs, and you get fans excited.
Likewise, in persuading someone, you can do something similar. You remind a person of all the
times you hit the nail on the head, and you ignore the misses. If you are a betting person, you'll know
that companies that offer betting advice do just this. They tell you about all their wins, but not their
losses, and then that you can profit handsomely from their advice.
But it's obvious that it's a scam. If they were so accurate, why wouldn't they just make bets for
themselves, and rake in the money? Of course, people who sell betting advice are trying to scam you.
An Observation About "Remembering the Hits, and Not the Misses" - This isn't something that just
psychics, scammers, and hustlers do. It's natural behavior for people to brag about things they got right,
and to be quiet when they're wrong. On message boards, and similar forms of communication, people
will come out to talk about how they got something right, whilst those who were wrong keep quiet,
thus making it difficult to know what the public originally thought (unless you dig up information from
the past).
Official Sounding Titles, Misleading Titles, Misleading Labels - Titles, and labels for people are
important. We all know this. The monikers doctor, professor, miss, missus, mister, and the like, all
mean something, and convey some sort of value.
If you want to persuade someone of something, take on the right title, preferably an official
sounding title. Are you selling health foods, and supplements? Perhaps you might consider calling
yourself a nutritionist, and that will tell people that you are knowledgeable.
"Is this illegal?" you ask.
The term nutritionist in most places is not a legally protected title, meaning anyone can claim to
be a nutritionist. Someone who actually knows about nutrition, and is legally certified, is called a
dietician. Don't confuse the two. You have to be educated to take on the title of dietician.
But if you are not interested in health products, and you want to take on another phony baloney
title, just take a word, and add guru, instructor, technician, consultant, or expert to the end. The
language will express that you are qualified, even if you aren't.
Alternatively, you can go for straight fraud, and call yourself something that you 100% are not.
Tell them you're a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer, a cop, etc. Whatever tickles your fancy, so long as it
suggests some type of authority, and value.
Although this is highly unethical, misleading titles are pervasive. It's not just used by individual
people, but groups, and organizations, too. Organizations may call themselves "The Defenders of
Good" when they are really the oppressors, and people looking to gain wealth shall tell you they are
"Men Against Poverty." The fascists will label themselves anti-fascist, and the wolves pretend to be
sheep.
Or they will use misleading titles, and misleading labels in a negative manner to harm people.
They may unfairly destroy someone's reputation with a name, and turn them into a pariah. So, be wary
of titles, and labels, because they are limited, and can give you the wrong idea.
Be Friendly, Avoid Being Aggressive - Never will someone take your side, if you antagonize with
them, and make them your enemy. You must be friends with that person to make them agree with you.
Do not be aggressive, even when you feel you are losing the conversation. Maintaining a friendly
composure is key in winning someone over.
Here are some tips for coming across as friendly:

a) Be Enthusiastic - People appreciate enthusiasm. Being dull, and having a monotone voice
will not help you. Have some passion. Act like you care.
b) Smile - Except in times of tragedy, a smile is always welcomed. Smile at people, and usually
they will smile in return.
c) Use Flattery - Flatter the person you are talking to, and give them compliments. If you must
lie about their qualities. Tell them they're smart, and kind, and pretty. Whatever it takes. A lot
of charity scammers finagle money out of people by saying, "You look like a good person,
would you like to save the whales?"
d) Avoid Sticking Points - Some arguments you will never win. Some issues cannot be turned
around. Do you know how they say don't talk about money, religion, and politics? There's
a reason for that. Those are sticking points; they are obstacles to progress in conversation.
Avoid them. Discussing anything controversial will likely cause a quarrel.
e) Give Them Leeway - When dealing with a person you cannot attack them. You cannot try to
get them on their mistakes. Let them be wrong sometimes. As long as it's not important let it
"slide." Imagine that you're talking to a new colleague, and he says that George Washington
invented peanut butter. Do you correct him? No! It doesn't matter. Correcting him will only
make him embarrassed, and do no good for your relationship. If there's no consequence for
someone thinking something wrong, then forget about it. It's not your job to be their
teacher.
f) Listen, Be Open-minded - When talking to someone you are not performing a monologue.
You have to listen, and acknowledge the other person, and make a real dialogue. You cannot
just say your part, and force your words onto someone. There is an exchange. Open your ears,
and your mind.
g) Be Aware of Your Tone - Tone gives your words meaning. For example, there is a major
difference between saying "Hi!" and "Hi...." One is bright, and chipper, but the other is
frosty. So, if you are to conversate with someone you must be self-aware, and watch how you
say your words. The way you speak is paramount to effective communication. Speak full
sentences. Don't be terse. Don't speak too fast, or too slow. Ensure that your pitch is
appropriate. Really hear what you are saying, and appropriately modify how you talk.
h) Be Aware of Your Body Language - Don't look tense. Don't look like you're ready to fight. Be
relaxed, have your hands low and loose, make eye contact, nod to show you're listening, and
keep your head up. You must physically display that you are giving a person your attention.
i) Don't Be Arrogant - Judge not lest ye be judged. In an argument, or debate, you may be
tempted to flaunt yourself, and your abilities, but this will do nothing except create
resentment. Instead act humble, and show that you are a decent person.
j) Have a Good Sense of Humor - Even in serious moments humor can be appropriate. Humor
can break the tension, and help people bond. Being able to laugh, and make others laugh is an
important social skill. Of course, avoid telling offensive jokes. You don't have to be "edgy" to
make others laugh out loud. Even jokes that we think are for children can bring out a chuckle
or two. Remember a few jokes, and bring them out when you feel the need.
Ask for Favors to Establish a Relationship - The Ben Franklin Effect describes an effect in which
someone will be more likely to do you a favor, if they have done a favor for you in the past. This works
because of how the mind works. If a person does you a favor the subconscious part of their brain makes
them think that they like you.
So, when planning to talk to people, for whatever reason, you should ask them to do you a
favor. Even if you don't really want another favor, this will establish a relationship, and make them like
you more than before, and that is always good for making an individual pliable in conversation, or
debate.
You can easily make a number of requests. You can ask for the time. You can ask for some
change. Or you can ask to borrow a pencil. Just request something small, and no reasonable person will
refuse. Take advantage of common courtesy.
Show Them You Are Similar - Identity is important to almost all individuals. Being able to make
someone identify with you means a great deal in conversation, debate, or persuasion. Familiarity means
trust.
This is why a lot of women begin debates by saying, "As a mother..." They are letting everyone
know who they are, so trust can be established. Who doesn't trust a mother, right? Mothers are kind,
caring, and loving.
Obviously, you don't have to say you're a mother. You can use whatever identity you want, so
long as it's believable. If the person you're talking to is in the military say your uncle fought in a war. If
the person is a waitress tell her used to be a waiter or waitress, too. If they play basketball say that
you're a big fan of the sport. Just say something that makes them think, "Ah, we have something in
common."
Virtue Signaling - Virtue signaling is a specific method, a conspicuous act, to demonstrate to a group
one's shared morals, and values for the purpose of enhancing social standing.
Imagine that you are on the streets for a protest, and you're around a group of hardcore liberals.
You want them to like you, and know that you stand for the same things as they do. Perhaps you could
start a chant, and yell out: "Donald Trump, KKK, racist, sexist, anti-gay!" And then if you see an
African American man passing by you can switch to: "Black lives matter! Black lives matter!"
But you might be asking, "What is the point of this all?" Why does one have to virtue signal,
and show off their virtues (whether fake, or true)? This is because of "in-group favoritism." All that
simply means is that people favor, and treat better those that are similar to themselves, those that
belong to their group.
Therefore, if you want to be accepted, you have the obligation to show yourself as "one of
them."
Speaking On Behalf of Others - When trying to persuade someone of something, sometimes what you
want, or believe isn't enough. So, you have to bring in other people, so to speak. Meaning, you give the
opinions/thoughts of others (whether false, imagined, or real) to show support for what you are saying.
For example, you're talking to your wife about getting a puppy, and to persuade her into agreement, you
say that the kids would also like a puppy, and that it would teach them about responsibility.
Testimonials, Whether Fake or Real - You know what a testimonial is. It's when someone makes a
statement in court, acting as a witness, or they give praise to a particular business. They'll go, "Oh, I
had a lovely time at Bovine Court Hotel! Do recommend!"
But for our purposes we can use testimonials in a different manner. Instead of sharing what
someone said about a crime, or a hotel, we can twist it to support our particular ideas, or thoughts.
Testimonials can add legitimacy to what you are claiming, even if it is bogus. Suppose you are
trying to convince your somewhat stubborn friend that she should take a can of pepper-spray with her,
so she can protect herself when going out; you might say to her, "I had a cousin, who was attacked once
on the street. A big, mean guy grabbed her, but she took out her pepper-spray, and sprayed him in the
face, and that's how she got away."
Now, is that true? It doesn't have to be. You just have to use an "outsider" whether imagined or
not, to bolster your suggestions, and ideas. Just make sure that it cannot be verified in the duration of
the conversation, or debate.
So, in your scenario you have this cousin that your stubborn friend doesn't know. How can she
verify what you've told her? Realistically she cant, so either she'll have to believe you, or refute what
you've said.
Use Fake Facts, and/or Biased Facts - In an academic setting biased facts, and especially fake "facts"
are bad. But you're not a scientist...are you? No, if you're seedy person like everyone else, your goal is
simply to win. So, in trying to get someone to your side just throw out a fake fact, or biased fact that
leans in your favor.
Imagine for a moment, you own a boulangerie, and you're trying to convince an acquaintance to
eat more bread. You can tell him that "doctors say eating whole wheat bread increases your life span by
up to 10%."
Is that true? Not really, but if you present it in an earnest manner, then you could easily
convince someone that it is. But in this day, and age, it's pretty easy to do fact-checking. So, you might
not want to use fake facts, and instead choose biased facts.
Luckily, if you look hard enough you will be able to find information that will suit your desires.
A huge amount of resources are available to you that can virtually support any claim that you have. All
you're required to do is a bit of digging, then you can be persuasive.
Peculate Information - In this day, and age, people have voluntarily given up a great deal of their
privacy, and this has been a huge boon to scammers, and charlatans. If you are trying to persuade
someone of something, look up their information online, and use it for your own purposes.
What's great awful is most people don't even know that they've given up their privacy. They
click a box, and just go on ahead with whatever they're doing, and they aren't even aware of the
ramifications of their actions.
What this means is they will not be overly suspicious of you, even if there are some odd
coincidences in your interactions. Unless you get too specific, they'll just think it ordinary
happenstance.
But ethics concerns aside, peculating (i.e. stealing) information is not something new. This has
been a practice that scammers have been doing since mankind could speak.
One famous faith healer, a German-born American, used to pretend to have powers from God,
and through "divinity" would know people's names, and their ailments. Then he'd slap their foreheads,
and make them faint, and fake heal them.
In reality, he would just have his recipients fill out a form, beforehand, and thus receive details
about them. Then through radio another player would feed him anything that he needed to know, so he
could appear to have supernormal powers.
Most people, outside of religious circles, however, probably wouldn't fall for such a scheme. A
more common way to use peculated information would be in establishing trust. Imagine you are going
to meet someone, and want to have some common ground right off that bat.
Perhaps you could look at their "social media" page, and discover their hobbies, interests, and
even dislikes. From there you can become pre-informed, and know how to develop a conversation with
this particular person.
Then when you meet you might say, "So, what do you think about such, and such?" They'll
reply, "Oh, you know about such, and such? Wow! I thought I was the only one. I'm glad to meet a
person who's interested in such, and such. I think this might be the beginning of beautiful relationship."
You confidently nod in return.
Ask Indirect Questions - When you meet a stranger they will naturally be guarded. If you want to know
the answer to a particular question from them (often) you cannot ask it directly. Instead you'll have to
be indirect, and ask indirect questions. Indirect questions can lead you to the answer that you wish to
obtain.
It's like if you're trying to sneak into a big, expensive, exclusive party. Do you go through the
front door, where there is security? No. That's the direct route, and it won't work. Instead, you'll go into
the backyard, and sneak in through a window.
Similarly, psychics do this to their clients. They use an indirect route to acquire information,
unbeknownst to the person with whom they are speaking to. A psychic for example will ask a question
like, "What year were you born?"
A simple question, no? Not exactly. The answer can tell you a tremendous amount about a
person. It will tell you their age, first, and foremost, and that will give you a very good idea about who
they are. Specifically, it will tell you what era they grew up in.
From there you can figure out: how they spent their time growing up, what values they believe
in, their religion, their politics, the books they read, the movies they watched, what toys they played
with, what music they listened to, and even the foods that they ate.
All of this paints a very vivid picture of who you're talking to, and you are only required to be
somewhat knowledgeable about history.
But the point here isn't just about learning someone's age, and what that means. The point is that
you can glean information from someone by questioning them in a circuitous manner. If for example
you wanted to know how much money someone had, you wouldn't ask them: "How much money do
you have?"
No, instead you might ask about their hobbies, and what kind of clothes they like, and from that
you can figure it out in your head. You ask indirect questions to find answers to questions that normally
would not be answered.
Observation of Physical Details - When meeting someone in person you can tell a lot about them by
their appearance. For example (a somewhat strange example), if you look at someone's face, in the
morning, and you can see a bit of redness on one of their cheeks, you can be almost certain that they
sleep on their side.
However, observation of physical details is not limited to only a person's body. If you looked at
someone's bedroom, you could also find out about their personality. A bedroom contains many a thing
that gives away what a person is all about. You could look at numerous things: the posters on their wall,
the various decorations, books, movies, and so on.
All you need to do is be observant. See the details that are available, and draw conclusions. It
can come in handy for knowing what, or who you are dealing with.
False Promises of Gifts - False promises are just lies, but false promises of "gifts" can be a motivator in
persuasion, and extracting useful information, or even money from an individual. This is a classic way
in which scammers can trap gullible people. They promise these people things that they are not capable
of giving, but the promise of a "gift" is enticing enough to result in compliance.
Old people as you may know often fall for these scams. Being not of a young mind, and being
on a fixed income, they are more susceptible to the promises of gifts. One popular scam is the
"Nigerian Scam." (Also known as an "advance-fee scam.")
How it works is a scammer will contact an old person, and tell them about all this wealth that is
locked away in some strange account; then, oh, if only they could get to it, but they have to pay some
exorbitant fees to get these untold millions free.
Then they say to the pensioner, "If you give me some money, I can pay these fees, and get my
money out. When I do, I'll give you a big share!"
None of it makes any sense, but the false promise of a gift to a desperate person can be
extremely tempting. So, in trying to persuade someone you sometimes have to have a carrot, so to
speak, to dangle in front of them. Lure them in by telling them that you can give them something that
they really want (even if you can't).
Giving Gifts, Bribery - There's nothing complicated here. If you want someone to like you more, or do
you a favor, you can give them a gift (as opposed to the false promise of a gift). But it is important that
your gift is appropriate for the person, and/or situation. It should be something they actually want, and
can accept.
Show Them the Benefits (They Will Receive) - Most people are terribly self-interested, which is why
when dealing with them you must satisfy their desire for self-fulfillment. It is not enough to show them
what is good for others. You must show them the benefits that they will acquire by agreeing to your
requests.
Think about what they want, and demonstrate that you can help them in their endeavours.
Time Pressure - Giving people ample time to make a decision allows them to weigh all their options,
and rationally look at something. However, if you're a bad person trying to take advantage of someone,
you might not want that.
So, instead of being generous, you let that person know that the time on your offer is limited,
and then under this pressure, have them come to a decision. The lack of time you've imposed, whether
real or not, can force their hand, and push them into deciding something not completely to their benefit.
It works because time is a stressor, and stress influences.
Using Loss Aversion - Humans are naturally afraid of losing. The pain that comes from a loss is at a
level far greater than gaining the equivalent. So, in dealing with someone you are trying to finagle, you
can use the opposite of the promise of a gift, and instead politely threaten them with a loss.
Stores as you know do this all the time. They scream: "If you don't buy this item right now that's
on sale it is going to go up in cost next week, or it'll run out! Buy! Buy now! Buy before it's too late!
HURRY!"
Of course, this is a sales tactic to get you to have a bit of a panic. They give you limited time, so
you will decide in their favor. This deadline pressures you, and makes you inclined towards irrational
decision making, and you might then get something that probably you normally would not purchase.
You act impulsively, because you don't want to have a loss.
Not that trying to avoid losses is a bad thing, but trying to avoid losses when thinking in a
panicked state, however small, is not recommended. A state of panick can shift the objective values in
our mind.
For example, not being able to buy a product on sale, especially one you don't need, is not a real
loss. It's an imaginary loss. You literally aren't losing anything. But the mind can be influenced by the
mode that it is in, and the pressure exerted by limited time can be incredibly powerful.
We see this in the "Nigerian Scam" where the scammers, with their "promises of gifts," will use
time pressure tactics, and draw people into their traps by telling them that the opportunity for riches
will pass them by if the don't act; if they don't help by sending funds a.s.a.p. they'll lose out on their
share of a big pile of money.
Obviously, the right choice is to refuse them...although those that are desperate may take the
risk. Desperation happens to us all at one point or another, doesn't it? But we have to ask ourselves,
"Would I do this if I weren't desperate?"
Probably not.
More on the Use of Loss Aversion: Shopping Trickery - Retailers, and brands are constantly trying to
get consumers to consume, and buy way more than they actually need. To do this they have to employ
many different tricks, but one they use that seems rather insidious is the exploitation of the human
inclination towards loss aversion (i.e. fear of loss).
They do this in several ways. The first one you already know about, and that is sales. They mark
down products, and tell you that it's for a limited time only, when in reality the sale will probably come
back later on.
After that you have: Artificially scarce supply, limited edition products, and limited stock
online. Continue on to see an explanation for each one.
a) Sales - Companies make products higher than they should be, and then mark them down, and
tell you you're getting a bargain -- but the bargain is available for a limited time only! "Buy it
now before it's gone!" they say. The reality is, in most cases, the sale price is not really a sale.
It is just a gimmick. Sales create an illusion of value, and it works because human naturally
compare.
b) Artificially Scarce Supply - Manufacturers can produce millions of products at a time, yet
somehow certain companies run out, and don't have enough for everyone -- but then later on
at an arbitrary period it returns to stores, and you hafta get it because you're afraid it won't be
back again. A classic trick. Companies intentionally restrict supply, or pretend there isn't
enough, so that they can create demand, and keep prices high. Disney is well known for
doing this. Do you know about the "Disney Vault"? It's this fake fault, where they fake stash
away movies. They threaten little children with the fact that if they don't buy whatever movie
title is on sale, it won't be available later on... How shifty is that?
c) Limited Edition Products - Companies love this one. They create an easily reproducible
product, and then make a "limited edition" version. The word LIMITED pops out at you.
"Oh, no, it won't be available later on!" But when is that? Nobody knows, it seems. They
want you to panic-buy, and get their product on the basis you can't get it in the future. It
seems foolish, but it's effective. People don't want to miss out. Heck, you even have food
companies making "limited edition" food. Limited edition food? Not including famine,
food will never be limited. How ridiculous.
d) Limited Stock Online - Besides spying on you, and secretly collecting information, online
retailers will get you to buy something you are looking at by showing you a low supply.
Maybe they have a hundred or so, but they'll display that there are two left. It will give you a
sense of urgency, and you'll be more likely to pull the trigger on a purchase. Don't buy it just
because there's not much of it! Have other reasons. Be sensible.
As you can see, loss aversion can make people act irrationally, and the behavior is a lot more common
than most think. For example, when "small fish" investors buy stocks, they buy stocks, because they're
afraid of losing out on future profits. Which is silly. Opportunities for investments come, and go. Not
that twiddling your thumbs is the best route, but making a hasty decision leads to unprofitable results.
For those who aren't wealthy enough to buy stocks, they might play the lottery, which is almost
just as bad. Lotto players won't want to miss a week of gambling. They'll go, "I have to play! What if
my numbers come up?"
The truth is, statistically speaking, it doesn't matter what numbers you pick. Your hand picked
numbers, and quick pick (random) numbers have the exact same chance of winning. It's pure luck, and
the majority of lotto players aren't too lucky.
Lesson: Think rationally about your decisions, and don't let fear cloud your mind.
Shitselling - Most of us know what upselling is. Upselling is a sales technique where a seller tries to get
a customer to purchase more costly items, or upgrades, or add-ons. The opposite of this then is
downselling. It's when a customer, on a budget, can't afford what's on sale, so they are offered a
cheaper (likely better) alternative.
A third practice is cross-selling. If a customer makes a purchase, they're sold a related product,
or service, such as an extended warranty.
Finally, there's what we call shitselling. Shitselling can be both a legal, and informal, social
term. Shitselling is something that telecom/cable companies, and banks, and financial institutions do.
First, they must entice you, and get you to say yes. After that, once you've signed the contract,
they provide you with the decent service they promised, and then they hastily pull the rug out from
underneath you, and change the conditions.
They start forcing their shit on you, and legally they can, because you've signed a contract that
you probably never fully read, because it was as long as a novel. In the contract there was that easy to
miss line that said: BIG CORPORATION X CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT -- other than
murdering you.
The telecom/cable/banking/financial company has sold you on their shit. First, they got their
foot in the door. They got you to agree to some terms, and say yes, and then when you were lulled, they
changed the terms in their favor. Suddenly, the cost of everything becomes double, and you didn't
(consciously) agree to it. When you try to back out, they slam you with fees, and penalties.
This behavior, however, is not limited to companies. People can do it, too. Let's say your friend
is in need of help, because he's going on vacation. Your friend goes up to you, and says, "Can I ask you
for a favor?"
You reply, "What is it?"
"Can you take care of my ugly cat?" he asks.
"Sure," you say. "How long?"
"One week," your friend tells you.
You nod again. Then a little while later on, your friend says that he needs you to do it for two
weeks. It's twice as long, but you agree. Then this is later changed to three weeks. Then he's out of the
country, and this becomes seven weeks. Then two whole months.
What have you gotten yourself into? He kept randomly changing his mind about the time... Or
did he? It's more like he deceived you.
He used the social engineering technique of getting you to say yes. He got you to say yes, and it
wasn't too hard, because you're his friend, and you assumed the favor would be reasonable.
You thought the cat-sitting would only be a week, or two, so you agreed to helping him out, but
you didn't agree to a maximum time; so, he got you, and roped you in, and you were stuck, because you
already made the agreement, which was especially hard to break when he was gone on vacation.
Once you say yes to something mentally it can be hard to back out. Well, what could you have
done? Toss his cat out your house? You'd feel guilty, and the consequences would be too grave. You
had to put up with his ugly cat, and take care of it. Even though you were annoyed there was the fear of
ruining your relationship with your friend.
Your friend, who sold you on some shit! Obviously, he didn't literally sell you anything,
especially shit, but he operated in a sly manner, and sold you on the idea of something, which was to
take care of his ugly cat for a whole two months.
He used the process of shitselling that goes something like this:
1. Introduce someone to something that seems acceptable.
2. Get the person to say yes.
3. Make them obligated.
4. Mold the contract (social, or legal) to your liking.
5. "Profit."
The whole thing is a bit sleazy, but you can't catch fish without a worm on a hook.
Intentional Misconstrual of an Agreement (Or Agreements) - A person, group, or business will get
someone to agree to something, which to that someone has a certain meaning -- but once they say yes,
the person/group/business will deliberately misinterpret the agreement, trying to make it something else
for their benefit.
Example: A dialogue.
Jenny: "Selena, we're friends, right?"
Selena: "Of course."
Jenny: "And you know I'm dying."
Selena: "I'm really sad for you."
Jenny: "If you could, would you save my life?"
Selena: "Yes. Of course."
Jenny: "Then you'll donate your kidney to me?"
Selena: "I... What?"
Jenny: "You said you'd save my life. Gimme your kidney. You have two. You can spare one."
Selena: "Umm... I never agreed to that."
Jenny: "C'mon, Selena. You did. Now, stop being a greedy son of a bitch."
Incremental Negotiation - Most people don't like to make big leaps in their decision making; so, if you
want to successfully deal with them you need to do so incrementally, negotiating or doing exchanges in
small steps.
There's an old joke about a boy, and his frugal father. The boy goes up to his father, and asks for
$50.
The father replies, "$40? Why would you need $30? $20 is a lot of money! What exactly would
you do with $10?"
***
Act Like You Belong - When you are somewhere, and you are trying to "get away" with something,
you must look, and act like you belong, being confident, knowing any jargon (if need be), and having
the right mannerisms.
You'll have to dress the part, wearing an ensemble of clothes that matches what you are trying to
portray. This part is especially important because clothing immediately imparts a message to others
without directly saying anything.
So, when frauds try to fool someone they will give themselves a particular appearance to sell
their snake oil. However, it's not simply the appearances alone that make it work. Acting like you
belong, of course, requires decent acting. A fraud has to be confident. They have to speak the right
language, and have mannerisms which people expect from them.
Let's take someone dressed up as a police officer. Do you think that he is a police officer
because of his uniform? Yes... But what if the "police officer" is acting strangely? What if he's trying to
break into the community mailbox with a crowbar?
Ah-ha, then your opinion changes, and you become suspicious. The behavior does not match
the uniform, does it? So, in playing pretend (for whatever reason) the physical appearances alone is not
enough.
You have to both act, and look a certain way. By doing these in tandem you can come that much
closer to convincing someone that you are who you say you are.
Monkey See, Monkey Do (Exploiting Group Dynamics) - In social engineering, you will not always
get the opportunity to deal with one person alone. Sometimes you must sway an entire group of people.
But how does one do this? Humans as they are tend to be inclined towards a herd mentality. This can be
a good thing, or a bad thing.
It becomes a bad thing when herd mentality turns into mob mentality, or if in a dire situation,
where someone needs help, there is a bystander effect.
As you may know mob mentality is when a group of people, feeling protected by their group,
participate in violence, and crime. The bystander effect, on the other hand, is the complementary
opposite. The bystander effect is when a group of people choose to do nothing in helping someone in
distress.
The most egregious example of both mob mentality, and bystander effect is from the Holocaust
in which millions of Jews, and minorities died during World War II. They died because of the mob
mentality that agreed to allow concentration camps, and then there were those not directly involved that
knew about these tragedies, but instead acted like bystanders, choosing to take no action.
So, as shown, mob mentality, and bystander effect can be terrible for society; however, it can be
used for your own purposes. We see that in both these things all it takes is one person to change a
situation.
This is because of man's nature in peer pressure, and conformity. Whatever the name it's a
remarkable thing. The inclination to belong is incredibly strong.
In the 1960s an American TV show called "Candid Camera" knew this, and designed pranks
around the very idea. In one famous episode from 1962 called "Face the Rear" they did their own
version of a Solomon Asch experiment (Asch was a Polish psychologist known for doing experiments
on conformity).
They had actors placed in an elevator, and when a person entered they faced the wrong way, i.e.
facing the wall instead of the doors. The young men that entered, in spite of being used to standing
otherwise, would face the same way as the actors. Even when the actors rotated they would follow.
Being a part of the group was important, despite them being perfect strangers.
It should be noted however that where peer pressure can be used to push nonsense it can also do
the opposite. As mentioned earlier individuals that vocally have a different opinion can dissuade people
from doing the wrong thing. All it takes is one person to point out the flaws in something, and the rest,
who agree, will join.
In one Solomon Asch experiment, they would have a test-subject with a group compare the
length of one line to three others, and then ask him to identify a match. In the first instance, where
actors playing along all chose the wrong answer, the test-subject would copy them.
But if someone (a single actor) disagreed with the rest, the test subject would become more
confident, and correctly choose the answer, properly matching the lines.
The totality of all these experiments found that a single disagreeing opinion could reduce
conformity by a whopping 80%.
Strange though it may seem one person can change the paradigm of an entire group. Will you be
this person?
Recognize Individuality in Groups, Give People Individual Responsibility (i.e. Breaking the Bystander
Effect) - During stressful situations individuals have a tendency to dissociate from responsibility,
especially when they are with others.
In emergency situations, if you need help, you can't address everyone around you, because
nobody will "step up to the plate." Rather you have to call out a single person, and give them a direct
order. "Hey, you! (Points.) I need you to call for an ambulance!"
This way they will do what's needed, because you have given them the individual responsibility
for a situation.
Another example of this, although less dire, is when buskers (aka street performers) ask for
money. When they ask for money from groups often they won't get a lot of money, since there is the
expectation that others will pick up the slack.
However, if approaching people individually, you can get far better results. Asking someone
directly yields more money per capita.
In fact, in almost every case, pound for pound a single person is far better than a group. But
why is this? Or rather what is this? To students of psychology, they will call it the Ringelmann effect.
The Ringelmann effect is the effect where individuals become less productive when placed into a
group, or their smaller, tight-knit group becomes significantly larger.
First observed in the year 1913, professor Max Ringelmann carried out a study in which he
found that men asked to pull a rope, as a group, exerted less effort than if they were alone. Together
they would do a type of loafing, or as it is commonly called: Social loafing.
Social loafing is a big problem in society, seeming to infect large organizations, creating much
detested bureaucracies.
Smaller groups, per capita, on the other hand, have a tendency to yield better results, being
more productive. It appears that as groups increase in size they become inclined towards group-think,
which causes great irrationality, since group-think makes people try to maintain social harmony at the
cost of effectiveness.
Although this seems to be a problem mainly affecting adults that have been taught to conform,
and act a certain way. The famous "marshmallow challenge" demonstrates this.
In the marshmallow challenge adults, and children were asked to construct towers made from
spaghetti sticks, tape, and one marshmallow required to be at the very top.
After the time limit of 18 minutes it was found that the children built the tallest towers. But
why? Because children lack the social skills for conformity, and have an inclination towards thinking
individually.
They don't think, "What impact will my words have on the person receiving the message?"
Nope. They just go for it, and speak their mind.
The children without an ounce of guilt would criticize others, and happily point out their flaws.
In the adult groups, the adults would try to maintain harmony, and cohesion, and wouldn't bicker, or
give any criticism. In the end, it proved favourable to the kids.
Lesson: The individual matters. A group, and society is just a collection of individuals.
The Opportunity to Participate - Some people cannot be passive, and you must persuade them by
giving them an opportunity to participate. Participation can give a sense of power, which can have a
positive impact, or help an individual trying to perform social engineering.
For example: Do you know about scratch tickets (or scratch-off tickets)? You buy these scratch
tickets, and after scratching them to reveal what's beneath, you could win a prize, usually by matching
symbols.
But what they fail to mention is the chance of winning is 1 in millions, and if someone wins the
grand prize (which is what you'd want) there is no obligation for the lotto people to inform the public
that this prize is gone. They'll keep selling off their loser-only scratch tickets.
Yet scratch tickets are popular. The act of a person picking their ticket, and scratching off the
surface gives them a feeling of control, and they subconsciously believe that they can influence the
outcome. In reality, there is zero influence, other than paying good money for something that will
assuredly lose.
Although the idea of participation doesn't have to always be used for something negative. It can
be used to bring out the best in someone. Young children are often allowed, and encouraged to
participate in charitable activities, and in spite of their limited contributions, because of their age, the
positivity associated with participating sets them up for a future of being helpful adults, who will
contribute to society.
So, if you want someone to do what you want, try asking them to join in on something. Let
them feel like they have control, and that they matter.
Nefarious Good (Pretext) - This is a classic political trick. If you want to have your way with people,
you don't make your proposal(s) to them honest, and straightforward; rather you put it together with
something palatable, especially that supporting moral values, which they would be reluctant to obstruct.
Say you're a politician, and you want to get a new tax through. Instead of saying, "Here's a new
tax!" instead you go, "In a bid to improve the environment, we are introducing a carbon emissions
policy in which companies, and individuals will pay a mandatory premium for causing pollution."
This is called the "Save the Environment Initiative." Which is a misleading name/misleading
title. Obviously, this is just a cash grab, and has next to nothing to do with the environment. People, and
companies aren't being wasteful. Energy, and electricity costs money. Why would they use more than is
required? They don't.
Ironically, green taxes often have the opposite effect. If businesses, and individuals have to pay
more for something, and are deprived of income, they will be forced to compensate for that, and
increase their productivity (i.e. work more). This means a boost in energy expenditures, therefore
causing extra pollution.
Yes, the politician's real objective is just to steal more money increase revenues, and the
concerns about the environment come second. Yet as obvious as this is many people do not realize what
is happening, or can't stop it, because it is hard to criticize something when there is a component of
morality attached to it.
If you try to oppose it they will say something equivalent to, "Don't you care about the children?
Think of the children!" Who will say no to that, and risk looking immoral?
In reality, what we get from these politicians, and swindles is nefarious good. Things made to
look good but that are actually bad. Sure this is unethical, but why not use this tactic?
Homeless people do it a lot. If they want money for alcohol they won't ask for plain money.
They will ask for money for food, or medicine. Who could deny food to a starving man, or medicine to
someone that's sick?
Many can't say no to this, and it works, because there is an element of morality along with the
proposition. It's like a form of guilt tripping. Guilt tripping doesn't work on everyone, but it works on
enough.
Pretext - A false reason given to conceal the real one.

Example:
Homeless Person: "Hey, can I have some money?"
Salaryman: "Why?"
Homeless Person: "I'm hungry, and need food."
Salaryman: "Do you want my sandwich?"
Homeless Person: "Yuck, no!"
The Homeless Person leaves. The Salaryman is confused. The Homeless Person really wanted
money for alcohol, and cigarettes.
Appeal to Pity (Ad Misericordiam) - Although this is a fallacy it can be very effective in manipulating
people. Like the title implies you are literally appealing to pity. You try to win support for an idea or
argument through emotions through the pity that humans have for others who are suffering.
"Eat your dinner -- think of the starving children in Africa!" a mother might say to her stubborn
child that doesn't like eating brussel sprouts.
Or someone could try to control a conversation by claiming to be a victim. Imagine a student
taking part in a debate with an older man.
"We shouldn't go to war," says the student, shaking her head. "War is wrong, and the people
who participate in it are immoral."
"Well," says the older man. "I'm a veteran. And I fought overseas, and lost an arm. But as
harrowing as war is, I don't think that you can say we shouldn't go to war. There is a threat out there,
and we have to stop it."
The older man tries to get the crowd on his side through sympathy, saying that he fought
overseas, and lost an arm.
Burying the Motive - This is similar to the "nefarious good" strategy; however, it can be applied more
broadly.
For example: You have a pudgy little son, and you want him to get healthy, and lose weight.
Can you say that to him? Can you tell him directly? That's he's fat, and might get diabetes? No, because
as his grandfather stated "he's from the snowflake generation." You'll have to do something else.
What you do instead is introduce him to sports, and get him to play football. But you never tell
him why you've done so; you've buried the motive.
He thinks he's just having fun, and playing a game. You know otherwise. You want him to slim
down, and it works, because that's what exercise does.
In the end, it's a job well done on your part. Had you told your son the precise truth of the
matter he would've been reluctant. By emphasizing what he was naturally attracted to, and burying
your motive (exercise), you got him to do what you wanted.
False Flag - A long time ago, when pirates roamed the seas, they would put up false flags on their ships
to fake their identities. Doing so would allow them to attack others, who would have their guards down,
and it would shift the blame onto uninvolved countries.
These days the term "false flag" refers to covert operations, which are designed to deceive, and
mislead the public. The American government, and the corporations controlling them, have used false
flags in the past to gain approval for overseas conflict.
In the 2000s, the Iraq war was launched post 9/11 on the assertion of hidden weapons of mass
destruction, and harboring of terrorists. As for recent events, the U.S. military made missile strikes
against Syria because of chemical/gas attacks on citizens, reportedly carried out by Bashar al-Assad.
However, much evidence proved otherwise. There were no "WMDs" in Iraq, and the attack
done by al-Assad was found extremely unlikely. It appeared false flags were used. But did anyone
know that at the time?
The sad reality is we as citizens have limited means of investigation. Events are often
fabricated, and if they aren't fabricated, then who is to blame is fabricated, and the innocent are turned
into villains, and become targets.
What's even more infuriating is the mainstream media often do not do their due dilligence.
Instead of sending reporters out onto the field, they purchase, and obtain their information from third
parties. We cannot even fully trust those who are obligated to be trustable.
Therefore, we must remain skeptical of the media at all times, and watch out for these false
flags. We must ask ourselves, "Is this really what they say it is?"
False Narrative Creation - Humans are attracted to storytelling, and so false stories/narratives can be
created to persuade people about a variety things. For example, there's a false narrative that
Republicans are more racist than Democrats, but history shows it's the opposite. Democrats defended
slavery, founded the Ku Klux Klan, and imposed segregation onto American society.
False Character Creation - In the crafting of false narratives, one can fabricate persons, or personalities
to create, and enhance stories, ideas, and opinions.
Example: Becky lauds herself for being a feminist hero. She often tells the story of how she told
a sexist, rude man to "shut up" in the supermarket, and then everyone around her clapped.
Planting Evidence, Fabricating Evidence - Perhaps not social engineering in the strictest sense,
planting, and fabricating evidence can serve a social purpose, particularly in a negative manner.
Police officers, who engage in crime, will plant "evidence" on people. They'll put drugs on
them, or weapons, and falsify reports, and use that as justification for their wrongdoings.
Scummy, isn't it? But planting/fabricating evidence is not limited to corrupt police officers.
Anyone can do it. Do you wanna get your obnoxious co-worker fired? Maybe your work place has
strict rules about sexual harassment. You can then plant some pornography in your co-workers office,
and have him fired.
Just kidding! Don't do that! Hell, don't even look at pornography! The point is if someone truly
wants something, they can, and will stoop to the lowest level possible. So, we need to stay sharp, and
aware, and not take everything at face value. We need to read between the lines, and search for the real
"whys" of the matter.
Reversals - In social engineering there is what they call "reversals." Reverse psychology is one you are
probably familiar with. Another is someone accusing someone else of something that they themselves
are guilty of, which is seen in "gas-lighting" (a form of psychological manipulation). And there is also
the use of "echoes."
Imagine two people in an argument. Person A says something, and then Person B repeats it in a
slightly different manner.
"You're a fool!" says Person A.
Person B replies, "But you are the bigger fool!"
Or it could be used to pay a compliment.
"You look pretty," says Person A.
"You also look pretty," says Person B.
Or an "echo" can be for questions.
"Why don't you give more to charity?" says Person A.
"Why don't you give more to charity?" says Person B.
Although reversals aren't always effective, and they're more of a tactic than engineering, they
are useful in manipulating a person's emotions without having to do anything too complex. You just
take something, and turn it around. See what happens.
Role Reversal, DARVO - There are different types of role reversals, but one very common one is when
a person who has acted transgressively tries to redirect attention to someone else, or others, by accusing
them of wrong/the very thing they are guilty of. They may then choose innocence, or claim being a
victim.
Hurling false accusations, and choosing victim status is a role reversal known as DARVO:
Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.
Meaning, there is a "turning of the tables." But a person might not need to do each letter, and it
may be enough to simply play innocent, and if need be try appearing helpful. And so, they do what is
required to reverse their role.
There is literally a reversal in a role reversal. Through deception, lying, and false accusations,
the bad make themselves look good, and the good look bad.
Example 1: Biden says that Trump will cheat in the presidential election, but in reality Biden
has the plans for perpetrating electoral fraud. Biden is a cheater.
Example 2 (DARVO): A bully is accused of bullying, but he claims to be a victim of bullying

himself, and then accuses those accusing him of bullying (who may be innocent) as being the
real bullies.
Polemicist Stuff: The Red Herring - In the year 1807 the English polemicist, William Cobbett, told a
story of using a kipper to divert hounds from the chasing of a hare. Ever since then the term "red
herring" has been used to describe actions intentionally done to distract or mislead people from issues
of importance, and relevance.
Example: A journalist asks an important politician about banning guns. It's a polarizing issue.
The politician doesn't want to get in the middle of it, or upset anyone.
He hems, and haws, and says, "Well, sir, it's important that we prevent violence, and a lot of
violence is caused by poverty. So, we really need to focus on the economy, and help people improve
their livelihoods. We need to improve mobility in impoverished neighborhoods. It will be a challenge,
but I think we can do it."
Afterwards, members of the media start asking this politician about his plans to improve the
economy, and whether he will reduce taxes. The journalist's question about guns has been stuffed. But
this is what the politician wanted. He used a "red herring" to take away attention from something that
he did not want to discuss.
Polemicist Stuff: The Straw Man - According to the Collins English Dictionary a straw man is "a figure
of a man made from straw." However, it means something else in debate. A straw man is the intentional
misrepresentation of an opponent's proposition/ideas. A straw man deceitfuly gives the appearance of
refusing, and defeating a proposition when in reality that isn't the case.
For example, you are debating a fellow student on the topic of refugees, whether or not they're
good for the country. You believe the government should be more restrictive, because of the negative
financial impact.
The student looks at you, and with no hint of joking says, "Why are you being racist?"
"What do you mean?" you reply.
"In a civilized, progressive society," the student tells you, "we should be open, and welcoming
to everyone. We shouldn't discriminate against people because of their race, or where they came from.
You're racist!"
And so the debate instantly devolves, the student having used the straw man of racism, twisting
your original point. What began as a reasonable proposition has been distorted to make it appear as
something negative.
Of course, this isn't a fair, or logical assessment, but a straw man isn't supposed to be fair, or
logical. A straw man is literally a fallacy. It is used to get the upper hand. It is a way of putting words
into people's mouths.
Emphasizing Favorable Objects, or Objectives - This is similar to the "nefarious good" strategy, except
that it does not have to involve an aspect of morality. To persuade someone you can emphasize, or
divert their attention to another object/objective, which would be to their liking, but in reality bring you
closer to your own goals.
Imagine you were a kid, and wanted your mom to buy you a comic book. She'd probably say
no, right? But what if you emphasized the reading aspect?
"Mom," you say. "I know you don't like comics much, but I'll be reading, won't I? Didn't you
say you wanted me to read more? Can you buy it for me, please? I'll be reading! REEEEE-DING!"
Your mom thinks about it for a moment, and relents. She likes the idea that you'll be reading,
even if the story is about mutants. She buys you the comic book. Success. You got your way by
highlighting something your mom would see as positive.
False Objects, or Objectives - If you don't have a favorable object, or objective (as from the other
person's perspective) you can create a false one.
Let's say that you wanted to sell chocolate bars. Who wants to buy your chocolate bars? You're
having a hard time selling them. So, you decide to create a false objective, i.e. purpose. You go around
saying that with each chocolate bar sale a portion of the money goes to "saving the rainforest."
The people you meet like that they'll be saving the rainforest, and are inclined to buying your
chocolate. After a day's work you've now profited handsomely, selling as many sweets as possible.
Now, will you really be giving a portion of the money to saving the rainforest? Yes, of course,
you're not a liar! But you only give a small amount: One dollar.
Yes, so you've kept your promise, but you fed your customers a false objective. Your real
objective was to make profits, not helping stupid mother earth. "She can help herself," you say.
Rebranding/Repackaging/Relabeling - Proposals, and ideas live, or die based on how they are initially
perceived. To have a successful proposal you must have the right type of brand, packaging, and/or
label.
Big businesses know all about this. They can take something mundane, and not special at all,
and give it a rebranding, repackaging, or relabeling to make it more appealing to consumers. They'll
easily sell rubbish like artisanal, organic, gluten-free water, with a 1,000% mark-up.
Although this practice of rebranding, repackaging, and relabeling isn't only for selling products.
The principles can be applied to the less tangible, like human to human interactions, debates,
negotiations, tomfoolery, and even ideologies.
Universal Basic Income is an example of just this. It is becoming a part of the economic
zeitgeist in the west, but in reality is a rebranding of socialism. Universal Basic Income, also known as
UBI, has principles similar to what's found in communism.
It makes a guarantee to all citizens that they will receive as much money as they need, and
they're told this will only come from the greedy, evil rich, and this is all distributed via a centralized
authority that deems itself above reproach -- even though they take wealth from individuals, with the
threat of physical punishment, and time in prison.
Does this sound about right? It isn't right, especially because the reality is these sorts of systems
don't work. There are no purely communist, or socialist countries that are prospering. All countries
using these economic systems have failed abysmally.
Extreme socialism, even when fancily repackaged as UBI remains unviable. It doesn't work
because it causes hyper-inflation by shifting the value of currency. Imagine everyone received $10,000
a year for doing nothing. If someone wanted to hire them they would have to offer significantly more
than $10,000 simply to create the motivation to work.
So, the minimum cost of hiring someone would be well above $10,000, and that cost would be
passed onto consumers, causing prices to rise. But if prices rise, then that $10,000 would be reduced in
value, and have reduce purchasing power.
Yes, there is also this notion that this free money would be spent, and recirculate into the
economy, but giving everyone $10,000 by default would still cause rapid inflation, because it would
require the increased production of money. Printing more money reduces the value of all existing
money.
For a moment, think of a country as a store. Suppose you have 1,000 doodads in stock. For the
sake of simplicity they sell for $1.00 each. You decide to sell gift certificates (which is similar to
money), and issue $1,000 worth. If any customer comes into your store, using a gift certificate, they
can purchase a doodad. This is perfectly balanced. Nobody is left out.
But imagine you got greedy, and sold $5,000 worth of gift certificates instead. Ulp! You only
have $1000 worth of doodads. There will be customers that can't get their doodads. $4000 of the $5000
issued in gift certificates is absolutely useless.
Now what? What do you do? The simplest solution is to raise the price of your goods. You
quintuple the price of the doodads, and make them $5.00 each. There. $5000 in gift certificates can buy
$5000 of doodads.
But there's a little problem, because the value of each dollar on your gift certificates has
significantly declined. $1 in the past could buy one doodad -- but with the price adjustments it takes $5
to acquire a single doodad, and this gives us inflation. The customers who have entrusted you with their
money have been ripped off.
Alternatively, you can also look at the economy like a cake. Imagine a cake, and each slice
represents a dollar. Okay. You divide the cake, and you have 4 slices, or 4 dollars. At the moment, this
is enough for you, and your friends.
But then later you have more guests arrive at your home. They ring the doorbell, and yell, "Let
us in, little pigs!"
What do you do now? How do you feed them? If you want to you can make your cake 8 slices,
and have double the slices, or quadruple it, and have 16 slices; however, each slice weighs far less, and
one slice won't fill anyone's belly.
Sure, numerically, there's more. There are more slices, because you went from 4 to 16, but the
cake slices are painfully thin.
Likewise, when you increase the amount of money in circulation each dollar (or pound, if you're
British) is reduced in value. Which is why governments must carefully consider how much cash they
issue. You can't just give it out to everyone like it's completely imaginary.
If you implement something like UBI it can only work in a world in which the prices of
everything stays the same. Ergo, many socialist countries impose price controls.
What really ends up happening is production declines, and famine occurs. Price controls to
redress the government's "generosity" only pushes companies into bankruptcy, since it is literally more
profitable to do nothing.
So, then you have an extremely weak currency, and no jobs for people because the businesses
have shuttered. It's a disaster.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg of problems with extreme socialism, communism, and
schemes like Universal Basic Income. Yet people continue to come back it, because who doesn't like
the idea of not working, and receiving things for "free"?
But even well intentioned, legitimate plans to furnish people with money can fail. What do we
have right now that most resembles Universal Basic Income? In America, senior citizens receive Social
Security benefits.
That is they receive a monthly sum of money, which is distributed via the government. It is
legitimately supported by people working, and paying their fair share into the system.
That should be good enough, right? No. It's not, because the government has mismanaged
funds, and they've had to increase the tax burden on today's working class to pay for retirees. The
greasy politicians took all the money, and through their schemes stuffed it into their own pockets.
Social security is going to run out of cash reserves by the year 2034. That's not even that far
away (unless you're reading this years after it's been written, and it's already happened).
Hmm, how odd is it that government, accountable to almost no one, mismanages people's
money, and doesn't distribute it properly?
Now, because of their failures they're trying to cope with an overburdened system. Before you
could retire at age 60, and at the present that's no longer possible. The year at which you can retire
keeps steadily creeping up, and soon you'll only be able to do so at a ripe 70 years old.
So, if Social Security can barely work, how will Universal Basic Income work? Universal Basic
Income is too socialist, and the plain fact of the matter is: Socialism extracts wealth from individuals,
and funnels it all into the coffers of the government, and they have no real incentive to act right.
Why would they? You have to pay them no matter what, lest angry men with guns force you
into a cage. It's absurd. The government is supposed to work for the people, but now the people are
working for the government.
Naturally, the government is a source of power, and power attracts the corrupt, and so you have
the corrupt, and easily corruptible running an entire nation of people. If they do their jobs in the least
it's probably only to avoid a revolt.
Every now, and again they do throw crumbs to the people, and it seems like they're going to do
the right thing -- but they don't. Instead they push out popular, short-term solutions, and then the
burdens just get passed on to the next group of suckers. One popular, short-term "solution" is Universal
Basic Income.
But the whole point of this rant isn't to disparage this one idea. Could UBI work in the distant
future? Maybe, but all things considered, the evidence right now shows it's not possible.
Either way, believe what you want. The point of this wall of text is to show that even though an
idea, or concept, or thing isn't sensible, or viable, it can be rebranded/repackaged/relabeled to be more
palatable.
In social engineering, good image, and approachability are paramount. The sentiment behind "a
rose by any other name" is for the most part not true. One can manipulate the worth of something, real
or a thought, by "selling" it in an appropriate manner.
Twist that, turn that, snip those bits off, add this bit on, wrap it up, and you have something that
appears brand new, and appealing.
The question is: How far can you take this? Can you convince your boss to raise your salary?
Can you convince him that it will increase your productivity? Or can you convince your wife to let you
buy that shiny, new gadget? Can you get your child to eat his, or her vegetables? Can you get your
friend to go skydiving with you? Can you seduce someone? Can your persuade a crowd? Can you put a
positive spin on something that is for your benefit?
Malicious Labeling, Reductive Labeling, or Mislabeling* - Do you remember the saying "sticks, and
stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? A lot of times that isn't true. Words,
especially labels, can be damaging, and many people know this.
They will intentionally mislabel someone, or maybe a group, to devalue their status in society,
opening them up to attacks, financially, or even physically.
And it is all too easy to do so. Slap a bad name on someone, and that can instantly cause harm
to their reputation. They'll be attacked, and placed in harm's way. The angry mob probably won't even
listen to reason, or truth. The bad name's brought out their hostile emotions through their rear end.
For example: Milo Yiannopoulos, a provocative political activist, has been labeled mislabeled
as a white supremacist by mainstream media. But they've neglected to mention that he is a gay Jew,
with a black husband.
How could someone with a Jewish heritage, with a black husband be a white supremacist? Yet
that's what they call him in the news, because it's easy, because it gets a rise out of people, and more
importantly it gets them attention.
Nobody sane is going to take a liking towards a white supremacist; so, if you have this political
activist you dislike, or don't care about, why not benefit yourself by calling him something malicious to
reduce his stature down to something narcissistic, and irrational?
As evil as that sounds, this practice of malicious labeling, mislabeling, and reducing people to
mere names will only continue on. Labels are a great way to do social engineering. You can instantly
get someone to your side by calling someone else something that they aren't.
You can take a complex individual, or an idea, and be reductive, taking out the important
elements, and showing only what you want...much like sucking the yolk, and albumen out of an
eggshell, leaving the eggshell intact to be painted up for Easter. The egg looks fine from the outside,
but inside there's nothing.
But you don't want that nothing, do you? You want the whole egg! So, when you hear the label
of someone, or something, take the time to question that label. Ask yourself whether it's really true, and
investigate, and decide for yourself what it is that you're looking at. Because what looks simple at the
surface may be much more complex.
In the words of documentarian Albert Maysles: “Tyranny is the deliberate removal of nuance.”
*Malicious labeling, reductive labeling, or mislabeling can be used to devalue many things, not just
people. For example, one can maliciously label an idea.
Mix Truth with Lies - Do you read the tabloids? Many people do not, because they think they're trashy,
and full of lies...but if that's true, why is it that they are able to survive as a business? Nobody would
buy or read a publication, if it was literally just made up of lies.
The truth is tabloids don't lie all the time. No. That would be disastrous. Tabloids carefully mix
truth, and lies together. The truth gives credibility to their lies.
A person who picks up a tabloid, and begins reading it might think that much of it is nonsense.
But if a couple stories turn out to be true, then they will begin to believe everything else, too. Strangely,
truth can have a halo effect on lies.
And the effect becomes even stronger when someone is skeptical at first of information from a
seedy publication, and then they find themselves proven wrong. Say that someone tells you that bears
walk on two feet, and you don't believe them, but then you later find out on your own it's true. That
person will gain your trust, and you may even believe the lies that they tell you.
Yes, getting it right sometimes is sometimes enough to make someone a believer, and this is not
limited to tabloids either. It can work when it comes to things such as astrology, fortune telling,
psychics, and the like.
However, if everything is false it doesn't work, but when you blend it with the truth, it blurs the
lines, and more importantly forces people to make a decision about what they think about the nature of
something.
Since most men, and women do not like to take the time to judge items individually, because of
the intellectual workload involved, they will gravitate towards the binary in which they can choose
either option A, or option B (i.e. truth, or lies).
Once they settle on an option this will alleviate their cognitive dissonance. Cognitive
dissonance simply put is a state of the mind, which produces discomfort due to conflicting beliefs.
Naturally, people have an aversion to this, and that plays an important role in pushing them in choosing
a side.
When faced with a mix of truth, and lies, the outcome can go either way, but it is a possibility to
get someone thinking in the affirmative. Carefully constructed lies, supported by genuine truth, has the
chance of being sold, and bought as a trustworthy package.
Unexpected Confession, or Unexpected Admittance - To create an air of honesty a person can choose to
admit to or confess to something that most would not admit to or confess to.
Example: A lawyer tells a courtroom that he does not like his client, because he wants to show
that he is honest, and impartial.
*Ambiguous Communication, Vague Communication - If someone asks you a question, and you want
to sidestep it, how do you do that? Do a political move, and give a vague statement, answering, or
giving information without any substance. It's not wrong, but it's not really right either.
So, imagine, your diminutive friend is bragging about how he went on a walk to cure some
disease, and you ask him how much he raised.
"How much money did you raise?" you say.
He half-assed it, but doesn't want to say that. He only raised about $3.50.
"Well," he replies, "after walking a mile, we sure raised a bundle of money. Much more than I
originally expected."
See what that weasel did? He gave you an answer open to interpretation. Sure, he's not wrong,
but he's not right either, because his language is so ambiguous that it does not provide accurate
information. Bundle of money? More than he expected? What do these things really mean?
But this is what people do. If confronted they give a response lacking in clearness, so that they
can avoid unpleasantries, and furthermore they may not be held responsible for misleading ideas that
arise -- because it is you who got the wrong idea(s), right?
Most infuriating...! But not everyone reacts negatively to this mental sidestep. Usually people
do not even know it's happened. This is why it is a staple of seasoned politicians.
"Hey, Mr Politician," you say, "why did you steal all that money from tax-payers?"
"Well," Mr Politician replies, "the world is a complex place. There are books to balance, and
numbers to count. Our country is growing at an unprecedented rate, and keeping up with demand is
tremendously difficulty. If we focus on the wrong issues it could spell disaster. Now's not the time to
dawdle, or rest on our laurels. We must be united, and stand together. Allowing for negativity to govern
our lives is the incorrect path to take."
"...What?" you think aloud.
You're even more confused than before. You got an answer that sort of sounds right, but it isn't,
is it? The politician spun a vague statement, and fed it to you, and it meant very little, if anything at all.
You want to ask more questions, but the mic has been taken away.
*"Ambiguous Communication" and "Vague Communication" aren't just for responses to questions.
They can be asserted indepedently, and can start, or progress discourse. It should also be mentioned
that ambiguous/vague communication is used, because they are resistant to proper examination.
It is easier to examine details, and find them to be erroneous, or false. But if something is vague
or ambiguously communicated -- how can you poke holes in something that you can't (mentally)
touch?
Equivocation - The dictionary defines equivocation as "the use of ambiguous language to conceal the
truth, or to avoid committing oneself" and "allowing the possibility of several different meanings,
especially with intent to deceive or misguide."
Naturally, equivocation is often used when creating contracts, laws, or other agreements. It is
also used in prose, argumentation, conversation, and discussion. In logic equivocation is a fallacy, and
it means using a term or phrase in multiple senses, leading to a false conclusion.
Example 1 (In Law): A new abortion law allows women to get an abortion at any time when a
baby is in the womb, so long as it is "threatening or harming the mother's health." But the term
health is strangely equivocal, having many meanings instead of being clearly one thing. Is
"health" here about physical health? Mental health? Financial health? Health is acting as an
umbrella term, allowing abortions for virtually any reason.
Example 2 (Logic): Larry, and Harry are very similar. Larry has faith in God, and Harry has
faith in science.
Example 3 (Informal): When actors meet people they often say "nice to see you" instead of
"nice to meet you." They are using an equivocal phrase, which precludes someone from saying,
"We already met."
Esosteric Statements, Esoteric Language - One can fool people with esoteric statements, which one can
think of as the opposite of "vague spun statements." When something is esoteric it is very limited, and
specific. It can create an unwarranted distinction.
Example: A man boasts about himself, and declares that he is the world's strongest gay, Jewish,
vegan, color blind feminist. Hmm, why doesn't he compare himself to everybody else? Well, if
he did that he would not be considered strong at all. He wants to give himself a quality that he
doesn't really have.
Predatory Targeting - Sometimes it's not about what you're saying, but who you're saying it to. A lot of
liars, and cheats know this very well, which is why they carefully choose their targets. Instead of trying
to fool a fully functioning person, they will pick someone that is vulnerable, and unable to make proper
decisions. This often means old people, or people that are mentally challenged.
It is extremely unethical, but is something that will never stop in society. Predatory targeting has
existed since the beginning of mankind. Robbers, thieves, and criminals of any kind will find someone
that they believe is weak, and domitable.
Even in the wild this happens. A lion when hunting will choose the weak, and frail gazelle for
an easy kill. Because why would you want someone, or something that could fight back, and resist
you?
Connivers, and Shills - When someone is examining the trustworthiness of a person they often look for
outside confirmation. They seek a "second opinion" but sometimes this won't work, because a smart
scammer is going to be ahead of them, employing a conniver, or shill.
A conniver, or shill is someone who works with the scammer. But they pretend that they're
unconnected, and boost a victim's confidence by providing an affirmative presence, and/or a false yet
authentic-sounding testimony. In some cases, however, they can do the opposite, and try to dissuade
someone from making a certain decision, but in most cases it works better in the positive.
An example of this can be seen on the street, where scammers run games. One common game is
a shell game. It's the game where there are three shells, or inverted cups, that cover an object, like a
ball. Then it is shuffled around, and mixed up. You pick the cup where you think the ball is, and if you
get it right you win, and double your money.
Problem is you won't win. It's a sham. The person running the game is going to use trickery,
sleight of hand to mislead you. When you make your choice you will find you are wrong, and you lose
what you've put on the table to bet. There was never a chance at winning.
So, how do connivers, and shills come into this? They create confidence. They'll be standing
nearby, observing, and encouraging participants, acting like cheerleaders. Or they might play a fake
game, and fake win money to make others think it's possible to win.
Either way, they are working with the scammer running the game, and after it's all said, and
done they collect a share of the profits.
Now, the question is how do you avoid things like this? First, remain vigilante. You shouldn't let
your guard down, and don't completely trust a stranger, especially one who has something to gain.
Second, examine, and inquire about the trustworthiness of everyone involved, not just a single
person, or single entity. Be skeptical. You can avoid being scammed, and tricked by asking the right
questions of the right people. Ask the who, the what, the where, the why, and the how of the matter.
Then seek answers in your mind, and find those red flags, if they exist.
In a street game, it would be fairly easy to spot a scam with the right mindset.
You could ask many useful questions like: "Where did these people come from?" "Who are
they?" "What role does each person, including the crowd, play?" "What's happening here?" "Why
would someone be cheering at a small game like this?" "Why is it so easy to win?"
After running through the gamut of questions you might find yourself rather uncomfortable with
the situation, and though it leaves you uneasy, it is nothing but a good thing. It is a sign. It means you
should leave, and get out.
What seems easy may not be so great! Remember the phrase: "If it seems too good to be true, it
probably is."
Conscious Projecting - This is one method that a manipulator will use to control a person. They will
"gaslight" an individual, with falsehoods, and make them question their reality. The manipulator, taking
their own crimes, and faults, projects it outward onto someone like an associate, partner, friend, or even
family member.
"You're a swindle!" a manipulator may say to an innocent man.
And the man will likely become confused, defensive, and self-conscious, thinking about how he
appears to others, rather than doing what ought to be done, which is looking toward the manipulator,
and suspecting him or her of the real wrongdoing.
Yes, if you are an unscrupulous person, a manipulator, and you falsely accuse someone of doing
something negative that can put the attention on them, and away from you.
You will often see this projecting behavior in people that are preachy, and judgmental of others.
They are mentally tainted, and so take their inner demons, and cast it onto others. It's the classic pot
calling the kettle black, except in this case the kettle might not be black at all.
False Aid (Pretense) - Much like conscious projecting, a guilty person lies to deflect potential
accusations towards him or herself. However, in this case, there is the element of providing false aid,
trying to appear helpful, rather than going on the attack, and being aggressive.
Imagine for a moment that a student has her phone stolen at school. The boy who has stolen it
doesn't want to be caught. So, he provides false aid, and tries to make himself look like a good person.
He acts overly helpful to the girl he stole from, and pretends that he's trying to find the culprit.
If he's charming enough the girl will be fooled. But it's not her fault. A lot of people can be
fooled when a bad person pretends that they're good. It's not difficult to convince someone you're
moral, when they haven't been around you for a long enough time.
An individual, unfamiliar with another individual, can only judge them by the actions being
taken at the moment. So, your limited knowledge can certainly make you gullible, but it doesn't have to
be that way.
You can question the people around you, even if they seem helpful.
"Why," you might ask yourself, "why is this person being so helpful?" If you find there is no
reason for them to act overly kind, then that could serve as a "red flag."
Because naturally, most people are self-centered, and are only willing to do so much. Overly
helpful, and kind behavior can mean ulterior motives. Not that one should be paranoid, but do not
accept everything at face value.
Pretense - A false action, or false display of something to hide the truth that is likely the complete
opposite.
Example: A celebrity is angry from a spat with a co-star, but she smiles with him for the
cameras to maintain her pristine, public image.
Operant Conditioning (or Instrumental Conditioning) - Operant conditioning can be thought of as

reward, and punishment, but used with the purpose to shape behavior; not too dissimilar to how the
justice system works.
Although it is somewhat more complicated than it sounds. There are four categories constituting
operant conditioning: A) Positive Reinforcement, B) Negative Reinforcement, C) Positive Punishment,
and D) Negative Punishment.
Positive reinforcement is when you reward someone for being good by giving them something
they desire. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, is when you save someone from negative
outcomes, if they've acted appropriately.
Then you have positive punishment, which is giving out a punishment, and punishing a
transgressive person. Negative punishment, much like the latter, is a punishment, but instead requires
the taking away of something that an individual may like, or enjoy.
An example of positive reinforcement: A father promises his child that if he gets straight A's on
his report card, he will be taken to Knott's Berry Farm for a day of fun.
Example of negative reinforcement: A teacher tells her students that if they pay attention in
class, and be quiet, they won't have to do homework over the weekend.
Example of positive punishment: A man steals from a store, and as a punishment is sent to
prison.
Example of negative punishment: Someone drives home while inebriated, and is caught by a
police officer; so, his driver's license is revoked for the year.
Although these examples may seem irrelevant to you (the well educated reader) reinforcement,
and punishment can be used in a variety of ways to perform social engineering.
Suppose someone owed you some money, and you wanted to get it back from them, but they
were acting reluctant. You have already tried being polite, and it didn't work. Now what? You could opt
to threaten them, using either the threat of positive punishment, or negative punishment.
Formal lenders as you know usually use negative punishment, threatening to take away a
person's assets. "You didn't make the last two payments for the car? We'll take it away then!"
But for an individual, you'd probably have to use positive punishment. You can go up to the guy,
who owes you money, and threaten to break his thumbs.
However, positive reinforcement tends to be the easier, and better option. "If you do this for me,
I'll do that for you."
This works especially well in politics, when corporations want government to create laws that
are favorable to their business. "Excuse me, Mr Politician," they'll say, "if you make it legal to literally
shake down poor people, we will make you a very rich man."
To which the reply is, "Of course! I have no hesistation whatsoever!"
Ah, social engineering at its finest.
Political Operant Conditioning: Stick & Carrot - While the government wields a great deal of power, in
a democracy, politicians often have to jump hurdles, and get past barriers to maintain public approval
(and therefore power).
For this purpose, politicians can either use a "stick" or "carrot." The stick being a punishment,
and the carrot being a reward, or treat. Carrots are easier to do, because you can just do something
simple like promising to raise minimum wage, cut taxes for the poor of the country, or continue
handing out welfare. Carrots of course are easy to approve of, because it makes you look good.
But sometimes carrots don't work. Sometimes you have to take out your stick. And politicians
will do this by holding hostage what people love, and cherish, threatening to cut it, if there isn't an
agreement to their liking.
They will say that they will slash funding for things like parks, and libraries, these highly
visible, much enjoyed places of recreation, and learning. But the truth of the matter is parks, and
libraries don't create crushing amounts of debt unto the public. Any functioning country can afford the
upkeep of these institutions.
The politicians are simply trying to scare people, and manipulating their emotions. You
shouldn't buy into their bullcrap. Don't let them sway you with their threats.
Classic Criticism - The most common method of social engineering, that people do without even
knowing it, is giving criticism to others. Depending on how it is meted out, criticism can have a great
effect on an individual, or society.
When done so negatively, and without relent, criticism can cause serious harm. Humans
naturally are social creatures, and not being approved of by their peers, and even strangers, creates
great mental distress.
However, there is constructive criticism, which can be useful in helping others. An accurate, and
truthful assessment of someone (or something), without hyperbole, or name calling, or verbal attack,
ought to have a positive impact.
As long as you are criticizing a person that is reasonable they will evaluate, and consider what
you have told them.
Fun Fact: Attacking/criticizing someone's character as a means of persuasion is called "ad hominem"
(short for argumentum ad hominem) which is Latin for "to the man" or "to the person." It is considered
the 2nd lowest tactic in argumentation, and debate, being just one step above name-calling.
Paul Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement ("1" Being the Best):
1. Refuting the Central Point - This is the highest rated method in debate. It is when you stay on topic,
and argue against the central point, instead of going off topic, and losing focus. You use detailed
analysis, and "attack" from all angles.
2. Refutation - You look for mistakes in your opponent's argument, and you explain why it is wrong,
using relevant quotations.
3. Counterargument - You contradict a point, and support your statement with the use of reasoning,
4. Contradiction - You assert the opposite of what is presented without proper evidence.
5. Responding to Tone - You criticize the tone of information, and how it is presented rather than its
factual properties.
6. Ad Hominem - Instead of countering someone's arguments you attack their character. You bring
attention to their flaws to discredit them.
7. Name Calling - Usually said in anger name calling seeks to demoralize the person, who is trying to
counter you.
The reality of Graham's "Hierarchy of Disagreement" is that in almost all debates, all methods of
arguing/disagreement are used -- although 6, and 7 to a lesser degree. So, the goal in a debate
shouldn't be debating to perfection, but rather painting a clear, overall picture of what you believe.
Then let the details of the disputation stand, and draw a conclusion.
***
Exposure - What does it mean to expose someone? Well, everyone has secrets. Some foolish, but some
dark. If you want take someone down you can show their bad characteristics to the world to be judged.
But although exposing someone is much like criticism, it does not necessarily involve a direct
attack. Exposure can be done surreptitiously, or anonymously. Suppose you were an animal rights
activist. You're a vegan, and you suspect that your local chicken farm is abusing their chickens. You
could plant a hidden camera inside one of their barns, and capture footage.
Upon finding the truth, that they are abusing their chickens, you could go to a news agency, and
give them your video. From there they would investigate further, or immediately share it for all to see.
This may or may not yield the results you want, but the exposure will at least have an effect.
People, in spite of seeming passive, can get riled up, especially if it is about something they believe in.
So, if you want to vanquish your enemies you can expose them, with the truth...or without it. An
unscrupulous person doesn't care if they falsely expose someone, so long as they don't get caught. It is
not beyond a manipulator, and liar to create false narratives, and mislead people about an individual, or
even an organization.
Lies, after all, are the bread, and butter of "social engineering."
Praise - Praise is an excellent method of social engineering. Instead of criticizing someone for their
faults, instead you can make positive comments to steer them in the right direction.
For example, someone who has a weight problem. Rather than telling them how hefty they are,
you could encourage them, and give them praise as they try out diet, and exercise. This will certainly
have a much better effect than name calling.
Because when someone is pursuing a goal there will be struggles, and they need to hear good
things to keep them going. Most people are in need of cheerleaders, not harsh critics.
But as is life too much of something can be harmful. Yes, excessive praise can backfire. A lot of
parents praise their children, but exaggerate, and do so in a dishonest manner, even when a child hasn't
done anything of merit.
This can lead to several consequences: A lack of motivation when tasks get difficult (because
they expect easy results), disbelief in all forms of praise, even if genuine, and/or unfettered arrogance.
Ergo, it is not a smart idea to give out blind praise to anyone that you care about. Genuine
praise, and honest praise is far more effective in motivating someone into doing the right thing. Think
quality over quantity.
Dirt Sandwich - Sometimes giving someone criticism is difficult, so you have to put it together with
praise, and this is what they call a dirt sandwich, or a shit sandwich. It's like adding sugar to something
bitter to make it more palatable.
Example: Someone asks for your opinion on their painting. You don't like it very much, but you
want to be honest. So, you give them a dirt sandwich, and say, "I can see you really put a lot of effort
into this. Your choice of colors are fantastic. It's not to my taste, because I'm a little picky, but I bet
others would have a different opinion. You know, you should show it to other people."
You see how there were a few compliments there? But the sentence "it's not to my taste" tells
the truth. While this type of "sandwich" is a bit misleading it does make it easier for someone to take a
blow to the ego. So, in criticism to a person you respect, don't just say the bad; include the good, too.
Almost everything has a good aspect to it.
Push for Self-Correction - People can get extremely defensive when corrected. In day to day social
interactions you may not want to take the risk of offending someone, and you'll be better off, if you let
them be wrong. But suppose you must correct someone, what do you do?
Correct them in a way that allows them to self-correct. Don't yell, "You're wrong, Billy!" Rather
ask questions, be indirect, take a wondering tone about something, like you don't know it yourself, and
then let the person you're talking to self-correct.
Let's say that you're talking to your brother Billy, and he mentions something being a Catch-21.
That's wrong, but you don't want to hurt Billy's feelings by correcting him. But you have to correct
him, because he'll be going out on a date with a smart, pretty girl the next night, and you wouldn't want
him to look a fool.
So, when Billy mentions the Catch-21 thing, you clear your throat, and say, "Sorry? A what?"
"Huh?" he'll say.
"Did you say, Catch-21?" you ask.
"Yeah," he replies. "It's a Catch-21."
"Oh?" you say. "I always thought the term was Catch-22. That's what I heard. I guess I must be
mistaken."
Billy pauses for a moment.
"Oops," he says. "Ha. Yeah, that's what I meant. Catch-22. Slip of the tongue, you know."
You nod, and Billy is saved from embarrassment, because he feels he has corrected himself. He
doesn't feel like a fool now. You avoided raising his possible ire through your humbleness.
You did four things here, you:
a) Politely interjected in a wondering tone. ("Oh?")
b) Planted the information. ("I always thought the term was Catch-22.")
c) Acted like the information was a maybe, because you wanted Billy to make the final decision
on whether it was right, or wrong. ("That's what I heard.")
d) You acted humble, and said you were mistaken, even when you weren't. ("I guess I must be
mistaken.")
Altogether, you pushed for self-correction to arise. This was the right choice. You displayed
good social manners, and didn't force someone to admit being wrong. Who wants to admit being
wrong, right?
Ingratiation - Ingratiation, simply put, is a psychological method to make someone like you. Or as it is
commonly known "sucking up" or "brown nosing." In spite of those derogatory titles, naturally, if
someone likes you they will be more likely to help you, or confer benefits your way.
As we see, there are six basic ways in which you can ingratiate yourself with someone:
1. Compliments - Pay a compliment. "Hey, Taylor, I like your dress! How stylish!"
2. Opinion Conformity - Adopt and validate the opinions or beliefs of someone. "Yes, Mr Jobs.
I agree with your political leanings. You're right about whatever you think."
3. Self-Promotion - You emphasize, and highlight your positive attributes, whilst diminishing
the negative ones. Imagine that you want to get a job at a new company, and you're being
interviewed. They ask you what your strengths, and weaknesses are. You will choose to
exaggerate your strengths, and downplay your weaknesses. Instead of saying you're an
alcoholic, you tell them you're a workaholic. Instead of saying you're only doing it for a
paycheck (like 99% of people) you tell them that you're passionate about your line of work,
and you care a great deal about frozen yogurt.
4. Subject Studying - Find information about the person you're trying to impress, and then use
that info to make an impression. Imagine you have a date with a beautiful girl. You want to
impress her. You look at her "social media" and find out she is a lover of animals, and a
vegan. So, you being very clever decide to take her out to a vegan restaurant. She's pleasantly
surprised, but you don't mention that you did some research on her.
5. Favor Doing - Doing a favor for someone, even if small can have a great impact on how
they perceive you. Imagine you say you're thirsty, and ask someone for a bottle of water.
What would you think of the person that said "no" and didn't get you water? You'd be
pretty annoyed, right? Sure, not getting you a bottle of water isn't that big a deal, but it
would certainly rub you the wrong way. Now, flip the scenarior around. You say you're
thirsty, and right away you're given a refreshing, cool, bottle of water with a smile. What
is your impression of this individual now? It should be positive.
6. Make 'Em Laugh - Laughing is a way in which people bond. Think about laughing with all
your friends, and how that makes you feel. It's a great feeling, right? So, if you want to
ingratiate yourself with someone, make them laugh, or laugh at their jokes.
So, to summarize, be an agreeable person, and use these techniques to appear congenial. Use them in
combination, as you see appropriate, but be observant. Know what the other person's likes, and dislikes
are. Be observant, and do what you think will please them, but be sure you don't come off as insincere.
Not every single moment is appropriate for ingratiating yourself with someone. There will be
opportunities to show that you are on someone's side, therefore getting yourself into their good graces.
Prove Your Superiority, Prove You're an Authority - Since people usually have partiality towards
authority figures, in convincing someone of something, it is important to prove your superiority (in a
non-condescending manner).
One way you can do this is by asking a question, where the answer seems obvious but isn't, and
then the person answering gets it wrong. You correct him, or her, demonstrating that you're an
authority. After which, you follow up with more information, either true or false, to cement your
position.
Example:
You are talking about the immorality of meat eating.
"Do you know how many chickens are killed every year?" you ask.
The man you're talking to shakes his head, not knowing the answer.
"Take a guess," you say. "Is it a) 500 million, b) 7 billion, or c) 20 billion?"
"20 billion," the man replies.
"No!" you exclaim. "The real answer is 50 billion... Over 50 billion chickens are killed every
year!"
The man is shocked. He's in disbelief, so he looks up this fact on his computer-phone, and
it seems that you are right. When he puts away his device, you continue speaking to him, and
tell him that some studies have found that chickens are as intelligent as dogs.
"Would you eat a dog?" you ask him.
"No," he says.
"Why not?" you ask.
"Because they're smart," he replies.
"Then why would you eat chickens?" you say. "They have the same intelligence as dogs."
The man looks ashamed. But it isn't true that chickens are as smart as dogs; however, you are
believed. Your first statement validates the second statement, and you have established your
superiority through the providing of information.
Use of Jargon, and (Maybe) Confusing Language - Language, and choice of words is a way in which to
convey value. For example, if someone constantly says "like" between their sentences you will
probably have a lower opinon of them.
So, it is that people seek truth, and authority through special words. This is especially true in the
tech industry. You have these so-called experts throwing out language that seemingly no one
understands yet they all accept it.
There is even a joke about this in the engineering community, where they spout nonsense, and
gibberish about something called a turboencabulator.
A turboencabulator, however, is a completely fictional device that does not exist in the least.
Described as a machine made of "prefabulated amulite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing,
with spurving bearings, and a panametric fan" it has become a symbol of the ridiculousness of jargon,
and technobabble.
Yet it works. Jargon in spite of its complaints remains a staple in controlling the narrative, and
guiding people's thinking.
As well it says a great deal about people. Just think about yourself for a moment. Think about
an area in which you have expertise. Let's say you're an American football fan. You're having a chat
with a stranger, who claims to also like football. This person then uses the term "dimeback" instead of
"quarterback."
What do you think now? You begin to doubt this person is actually a fan, because the wrong
word has been used.
And that's why the right language has to be deployed to perform social engineering, and
convince someone of who you are, or what you can do.
It's true that there are scenarios in which you can use fake jargon, but jargon that is real can
legitimize your position, even if you are fabricating your position, and trying to pull a fast one. It pays
to be prepared, knowing how one ought to speak.
Overwhelming Information - In this day, and age, how do you remove information? You can't (it
seems). So, instead you increase information to confuse people, and cause ignorance.
When people are faced with a large volume of information, they become overwhelmed, and opt
to take shortcuts in assessing a person, or situation, leading them to making mistakes.
Heck, they might even rely on the person, whom they are trying to examine, for answers. Now,
is that a good idea? Not as good as finding out something from an unbiased, unconnected source.
But top politicians know all about this, and they often overwhelm their peers to get laws passed
by giving them limited amounts of time to literally assess thousands of pages of text. What we then get
is a precarious situation, where what is at stake is innumerable.
In the end, the public is left holding the bag. Those that they voted in cannot function, and do
their jobs right. Because the flood of information drowns the rational mind.
And what's more alarming is this isn't limited to politicians. The whole legal system seems to be
based around drowning people in information. Just think about a website you've signed up for, or when
you used a piece of software.
Did you read the entirety of EULA (end user license agreement), or the terms, and conditions?
You probably didn't... Most don't! And that's exactly what these companies are hoping for. They don't
want anyone to see what they're really up to, that they're secretly collecting information, and selling it,
and sharing it.
Or maybe you're dealing with one of the many corrupt financial institutions, and they tell you
that you'll be getting a great deal, if you open up an account with them...then afterwards you find out
that you owe all this money for strange fees, and charges.
You have to pay them for "inactivity fees." Fees for not doing anything? In what world does that
makes sense? When you go inside a store, and leave, do you owe them anything for not making a
purchase? No!
But these banks, and brokerages do this sort of thing. They give you a great sales pitch, and then
at the end, when you're eager, and have already invested your time, they hand you an info-bomb, an
overwhelming amount of information to read for a contract, and you're pressured you into saying yes,
and you do it, because you've trusted the salesmen.
Now you're screwed, and when you complain their response is to ignore you, or go, "It was your
fault! It was in the fine print of your agreement!"
And so, these unscrupulous people take advantage of the fact that the public have limited time,
and can easily get overwhelmed by information. But of course, who can sit down, and read terms, and
agreements as long as a novel? Who has the patience?
Well, they're hoping you lose patience. They throw these info-bombs at you, because they want
to drown you in information, so you make decisions in their favour.
Oversimplify (Reductionism) - Since people can get overwhelmed with information they will have a
brevity bias, and this is an opportunity to trick people. You can take certain complex issues, or ideas,
and oversimplify them to your advantage, thus distorting the truth.
For example, politicians commonly push for sharp raises in minimum wage to, they say, battle
poverty. In reality, they are trying to gather approval for votes, and collect more tax money. They have
presented a deeply complex economics issue as something basic, and simple, with an easy solution,
which is that if you have more money you will absolutely be better off.
They neglect to mention the purchasing power of money. What can each dollar buy? That's what
matters. High minimum wage normally means high prices. Australians, who have a high minimum
wage, also have extraordinary living expenses. What can be had for $5.00 in America might be double
the price "down under."
Of course, Australians have an excellent quality of life, but it isn't necessarily due to high
minimum wage. It's more to do with their population size, land mass, and natural resources that the
government relies on to fuel its growth.
Now, it's not to say that raising minimum wage is bad, but the point is that politicians use it to
entice people into voting for them, and they do not mention how complex combating poverty is. They
also forget to mention that the greatest detriment to a person's wealth is the government itself.
How much are taxes? A normal worker has to give out almost half their earnings to pay taxes,
and if they try to avoid them, they're thrown into a cage like an animal, or all of their assets, and
income are taken away.
Who wants that? People are slaves to their own government. The government has become too
big for the good of the public, and they are not solving the problems for the people that have employed
them. What about affordable housing? The greatest cost a person incurs in their lifetime is from their
house, yet nothing is being done about it.
Houses have become tools for gambling, and speculation rather than places to live. Locals are
crushed with debt, trying to pay off a fancy box of wood, and bricks. Or they get nothing at all, because
they have to compete with international wealth, and are out-struck, and outbid when they simply want
to own a place that they can raise a family in that's close enough to work.
But the politicians are silent about this, and if they're not silent, they act like it's the businesses
that you work for who are the enemies. They act like businesses are hoarding secret piles of cash, and
wealth. They demonize these companies that are adding to the economy.
The government pretends that they are the better ones, but they are just management. They don't
create anything, except policies. It's too big, and too bloated, and they create chaos when they are
supposed to create prosperity.
But of course this is the result you get, because you can't kick out these corrupt, and/or ignorant
politicians. We're stuck in a Catch-22. To change government for the better you have to have the
masses vote right. To get them to vote right, you must give them a proper education. And to get them
the proper education, you have to change the government, because it's they who control what young
minds learn.
So, ultimately, we get stuck in this insane (seemingly) never-ending loop. But it's our fault,
because when we as a society seek the reasons for our lack of prosperity, we look past the complex
information, and take the answers that government give us; however, they oversimplify our woes, and
point to everyone, except themselves.
They use our confusion to create simple-sounding answers that many will accept, and what's
maddening is it works. In a world where there is too much to know, what sounds easy, and simple will
succeed. But what's easy, and simple can be dead wrong.
It's like eating. People need to be healthy, but they choose the unintimidating, junk food over the
hard to prepare dishes that are full of nutrients. So it goes, those who are unscrupulous prey on the
harried, overwhelmed, common person by feeding them junk. Then when they become fat, and
unhealthy, and sleepy-minded, they are weak, and thus easy to control.
Timing, Social Timing - Using the right timing humans can social engineer. The time in which
something occurs, or will occur can create emotions, like anticipation, excitement, anger, and even
anxiety. Properly chosen time can even act as a filter, and a way to manipulate popularity.
Example 1: Annie and Scott always arrive to parties late, because it makes them look busy, and
therefore important. They call this being fashionably late.
Example 2: Old people tend to wake up earlier than young people, and young people tend to go
to bed later than old people. If you owned a local business, and you wanted to attract old people,
you could open up earlier. Conversely, if you wanted to draw in a younger crowd, you could
stay open late.
Example 3: On a popular "social media" website a moderator blocks submissions praising a

politician he dislikes during peak hours, but then in an attempt at pretending to be fair, allows
the submissions to get through during late into the night when fewer people are browsing.
Priming - Priming is a psychological technique used to pre-influence an individual, using subtle

suggestions, leading one to a desired goal, or point.
Imagine that you own a restaurant, and you want to sell the more profitable items on your menu,
one of which happens to be soda (after all, it's just carbonated sugar-water). So, you decide to use
priming to pre-influence your customers, without directly suggesting that they buy what you want to
sell.
You replace all of your plain glasses with Coke-branded drinkware. Now, you're not being
pushy, you are merely suggesting something to them with imagery, the presence of an object that has an
association with soda.
In a manner of speaking, you're planting a seed. And what effect does that have? In our
imagined scenario, sales of soda increases at your restaurant, especially for Coke, because you've
primed your customers into thinking a certain way.
Seeing the Coke glass is a pre-influence. The direct influence then comes from the menu, and
the sales pitch to add a soda to one's meal for only a dollar more.
While a result is not guaranteed, this has a great chance of working because you are preparing
someone for an idea. Since the mind isn't always ready to jump to a conclusion it often needs to be
primed.
However, priming can come in more negative forms. It can be an ad hominem. Priming with an
ad hominem is called "poisoning the well." It is planting a seed of doubt, mistrust, and/or negativity.
For example, Donald, before presenting an argument, says that a political rival used to be a drug addict,
therefore undermining his credibility.
Nudging (Nudge Theory) - Social engineering isn't just about big power moves. Many times you only
have to nudge someone, gently pushing them in the right direction. This especially works when a
person is facing a complex and/or overwhelming decision to make.
According to economist, Richard Thaler, and Harvard Law School Professor, Cass Sunstein,
there are two systems (or modes) of thinking: System 1 is rapid, instinctive, and influenced by one's
environment, while System 2 on the other hand is slower, deliberate, and inclined to planning.
System 1 is the system of thinking people take when under stress, or they are subject to time-
constraints, overwhelming information, and/or pressure. So it goes that this system (1) is the most
susceptible to faults, and is the easiest to manipulate.
Most people if faced with pressure in making a decision will be subject to the "default effect"
and be inclined to choosing a default choice, or they may pick whatever is most simplistic.
An example of this can be seen in organ donation. In Germany, where organ donation is opt-in,
so that not giving an answer means "no," the amount of people who have chosen to give their organs
upon death is a mere 12%.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/business/economy/27view.html)
However, in the country of Austria they have the opposite. They have an opt-out system,
meaning you have to consciously opt-out to not give away your organs upon death, and the amount of
people who agree to be organ donors in this manner is 99%.
But why is this? Are the people in Germany really less caring than those living in Austria? The
answer is no. What's happening here is that System 1 of thinking takes over the brain for such a grave
matter.
When people are faced with the decision to donate their organs upon death the decision to do so,
or not do so, is so overwhelming that they choose not to choose. As in they decide to think about it later
on, and eventually forget about it.
In cases like this, you can do the social engineering equivalent of nudging, and get someone to
do what is wanted simply by communicating to them in a shrewd manner. No fancy tricks are required.
No great lies need to be told. All you have to do is give them a little push in the right direction -- much
like a wobbly tower that can be made to fall in any direction, with the least of resistance.
Question Positioning - A type of social nudging. You can get someone to answer a question in the way
you want, if you position your question in a particular manner.
For example: Imagine there was a referendum to be held about the 2nd amendment, and you
had the power to decide how the question would be asked. You could pose the question, so it is either
asked in the positive, or negative. Whether it's positive, or negative, depends on your position on the
issue. Let's say you are pro 2nd amendment...
Then you have two ways to pose your question:
Positive - "Do you think we should keep the 2nd amendment?"
Negative - "Do you think we should repeal the 2nd amendment?"
The first is positive, because the answer you desire would be a yes, while the negative is in the
reverse. If you want to win the referendum you need to use the question that's positive, because people
are more inclined to answering "yes."
Imagine once again, your campaign hoping to keep the 2nd amendment intact. The handbills,
and posters say: "VOTE YES TO KEEPING THE 2ND AMENDMENT!"
Does it work as well in the opposite manner? "VOTE NO TO REPEALING THE 2ND
AMENDMENT!"
It doesn't. Positioning, or posing a question in the positive, so the desirable answer is "yes" is
what is required. Because generally speaking people want to say yes. "Yes" feels passionate, and
powerful. "No" can come off as mean, and antisocial, even if saying "no" produces a good result.
Ergo, if you want to get a desired result from a question, then make it such that the "right
answer" will be "yes."
Create Enemies - This is another classic political trick. Politicians create enemies, and fear to influence,
and manipulate the public. Because when people are fearful they are irrational. The Germans did it
during World War 2, and the Americans did it post-September the 11th 2001 to get permission to invade
the country of Iraq.
The government created fictitious enemies, and threats that were later discovered to be
completely false. Weapons of mass destruction, they claimed, but there were none whatsoever. Yet they
were given the green light to go into Iraq, and under the conflict they controlled oil supplies, because
the public were in a state of deep fear.
Their desire to be secure, and safe (with a dose of revenge) made them susceptible to illusions
of powerful enemies out to get them at every corner.
Which is terrifying, because who they call enemies can be friends, neighbours, and even family.
Yet if the politician so wishes, he will divide people, pitting them against each other. Then when the
people are exhausted from fighting one another they can pick up the pieces for a tidy profit.
Note: Creating enemies is a political trick, but can be used by others, too. The media notably creates
(false) enemies, and going further back, religion is guilty of this as well, using the devil to scare
believers.
Be the Hero - If there are enemies, and fear in people, you must have something that opposes that.
Ergo, in the narrative you must step forth as the hero -- the hero that it going to help stop these
enemies, and the evil that exists in the world.
But the idea of heroes, and villains does not have to be literal. It can be symbolic. A hero can
simply be someone who tries to help solve problems (problems representing enemies/villains).
Even the act of verbally supporting someone or something heroic, as opposed to directly
helping out, can suffice to gain others' admiration, and backing. Merely associating yourself with
heroism is positive. To persuade others often one only need pose heroically rather than actually being
good or helpful.
Be the Victim - If you can't be a hero you can be a victim. You can garner support, and sympathy by
mimicking the characteristics of someone from a marginalized group. Just be sure to play the part right.
Don't be aggressive, and don't be arrogant. Don't act like you have command of others either. You want
to look like you need rescuing from someone that you claim has harmed you. You want to get others to
be angry on your behalf. Remember that people hate injustices.
Falsehoods: False Accusations, False Heroism, False Qualities - It must be reiterated that the
foundation for social engineering/social manipulation is dishonesty. Falsehoods is a main ingredient in
the recipe for getting others to do what you want.
Example of False Accusations: An actress wants to get her director fired, so she makes false
accusations of sexual harassment, and bullying.
Example of False Heroism: A man dresses up as a soldier, and goes to the mall, where he gets
praise, and a military discount on things that he buys. But he never was in the military. His
heroism is false.
Example of False Qualities: A girl trying to get a job as a babysitter talks about how she loves
children, and babies, but actually she prefers cats.
Create Opposing Teams - Generally speaking, you want people to work together in unity, but
sometimes that isn't possible, and an organization or group can benefit from creating opposing teams.
Creating opposing teams creates opposition, and that opposition can act as a motivator.
Politicians know all about this, and willingly divide people, and make these opposing teams
with a great degree of success. Doing so drives fervent behavior in their constituents, and followers.
The best example of this is the political divide of "left" and "right." Each side acts against the
other, and the mischaracterizations, and rabidness help politicians further their own selfish goals.
They manipulate people with identity politics, and superficiality, to place a wedge between
individuals (who would otherwise get along) and then as a result gain illogical, die-hard loyalty similar
to what you find in sports teams.
And these are teams who dislike each other so much that they will even act against their own
interests just to spite the other side.
But it is unethical to divide the people of a country. Politicians, and government should not split
their citizens apart. Citizens should be united, and work together in harmony, and that is the only thing
that makes sense, because the reality is everyone has the same goals, which is to prosper, and live in
peace.
Negative Association: Discredit Reasonable People by Lumping Them with the Looneys (Birds of a
Feather) - How do you discredit people, if they are a thorn in your side? Lump them in with the
looneys.
That is a fast way to bring down someone's social standing. Politicians, and the media do this all
the time. They take a reasonable group of people, and mix them in with others who are value-wise, and
mentally, on the fringes.
A good example of this is when concerns about excessive immigration are brought up. These
individuals, who are reasonably concerned about migration policies, are lumped in with racists, and
white supremacists, as if they are one, and the same.
But this is not so. It's fine to be concerned about immigration, and to be conservative on the
issue. Someone isn't racist for being skeptical of immigration.
However, this commentary isn't really about immigration. It's about the maliciousness to
devalue someone by intentionally associating them with off-kilter groups that they have no real
connection to.
It is common practice, for example, to take someone who believes in a relatively rational
conspiracy theory, and link them to the overly paranoid, and/or those who believe in crazy things like a
flat Earth.
But how is it that someone who (let's say) believes that Muammar Gaddafi was murdered by the
American government because of his insistence to start a new gold-backed currency the same as a
person who thinks that lizard people are real?
No. They're not the same, and that person doesn't belong in the group of lizard-people-believers.
Believing in one, or a few reasonable conspiracy theories doesn't mean you believe in everything.
Yet time and again a reasonable person that is not conforming to the desires of others will get
linked to a group of "nuts" because it is convenient, and causes them to be dismissed.
It's like when someone brings up the topic of abortions, and they say that it is unethical. They
immediately get lambasted for being a "crazy Christian" that is against women's rights, even though in
reality, abortions are routinely performed by Asians to kill female fetuses in favour of having male
babies instead.
In China, because of sex-selective abortions, there are approximately 40 million more men than
women. Meanwhile, in India, experts predict by 2021 India will have 20% more males than females.
When you take into account these facts it seems like an individual would logically have a case
against the practice of abortions, but they will still be deemed irrational, and people will put them
alongside extremist Christians.
And this is silly, because a good number of atheists also believe in the sanctity of (unborn) life.
In the United States there is even an organization called Secular Pro-Life.
They are not religious, and are are anti-abortion, except where a mother's life is in danger. Their
philosophy appears to be logically consistent, which is unlike the opposition. The opposition often tout
the idea of "people before profits" but fail to address the fact that the main reason for abortions is
money (to avoid having a financial burden).
Whether you agree with this is up to you, and your opinion is respected, but in dealing with
divisive issues there are social engineering tricks to be aware of that can affect outcomes. One such
social engineering trick is creating false associations, accusing the reasonable of being in bed with the
crazy, the looneys, and the extremists.
So, when judging people suspend judgment before getting to know them, and pay attention to
their ideas first, not just what team you think they're on. Be cognizant that rational people can be
smeared by irrational people, and lumped in with those that do not represent them. Birds of a feather.
What does "birds of a feather" mean?
The Farmer and the Stork (from Aesop's Fables)
A farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands, and caught a number of Cranes, which came to
pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net, and was earnestly
beseeching the Farmer to spare his life.
"Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite
your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love, and
slave for my father, and mother. Look too at my feathers -- they are not the least like those of a Crane."
The Farmer laughed aloud, and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken
you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."
Birds of a feather flock together.
Interpretation: Even though the Stork was different than the cranes, the farmer ignored that, and
sentenced him to death, simply because the Stork was with the others. Although cruel this is an
observation of human nature. A person will judge you by your company, and/or erroneously believe
you possess the qualities of those that appear to be like you. This is especially true when people are
wary of groups they deem to be harmful. It is a type of prejudice.
Positive Association: Aka Stealing Someone Else's Shine - Association can be both positive, or
negative. Creating associations is a remarkably easy method to improve one's image, or create hate
against an adversary.
To create positive associations with someone, who is well liked and admirable, there are several
methods that can be used, but the two main ones are:
A) You can socialize with, and befriend them, and/or B) publicly praise them, and show to
others that you give them your support.
The benefits can be subtle, but the esteem of who you associate with can (to a certain degree) be
conferred to you.
Imagine this scenario for a moment. You are looking for a partner, and you meet two women
that are physically similar. The main difference is in their personalities. One is a fan of Elon Musk, and
the other really admires Adolf Hitler for his charisma.
Now, the likely case is none of them have anything in common with either Elon Musk, or Adolf
Hitler, but there is still that association factor that makes you judge the both of them. The fact is you're
not going to go for the girl, who likes Hitler's charisma.
You're thinking, "What the hell? What type of person admires anything about Hitler? She must
be like him in some way... Right?" Then you stop talking to this girl that admires Hitler in spite of her
other qualities.
But why? It's because of the negative association. On the other hand, the first girl likes Elon
Musk. You're a fan of his, and from what you know he's a smart, intelligent guy. So, you ascribe these
qualities to her, and think she might be similar. So, you've found that you like her the most, and from
this simple positive association she gains a benefit.
And the conclusion of all this is that: The company you keep, the people you associate with,
speaks volumes about who you are -- whether you want it to, or not.
Example: A company gives free products to celebrities, hoping they will use them, and create a
positive association (i.e. increased goodwill).
Hide the Undesirable, Highlight the Good - How do companies sell? How do they convince a potential
customer to buy their products? They do two things: They hide, obscure, or deny the undesirable (or
less than desirable) characteristics of their products/services, while at the same time making an effort to
highlight the good.
When a fast food restaurant sells you food, they show you how delicious, and tasty their food is.
Then they try to, as much as legally possible, obscure the ingredients. As usual the not so good stuff is
in fine print. They don't want you to notice all the fats, sugar, and lack of nutrients. If you do take
notice they will deny, or downplay it. They'll say their food is perfectly fine in limited quantities, yet
through advertising encourage customers to eat more, and more.
Have you ever heard the ubiquitous phrase they use in sugary-cereal commercials? This cereal
is a "part of a complete breakfast" (or balanced/good/nutritious breakfast). But what does that mean?
Part of a complete breakfast? It's the bad part. They're hiding their product among better, more
nutritious foods.
Of course, all of this seems rather obvious, but in a busy world people have a tendency to forget
that others are trying to manipulate them, and it is important to remember this, and be vigilant, and
have awareness of how they attempt to fool us: They show us the pretty petals of the rose, but not its
sharp thorns.
For example: In the "great" Ontario Gas Plant Scandal, Liberal politicians stole wasted nearly
$1 billion of tax-payers' money under the guise of building a gas plant. Previous to that they promised a
fully working electronic health record system (i.e. eHealth Ontario), and that failed numerous times to
the tune of $1 billion.
Yet after each corrupt act the Liberal politicians were voted back in. The public were ignorant to
their vileness. Why? Besides making use of identity politics ("Show Them You Are Similar"), the
Liberals were also excellent at distracting people, with slick ad campaigns, and promises of "free"
things (all the while failing to mention their exorbitant deficits).
They were dishonest, and used hyperbole to sell themselves. They brushed aside criticisms, and
figuratively speaking kept holding out shiny objects to distract constituents.
Though this is nothing new. Mankind has been doing this, since they could verbally
communicate. It is always in one's best interest to show their best, and hide the bad. As for you it is best
if you are aware of this, and know that what is being presented to you isn't everything there is. Be
skeptical of a good image.
Emphasize and Deemphasize - One can emphasize, and/or deemphasize things to manipulate people,
bringing their attention to a certain thing, and not another.
Example 1: You see this in discount stores. The dollar amount on price tags is large, but the
cents are small, so people miss it, and spend more than they want to. (This is misleading
design.)
Example 2: In busy cities people have to pay for parking, so they have signs up showing a
cheap price for parking. It will say "PARKING $5.00" in huge letters, and then in very, very
small letters "per hour."
Use of Passive Language - When someone does something wrong they may talk about it like it just
happened by chance, and describe it passively, as if they had little to no influence on the event. (Of
course, passive language can also be used by someone, who is describing something on behalf of
another.)
Example: A police officer has shot, and killed an innocent man. The Chief of Police uses
passive language, stating that, "Sergeant Trigger-happy arrived on the scene. His weapon was
discharged, and a bystander sustained injured."
Constructed Conformity, People like Winners - In spite of what people think about themselves they are
inclined towards conformity. We all are. Conformity, while it can be dangerous, serves a purpose, and
that is to create order, and civility.
For example, it's extremely beneficial when the majority of society is vaccinated for a disease,
because of the effect of herd immunity, this results in a population that will be resistant to the spread of
said disease, including the minority who are not inoculated. Although a population must have at least
83% vaccinated for it to work; so, there is a requirement of conformity, having most people agreeing to
getting vaccinations.
However, in other cases, conformity can be detrimental. During the World War 2 era,
conformity allowed for the Holocaust to occur, causing millions to die. Had people vocally disagreed,
and protested in the beginning it very well could have prevented the tragedy from happening at all. Yet
no one spoke up, until it was too late. They all decided to keep their heads down, mind their own
business, and conform.
There is a famous poem about this named "First they came..." It was written by German
Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.
In spite of this, the inclination toward conformity can still be beneficial. Imagine that you need to
bolster your image, and get people on your side (for whatever reason). How would you go about doing
that? How do you get them to conform to an opinion you desire?
We can look to presidents, and rappers. Rappers, the smarter ones anyway, are great at
promoting themselves, and can create an audience by pretending that they are already successful, and
have a strong following. It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Since people seek social approval (conformity), they often look to others for what to think, and
if a rapper can convince everyone that he is popular, he can rope in those that would otherwise not
become fans, or followers.
Their thinking is something like, "Hey, all these people are fans of this rapper person... I wonder
what it's all about? Maybe I'm missing out on something. If they think he's good maybe he is. I should
get this music, and give it a listen."
And it is because of this that musical artists are flashy, and pay companies good money to
acquire fake followers. They're crafting a persona that says, "Look at me! I'm doing it big, and if you're
not with me, you're a dork that's getting left behind! Conform! Do what everyone else is doing!"
Oh, and remember this practice isn't just for entertainers. Politicians do it, too. They boast about
their numbers, and popularity. They talk about how they're going to win, and crush the opposition. As
silly as it sounds it works.
Think about any presidential election. What do so many voters say? They basically say that, "If
you vote for the third, or fourth option, you're wasting your vote!" And those naysayers then go for who
they believe has a good chance of winning, and what happens is you seem to get only two viable
options: Option A, and Option B.
In reality, this is ridiculous, because were everyone to pick the person they believed most
qualified, instead of choosing based on chances of victory, then the odds would be spread out more
fairly, and evenly to candidates.
But people like winners. It's a form of conformity. You go, "I'll choose this, because that other
person is choosing it, too."
Now, is this rational? Certainly not. It would be better if society were independent-minded,
especially in regard to politics. Yet people commonly have this mentality where their decisions are
illogically based on what others are doing, and any opportunistic person can take advantage of this.
They can construct conformity, creating false popularity to gain traction.
More on Conformity - As you may already know the exploitation of conformity inclination is an
effective method of social engineering. Making an individual, or individuals think that "everyone else
is doing it" can sway their ideas, and beliefs for both good, or bad.
But there are three different levels/types of conformity: Compliance, identification, and
internalization.
Compliance, and identification are usually caused by normative social influence, which is the
desire to be liked, and accepted. Meanwhile, internalization is usually caused by informational social
influence, which is the acceptance of the belief of others, because you don't have your own beliefs for a
particular area of your life, and you believe others know more than you.
Compliance is low level conformity. It is when you change your public behaviour to be in line
with what others want of you, but your private beliefs remain the same.
Example: You tell your "black friends" you like rap music, but inside your head you really think
it's the worst genre of music.
Identification is mid-level conformity. You change your public behaviour, again to be in line
with what others want, and you also modify your private beliefs; however, only in the presence of
others, and on your own you go back to what you originally believed.
Example: You eat vegan foods around your vegan friends, and agree with their beliefs, but then
when you're alone you eat cheese.
Then finally we have internalization. Internalization is complete conformity. Internalization is
the changing of your public behaviour, and your private believes when both around others, and alone.
Example: You are agnostic, and then become Christian when you attend a Christian University.
Urging, and Pressuring - This is an extremely simplistic social engineering method, but is a keystone in
persuasion. It is persistence in trying to convince someone of an idea, belief, or thought. It is dogged
communication to achieve a goal, and it works even better when multiple people do it to a "target."
(Because there is power in numbers.)
Example: Missionaries proselytize an African man after urging him, and pressuring him into
accepting Jesus to save his soul. They did not do anything clever, but their persistence, urgent
tone, and frequent discussions made him change his mind.
Exploitation of Expectations - Most people have expectations about anything they do, or are a part of,
and that can be exploited. One can know someone's expectations, and then throw them a curve ball (so
so to speak). Or maybe not a curve ball, since social engineering can be used for either good, or evil.
See the following examples for clarification.
Example 1: Before the end of an MMA fight, Jon Jones throws up his arms like it's over, and
he's victorious. His opponent Daniel Cormier pauses, thinking the conflict is done. Jon Jones
uses this moment to sucker punch Daniel Cormier. Daniel's expectations of behaviour made him
put his guard down.
Example 2: A mom, and dad give their daughter a small box. She expects something small, but
when she opens it she finds a key. The key has a note on it, telling her to go to the closet. She
runs to closet, and uses the key to open it. Inside she finds a guitar, which is what she wanted
for Christmas. She is surprised, because she expected her gift to be inside the small box.
I Like What You Like - For whatever reason people are defensive about things they enjoy. Have you
ever heard kids arguing about which [insert brand name product] is better? And what's odder is it's
usually about things that are remarkably like each other, as opposed to two things that are very
different.
But this is how people are. So, that said, you can take advantage of this. You can butter someone
up by agreeing with their tastes. What do they really like? Find that out, and then say you like it too just
as much. If you do this convincingly you can instantly form a bond with someone.
Say What They Want to Hear - Do you want to make someone like you, and therefore be more likely to
do what you want? Just tell them things that they want to hear. They'll start liking you, and think you're
smart.
Example: Mr Jonny Dipp hears that this girl he has a crush on hates Donald Trump. So, what
does he do? He starts complaining about Donald Trump, and says that he's worse than Hitler.
Now this girl likes him, and thinks he's a real smart guy. Now he can trick her into a
relationship.
Nostalgia, a Return to the Good Times - The most powerful memories in a person's mind will come
from their childhood. Because a childhood represents a happy time in their life. It's when they were
young, hopeful, full of energy, and vibrant. They weren't jaded, and they hadn't a care in the world
(compared to adults).
Ergo, if you want to connect to someone in a positive way, hark to their formative years. Think
about their age, and when they were young.
You can make yourself more appealing to someone by reminding them of their youthful days,
and showing that you appreciate, and understand the era in which they grew up.
Imagine you're a young man, meeting your girlfriend's father for the first time. You want to
impress him. So, you think about how old he is, and discover that in his childhood days "The Beatles"
were popular. You go to one of the last remaining record shops in town, and pick up a Beatles album:
Abbey Road.
The night soon arrives, and you meet with your girlfriend's father at a fancy restaurant. You tell
him that you heard he likes music, and you give him The Beatles album you purchased. He likes it. You
say to him that The Beatles is one of your most favourite bands in the whole wide world.
Even though you're probably doing immoral things to his daughter, he takes an instant shining
to you. Because he thinks you like The Beatles that has warmed the cockles of his heart. In his mind
you two seem to have something in common.
You've made yourself appealing to him by satiating a small part of his nostalgia. Your gift
reminded him of better days when he was young, and free, and not burdened with work, or family. He
shakes your hand, and says, "Thank you."
Success! Using nostalgia you've made a positive impression on your girlfriend's father. He
doesn't think you're a scumbag anymore.
Fostering Familiarity, Mere-exposure Effect - There is a saying that "familiarity breeds contempt." This
could not be further from the truth. People prefer familiarity (in most cases). To them familiarity is a
good thing. When you want to make your way into someone's life, or vice-versa, fostering familiarity is
the right move to make.
It's true. If familiarity was negative, then why would heartless corporations, and government
spend billions of dollars on advertising, and propaganda? Of course! They want you to be familiar with
them. Where there exists familiarity there exists a bond.
So, when trying to woo a person, or crowd, be outgoing. Show your face with a smile, say
"hello," shake hands, and chat. Make your presence known. Don't be shy. Make them familiar with
who, and what you are. Build a rapport.
Make Friends Instead of Business Associates/Partners - We as people rely on one another a great deal,
some less than others, but the need is always there. This means to make our way through the world we
must be able to effectively communicate, and make connections.
Most people already know this, and do frequently make connections; however, they do so in a
transactional manner. If they aren't doing it for business, then they act like it is for business. There's the
typical exchange of information, and evaluation of individuals from an opportunist's perspective.
It's like when you go to the store, you pay your money, and take your goods, and go on your
way without saying much of anything. But if you want to make worthwhile connections this shouldn't
be the go-to method.
Making cut, and dry, business-like connections is not conducive to long-term, valuable
relationships. Instead of that, try making friends. Treat someone like a buddy. Friendships, even with
ulterior motives, are able to endure, and last. Also, a friend is willing to do more for you when you are
in need.
And it doesn't necessarily require that you do a high amount of maintenance either. Inviting
someone to a party, giving your best wishes, doing small favours for them, calling to say happy
birthday, and/or sending them a Christmas card each year is usually enough.
You just need them to remember you in a positive manner -- like you're a friend.
Communicate with Imagery - Humans are very visually oriented. 30% of the cerebral cortex (a major
part of the brain) is devoted to visual processing, whereas for touch it's 8%, and for hearing a mere 3%.
Effective communicators know this, whether consciously, or subconsciously, and so select their
words to activate, and excite the visual cortex.
If you are a writer you may have received the advice to "show, don't tell." This is because of
how the reader is stimulated. You need to create imagery for them. You need to paint them a picture.
Analyze these lines:
a) "Taylor was extremely angry at her friend. She expressed her displeasure."
b) "Taylor folded her arms, and scowled, pushing down her eyebrows. She glared at her friend."
Which one is better? The second one (b) is better, because it describes what one would see if
they were there. The visually-oriented description creates a picture in your mind, which is what you
want. You want a reader, or listener to be able to translate, and clearly imagine your words.
Thus, when communicating make sure to excite the visual cortex, and use language that
conjures images in the mind's eye.
Analogies - Social engineeering is about effective communication much more than it is about clever
manipulation of someone's mind. If you can effectively communicate, and get you ideas across to
someone in a polite but frank manner, you are on your way to getting what you want.
One oft overlooked aspect of effective communication is analogies. Although jargon can be
strategically used it is often not appropriate for many situations.
In the majority of cases you will want someone to quickly understand the point you're trying to
make, and for that you ought to use analogies. Take something relatively complex, and compare it to
what can be understood by the individual you're communicating to.
In the Bible, Jesus H. Christ did this all the time. He'd use symbols, and metaphors, and relate to
the people he was trying to evangelize. His words would center around what the common people could
understand. He would talk, and make metaphors about the industries of his time, like raising sheep,
fishing, and farming.
Matthew 18: 12 - 14. "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them
wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills, and go to look for the one that wandered
off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that
did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones
should perish."
As you can see, Jesus explained human nature through the eyes of a shepherd, and not his own.
He took a concept, and used an analogy to make it concrete, and understandable.
Which is what you should do when trying to get someone to comprehend what you are talking
about. In communicating, especially with ordinary people, it's not enough to give plain facts. Plain facts
can be boring, and hard to understand. You need to use analogies. You need to get them to see what
something is like, and what it isn't like. Make comparisons to the ordinary, and common, that which
can be grokked by the mind.
Use Their Pre-Existing Beliefs/Ideas/Thoughts - Creating, and introducing new things is difficult. This
is why a lot of people use what already exists, and just twist them, or manipulate them for their own
aims.
So, if you want to get a message across to someone, or convince them of something, you must
try to use their pre-existing beliefs, ideas, or thoughts, i.e. what they already have in their brain. But
how do you know what's in someone's brain?
Observe. Observe everything that can give you a clue. Take note of their characteristics. Their
gender, their age, their race, their religion, sexuality, height, weight, clothes, hobbies, favorite things,
political leanings, and even odor. Then make a plan of action based on these observations.
Example: You have a daughter, and you want her to clean up her room, but she refuses. How do
you convince her to do so? You remember that she is a big fan of Mr Rogers, the host of Mister Rogers'
Neighborhood.
"Taylor Junior," you say, "what would Mr Rogers think about this mess?"
"I dunno," Taylor Junior replies.
"He would be disappointed," you say. "Mr Rogers is neat, and tidy, isn't he?"
"He is!" Taylor Junior exclaims.
"And don't you want to be like Mr Rogers?" you ask.
"Sure do," says Taylor Junior.
"Will you clean up your room then?" you ask. "Will you be like good, ol' Mr Rogers?"
Taylor Junior thinks for a moment, and then nods. She gets off her beanbag, and starts tidying
up, and putting away her toys. It worked, because you knew about your daughter's favorite things, and
used that to get her to do what you wanted.
Likewise, adults too can be manipulated in the same way. If you can see through their lens, and
see what matters to them, you can convince them to do as you desire. Think of it as empathy, except not
really.
Protesting - Is a legitimate form of social engineering. Protesting, letting your displeasure be known to
the public, can be highly effective.
However, it can also fail. The problem with protesting is that most people don't know what its
purpose is. They think that it is mainly to let off steam, and be angry. Wrong.
This is why you protest:
A) Protesting is for socially pressuring people into doing (what you think is) the right thing.
For example, if you want men to stop sexually harassing women, a passionate protest could
frighten them, forcing them to re-evaluate their behavior.
B) Protesting is for getting mass attention, so you can communicate with those in power, who
have the ability to effect change, and therefore, you must acquire their sympathy.
If you are trying to have an effective protest, you cannot stir up trouble, and make others hate,
or dislike you. But protests, being what they are, can be infiltrated, and disrupted by actors, who are
hired by others that want to control the narrative.
It is ever important to be skeptical of those who are causing trouble. Are they real
troublemakers, who truly represent the protestors, or have they been sent in there by someone else to
make you think that the message of the protest is not worth supporting?
Political Correctness - Many people do not believe that political correctness is harmful, thinking it is
simply the avoidance of using offensive language -- but political correctness is routinely used like a
weapon to control the public's speech, and therefore thinking.
Political correctness is like landmines that keep men, and women in their place. Step on the
wrong spot, and suffer the consequences.
Example: A totalitarian government wants greater control over its citizens, so it bans religious
organizations, claiming that they are offensive to those that do not believe. Anyone that
disobeys is punished, and so as the years go by the influence of religion steadily wanes, and is
replaced with worship of political figures, who have grand statues in public squares, and
brightly colored posters of their regime everywhere. Women openly weep when they see their
great leader, and men bow down in reverence.
Bullying - Often people get their way by being bullies. Bullying means control.
They do this by:

- Creating fear.
- Creating a chilling effect.
- Shouting, and yelling at "targets."
- Shouting, and yelling at "targets" not allowing them to speak.
- Pressuring people into doing things they don't want to do to show dominance.
- Proclamations of authority.
- Exploitation of the weak.
- Outnumbering individuals, and small groups to intimidate them. (Naturally, people feel
stronger, and become bolder when part of a big group.)
- Using violence, and physical intimidation, and harm.
- Violating personal space to establish territory, and power.
- Impeding mobility.
- Blocking (in all manners) those who they see as opponents.
- Polarization.
- Hurling insults, and mockery.
- Vandalism, and graffiti.
- Destruction, and theft.
- Obfuscation, and censorship.
- Dishonesty, deceit, and lying.
- Disrupting someone's livelihood.
- Disabling access to public communication.
- Making, and carrying out plans to suppress speech.
- Doing whatever it takes to gain power to quash the opposition, and create subservience.
Yes, all of this is extremely unethical, but when a person, or group of people cannot persuade through
sound reasoning, or soft tactics, they will become desperate, and resort to bullying to win.
CHAPTER 33:
SOCIAL ENGINEERING
(PART 2 OF 2)
"Psychic Engineering"
For this portion of our book we shall expound the many social engineering methods that are common
amongst psychics, conjurers, mystics, manipulators, and those that use divine powers to transcend
normal human senses -- for gobs of money.
Notably, the social engineering ideas that aid psychics, conjurers, and so forth, bear a
remarkable resemblance to what you find in religion, and religion as you know is not only pervasive,
but a mighty force in the world in spite of the increasing popularity of atheism, and agnosticism.
So, what you'll learn here is not just about psychics, but applies to religion as well. When you
take in this information you can then better govern your life through the lens of objectivity, and not
irrationality.
However, it must be noted that not all religions are bad, and many of them do good that serves
society, and the world, but as it is organizations, and people that claim to be able to talk to demons,
spirits, and the like are (often) nothing but swindlers, and cheats, using ideologies, and
misapprehensions to maliciously control unassuming individuals.
So bad is it that there are those who have made it their lifelong pursuit to battle the cacophony
of charlatanism, and skullduggery.
James Randi is one such person. A famous scientific-skeptic, and head of the James Randi
Educational Foundation (JREF), he has used his influence to debunk, and reveal the tricks which
psychics, and conjurers use.
There was even a time when Randi was so confident that he could prove the falsities of these
tricksters that he had a "One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge." In the million dollar challenge, he
would invite self-proclaimed psychics to his facility, and he would test them. In the 51 years that the
challenge existed, from 1964 to 2015, nobody could prove they had the powers that they claimed to
have.
The psychics when isolated, and away from their preferred environment were not able to
deceive others. Through objective testing they were proven to be frauds, or at the very least under self-
delusion.
But to this day many still believe in psychic powers, because psychics, along with the usual
social engineering methods, have their own set of special tricks.
Otherworldly Powers That Cannot Be Verified - Psychics, and charlatans like to create an air of
mystique for themselves. They intentionally claim to have abilities, and powers that come from places
that we cannot see, or verify. Their process is linked to the divine, and mysterious.
If I told you that you would die after 60 years from this date, would you believe me? Probably
not. How could I make such a statement?
But what if I said a spirit told me? Sure, most would laugh at this, yet there is a moment in any
rational person's minds where they pause for a moment to ponder the statement. For those less skeptical
they might even be inclined to believe.
Because the idea of a spirit is appealing, isn't it? A spirit means there is an after life, and
deceased people continue to exist. Who wants to deny that? And there is certainly something appealing
about that which is from another world, especially if it is positive.
The Burden Of Proof Is On You - When psychics are confronted, and asked for proof of their claims,
they often turn the tables around, and say, "Prove that it doesn't exist!"
Which is silly, because that typically isn't how science works. You do not use testing to prove
that something doesn't exist. You use testing to try to prove that something does exist, and then if you
aren't able to find it, the conclusion is that experimentation was inconclusive.
Saying "prove it doesn't exist" is making an argument from ignorance, which is a fallacy in
informal logic. It is asserting a proposition to be true because it hasn't been proven false, but this is a
false dichotomy, since it excludes a third option that there is insufficient information to prove the
proposition as either true, or false.
Most importantly, the burden of proof should not be on you. The burden of proof should be on
the person, who is making the claim.
The Barnum Effect, or Forer Effect - When psychics, and astrologers give people an assessment of their
personality, or future (i.e. a psychic reading), they are never too specific, or detailed; yet these
assessments will usually be incorrectly described as accurate.
This is known as the Barnum Effect, or Forer Effect, where general/vague information appears
accurate to an individual. What's really happening is the person who gets an assessment is being fooled.
They are receiving statements that are so broad that they can be applied to nearly anyone.
Furthermore, in any psychic reading, there is a complimentary element to it. People are inclined
to accepting compliments, even if they are false. If you tell someone they are smart, or handsome,
would they refuse that? Most would not.
So, broad messages, combined with flattery equals something that will be viewed as accurate,
especially if you suggest to a person that it was tailor made just for them.
Here are some examples of statements that can be interpreted as accurate to an individual, but in
reality applies to virtually anyone:
- You are a kind person, but sometimes are set off, and quickly become angry.
- You are too critical of yourself.
- You're a complex person, and other people don't seem to understand you.
- You have doubts, and worries that others don't see that can be overwhelming.
- You are very much an independent thinker.
- You are an artistic person with an appreciation for good art.
- Sometimes you are extroverted, but others times you are introverted, and need to be alone.
- You are frustrated by the limitations, and rules placed on you. You desire to be free.
- You are a strong person, but sometimes feel vulnerable, and weak.
- You work hard, and deserve better in life.
As you can see all of those statements are not wrong, but they're not specific either. They can
apply to pretty much everybody, and that is the trick of the psychic/astrologer. With the power of
suggestion they make you think something's meant for you, even when it's not. They take advantage of
the human penchant for flattery, and inclination to find personal meaning. However, it's not what it
seems.
Environmental Suggestion - Psychics can influence people by indirectly making suggestions to them.
They do this by creating special environments that can place ideas into someone's head without them
even knowing it.
This works because humans are constantly absorbing visual information, and most of the time
aren't aware of it. The mind is like a sponge, and the world around is made of water. Think about when
you go into a room. Do you consciously acknowledge the colors of the wall? Do you say, "Ah, I see the
walls are [insert color]"?
No, you probably don't. You probably just hang out, or do whatever it is that you have to do.
But the colors of the walls, the colors of a room are affecting you. Whether you acknowledge it or not it
will influence your mood.
Artists know all about this. By carefully choosing colors they can make someone feel certain
ways. Red can make someone feel wary, while blue is calming, and yellow or orange is happy, and
energetic.
A psychic though is not interested in colors to influence mood as much as the implantation of
ideas by submersing an individual into a well crafted environment, making subtle suggestions that the
subconscious will pick up.
Imagine you're a psychic, and you want to demonstrate your mystic powers. You give your
client a piece of paper, and tell him to write down a number, and hide it. He does that, and then you
"guess" his number.
"Did you pick...a 12?" you ask.
Your client smiles, and shows you that indeed he wrote down the number twelve. He seems
rather impressed. You give him a firm nod, affirming your abilities.
Unbeknownst to your client, however, is the fact that using your environment you made
environmental suggestions, implanting the idea of choosing twelve into his mind.
You did this by leaving your wall clock on 12:00 PM. You proudly displayed the address of
your place on your door, which is 12 Athabasca Street, and you went so far as to leave out a box of a
dozen donuts from a shop called "Baker's Dozen."
Also, you kept a physical copy of the movie "12 Angry Men" face forward on your shelf, plus
there was a poster on your wall for "Ocean's Twelve." Finally, you wore a necklace around your neck
that had a #12 pendant, which you'd touch every now and again with your index finger, bringing
attention to it.
All this accumulated into a message that was absorbed into the subconscious, and that
resurfaced to the mind when your client was asked to think of a number. Then you correctly "guessed"
the number twelve.
To you it's obvious what happened, but to your customer, he believes you have psychic powers.
He doesn't know that you visually modified your environment to plant ideas into his mind.
Visual Suggestion - Images are tremendously powerful. A well chosen image can instantly create ideas,
and influence the mind.
Example: A performer does impressions of celebrities in front of pictures of the specific

celebrities that he is impersonating. The imagery makes audience members think of the
celebrities, even when the impressions are inaccurate. The imagery matched with the
impressions creates mental connections in the minds of those watching.
Physical Suggestion - Although limited by its nature, physical suggestion can be remarkably effective.
Physical suggestion which is done through physical, human to human contact, is an easy to do method
for manipulating someone's feelings.
Think about being in a group of people. You're at work. The head of your company comes
down, and greets everyone, giving everyone a regular handshake. But for you, who's done a very good
job, he brings you in, grins, and gives you a hearty pat on the back like he's doing a "bro-hug." Even
though he doesn't give you verbal praise in front of the others, you feel a little bit special, don't you?
However, physical suggestion, can also be done in the reverse, too. You can deprive someone of
physical contact. Imagine that previous scenario again, only this time the head of your company doesn't
like you, and ignores you, and he doesn't even shake your hand.
What are you feelings? Yes, you'd be upset, because you were shunned. The contact, and lack of
content sways your mood. Your mood which is important because it is a great influencer on your
decision making. You do not want to be in the wrong mood, especially when having to make an
important decision.
So, be aware of the physical aspect of humans, and how touching can alter someone's
perception of you. If you travel, knowing the local customs, and practices of a region is vital in
socializing.
In France, a kiss on the cheek to greet someone is okay in most situations, but what about in a
place like Japan? That would not be accepted. Except in the case of greeting a lover, you don't kiss
when you greet them. You bow, because the Japanese are more concerned about hygiene than the
French. As you know, diseases like herpes can be passed on through kissing.
Ee-yuck! But physical contact still plays an important role in controlling social situations, and
there are tricks you can use to improve your chances of leaving a positive impression.
In one study, Yale University psychologists (Lawrence E. Williams and John A. Bargh) found
that people who held a warm cup of coffee before shaking someone's hand left a positive impression,
whilst iced coffee was negative. The mere temperature of someone's skin influenced how they were
perceived.
Those who had warm hands were judged to be more generous, and caring than those that had
cold hands. In another study, it was shown that people were more inclined to generosity, if they had just
held something warm, which again was opposite to the effect that coldness produced.
(https://news.yale.edu/2008/10/23/hot-coffee-we-see-warm-heart-yale-researchers-find)
If you wanted to be a bit sneaky you could use this to prime a "target." Warm your hand before
meeting someone, and then shake their hand to leave them with a better impression of you.
It ought to work because we as humans are constantly under the influence of the physical world.
Even the distances we keep between us, and others can have an effect on our perceptions.
Proxemics, the study of personal space, tells us that how far we stand away from someone can
set the tone of a conversation. However, there are variations in culture, and outcomes depend on the
relationships that are shared, or not shared.
If you are talking to a stranger, and he's standing very close to you that can be a violation of
your personal space, and be considered aggressive behavior. On the other hand, were it someone you
knew rather well, like a wife, or husband, it would be thought of as intimate, and affectionate.
So, in talking to someone be aware of the distance you keep, and know what is, and isn't
acceptable. You don't want to be too far, or too close. If you want to create more intimacy between you,
and someone else, that you aren't well acquainted with, you can only do so gradually. Don't step into
their personal space right away, but seek to be closer so that eventually they emotionally, and literally
feel closer to you.
Take control of your physical presence. Everything counts. You must be aware of all facets of
the body.
- How are you touching someone? Too much? Too little? Not at all? If you do a bit of touching,
like from a handshake, is your hand cold, or warm? What is your body temperature?
- How do you smell? Is your odor strong? Is your scent, or lack of scent pleasant? Are you
wearing perfume, or cologne that's offensive to the nose?
- How much eye contact are you making? Are you holding eye contact too long? Or do you
avoid looking altogether?
- How are you dressed? Are you a sharp dresser? Are you bringing attention to yourself? Do
you look dull? Do you look promiscuous? Do you look modest?
- How close are you standing to a group, or person? Close? Far? In the middle? Based on the
relationship you have (or don't have) with the person you're talking to, do you know what the
appropriate distance is?
- How's your posture? Is your head high? Is your back straight? Do you look relaxed, shy, or
confident? What is your body projecting?
- Are you paying attention to the body language of the other person? How are they reacting to
you? Are they smiling? Are they twiddling their thumbs, or playing with something? If so, they
may be bored. Or are they leaning away from you? Do they have an arm up? Do they appear
guarded? They could be feeling uncomfortable, and wish to be left alone. Look, and see what
the person you're talking to is doing. Don't just pay attention to their words. Think what are
they showing you with their body?
- More importantly: What are you showing with your body? How is your physical presence?
Are you aware of how you are being received "in the flesh"? Can you make the adjustments
required to leave a positive impression?
Verbal Suggestion via Intermittent Repetition - Humans are naturally fearful, and that means they will
be resistant to new ideas, sometimes to a degree that it is detrimental to their well-being. However,
there is a reason for this, and is something one has to surmount.
Psychics, con artists, and politicians are aware of this, and so to plant ideas into people's heads
via verbal suggestion, they use intermittent repetition.
The question is: Why does it have to be intermittent? Why does it have to be subtle, and spaced
apart? Why can't one just repeat themselves like Polly the Parrot?
Because awareness creates resistance. Once the mind is aware of someone's intent it will
become guarded. It's like in fighting. If you want to get a knock-out, you have to use a power punch,
but you can't just use that power punch right away. You have to set it up with quicker, snappier, less
powerful punches. Throw out some jabs, and feints, and then throw your "bomb."
Therefore, if you want to place a message, or idea in someone's mind, you have to be subtle,
and do so strategically. When talking at length, every now and again, between your paragraphs
mention, and nonchalantly talk about your idea that you wish to transmit, intermittently making verbal
suggestions.
Imagine it's your birthday, and your husband's forgotten, but you don't want to embarrass him;
you want him to find out on his own. Although it seems sneaky you choose to use verbal suggestion.
You start a chat with him during lunch time, and the chat goes something like this:
You: How's your food?
Husband: Good.
You: I made it special -- just for you.
(You use the word "special" to suggest the day is special.)
Husband: Thank you very much.
You: So, umm, do you know what day it is today?
(You're getting your husband to think about the date, i.e. your birthday.)
Husband: Friday, I think.
You: Right. You know what I was thinking?
Husband: What?
You: We should go out to a restaurant tonight.
Husband: Where do you want to eat?
You: Presently, I'm undecided. What do you think?
(You use the word "presently" to bring up the thought of presents, which would be appropriate
for a birthday celebration.)
Husband: Anywhere local is fine with me.
You: Let's go somewhere that'll let us eat under candle light. That'll be romantic, huh?
(Candle Light = Birthday Candles.)
Husband: You bet.
You: It'll be nice. I won't have to cook. It's so tiring. I guess it's because I'm getting older.
(Talking about getting older suggests a birthday.)
Husband: Yep, take it one day at a time.
You: So, are you in the mood for anything sweet? Do you know any restaurants that have cake?
(Cake = Birthday Cake.)
Husband: Why would you want cake?
You: I'm in a celebratory mood.
(Celebratory = Celebration = Birthday Party, or Birthday Celebration.)
Husband: Celebratory mood, huh? What's there to celebrate?
You look at your husband for a moment. Your husband pauses a second, and the gears in
his head start turning. Your verbal suggestions, and the question he's just posed to himself has
made him remember that it's your birthday today. Later that night, you go out to a nice
restaurant, and you receive a nice pair of earrings. Huzzah!
Remember: When using verbal suggestion, be sure to regulate how you speak to make yourself
more effective.
There are four things to look out for:

a) The Loudness of Your Voice - You don't want it too be too loud, or too quiet. Loudness can
come off as aggression, while quietness will get you ignored. Use the appropriate volume,
and if speaking in person, stay at the right distance as distance affects how you are heard.
b) Tone - There are many different types of tones you can take when you are talking. You can
have an angry tone, a sad tone, or an upbeat tone, and so on. The one you choose for verbal
suggestion ought to come off as confident, friendly, and open.
c) Speed/Tempo - Sometimes when people are nervous they talk way too fast. But sometimes
they talk too slow, and that comes off as boring, and makes people sleepy. So, keep a
moderate speed when talking to others. Get to the point, but don't seem like you are in a rush.
d) Emphasis - In verbal suggestion you must subtly emphasize what you want to be picked up
by the other person. If there's a word you want someone to hear, ever so slightly slow down
on it, and make it just a wee bit louder. Make it stand out, and then briskly continue on your
conversation as normal without acting like there's anything out of the ordinary. Keep in
mind when you emphasize, you are verbally highlighting.
Olfactory Suggestion - Though not used often as a social engineering method smell can still be an
influence on the subconscious. Smells can create positive, or negative feelings.
Example 1: Many real estate agents bake bread inside a house before showing it to prospective
buyers. The smell of baked bread in the air reminds them of home, and makes them feel
comfortable.
Example 2: Farts make people feel sick even though it won't really harm them.
Mystifying Tricks - One of the most important tools in the toolbox of psychics to make people think
that they have real, legitimate, psychic powers.
Imagine you are a fairly naive person, and you see something so strange, and unexplainable --
what do you make of it? Do you try to solve this "puzzle" on your own? Or do you accept the
explanation from the psychic, telling you they are responsible for what you've witnessed?
The latter is much easier to accept, and so people do exactly that, but what you've seen is only a
performance. It's fictional. It's planned, and there isn't a shred of truth to it.
In India, for example, holy men go around traveling to rural villages, telling people that their
houses, or bodies have evil spirits. For a small amount of compensation they will free them of these
spirits. They then sprinkle "water" onto a coconut, and an eerie white smoke arises. They've vanquished
the evil spirits with holy water.
In reality, what they're doing is a chemical "trick." They combine hydrochloric acid, and
ammonia, and that produces the white smoke that people see. There is no water involved. What
villagers witness is trickery using a bit of simple science. But being uneducated in chemistry, they do
not know what is happening, and believe the explanation of the holy conman.
Of course, ignorance is always the cornerstone of trickery. When one does not know what is
happening they are far more liable to accept the answers, and explanations that are provided to them.
Scammers, and psychics know this, and prey on this lack of knowledge, and will use mystifying
tricks to furnish themselves with what seems to be psychic abilities.
So, do not be so ready to believe what your eyes see, because they can be fooled. What appears
to be supernormal is probably just plain normal. As magicians often say: "The hands are faster than the
eyes."
Acting - Although everyone acts to a certain degree, psychics in particular have to have these skills in
order to be able to pull off a proper scam. Psychics know that people are skeptical of them, and so must
put on a show.
This means acting in a certain way -- acting like what they're doing is real.
There are a few ways in which they do this:
a) Struggling - Being a psychic isn't easy, and psychics must let you know that. When they
contact the dead, or whatever it is that they do, they will visibly struggle, and strain their minds,
and twist their faces, as if they are lifting up heavy weights. But this is all nonsense. They're
doing this to create the illusion that they're actually working, and doing something of value,
but mainly they want to give themselves the leeway to be wrong. Of course, if using their
psychic abilities is so difficult, then you have to cut them some slack when they're wrong, right?
It's common courtesy.
b) Mood Changes - Normal conversation is usually flat, and steady, and not erratic. But a
psychic will spontaneously change their moods. First being friendly, and then serious, and dark,
and brooding, altering their personality based on the seriousness of what they are doing. So,
when dealing with an "effective" psychic there is no stability to their mood. They go from one
thing to the next, showing that they are being touched by other worldly powers, or spirits, or
demons, or whatever it is that they're claiming. If the magical warrior Ramtha is contacting
them, then they are going to act that way. They are going to thrash, or convulse, or shake, like
they are being possessed, or influenced. They will be theatrical.
c) Improvisation - A psychic will try to control their situation as much as possible, but
sometimes scams can go off track. A smart psychic can improvise, and get right back where
they left off. They needn't be afraid of being derailed. Improvisational acting skills can fill in the
gaps, and redirect the conversation. A cleverly placed lie can make all the difference.
d) Memorization (of Lines) - Naturally, a convincing actor cannot always improvise. A smart
psychic will use their memorization, and they'll have lines that they pull out as required. If
they can respond quickly, and clearly it may be enough to persuade you. But in truth, they've
heard what you've said a thousand times before, and they know the right answer to feed you.
e) Redirecting - An actor must be able to use his words, and physical presence to redirect, and
get the audience to focus on what they want. A psychic, as an actor, can do this with a great
degree of success, especially if they have laid the groundwork to be in control. As you may have
noted, psychics prefer quiet environments. Much like golfers, they demand silence, but this
silence allows communication to be one sided. A psychic can then change the subject, ignore
their mistakes, and focus on what they've got right; they can use this to validate the rest of their
statements, and legitimize themselves. But if you're smart you won't ignore what they got
wrong.
Controlled Situations - The greatest strength a psychic, or scammer has is control. If a psychic can
control their body, and environment, they can plan ahead, to be prepared for naysayers, and those who
might question them.
A lack of control is the chink in the psychic's armor. Psychics require a great deal of preparation
to convince others of who they are. They need to have a bag of tricks, and literal tools. When psychics
aren't in control of themselves, or their environment they suddenly lose their power.
"But when would this happen?" you ask.
In scientific testing. Psychics who are scientifically tested are not allowed to use their own
tools, and objects, and this brings them failure.
In 1973 when famous psychic Uri Geller went onto Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" (with
some assistance from James Randi) he was given a test to prove his abilities. Eight small canisters,
arranged carefully on a desk, were in front of Geller, and he was asked to pick the one which contained
water (presumably using dowsing, a way to find water with extrasensory perception).
Geller found himself out of his element. Being carefully watched, and being in a foreign
environment, he did not possess control, and was therefore unable to perform. He could not using his
purported psychic abilities identify which one of eight canisters contained water. He acted nervous, and
jittery, and said to Johnny Carson that he was not feeling strong.
Ultimately, he failed, because a) he did not possess the abilities he claimed to have, and b) he
did not have the control he needed to prove otherwise.
(Note: We are not accusing Uri Geller of being fraudulent, or a scammer. We have only told our
side of it, and it is up to you to decide what you think of him, or people like him.)
SOCIAL ENGINEERING POSTSCRIPTUM
Now that we've come to the end of our discourse about social engineering you might have noticed that
there are many facets to social engineering. Perhaps it's a little overwhelming... How does a person
remember all this?
There is one main thing to remember: In spite of the potential of human intelligence, humans
are not usually moved by logic, and instead are swayed with their emotions, and motivated by self-
interest.
If you are to convince anyone of anything you have to evoke their feelings, and pay attention to
their desires. In other words: Try appealing to their heart, not their brain.
"But is this unethical?" you ask.
There exists plenty of debate on the ethics of social engineering, and, yes, it is frequently
villainized. However, social engineering in and of itself is not evil. What makes it evil is how it is used,
and by whom, and for what.
Social engineering, like a gun, can be used for either bad, or good. So, the question is: Where
are you aiming? That is what matters.
CHAPTER 34:
EXPANDING YOUR SKEPTICISM: TRICKS, TRAPS, AND SCAMS
(PART 2 OF 2)
Balanced skepticism can be a difficult concept to grasp. However, even with some holes in your
thinking, you can still guard yourself, and stay safe. All need do is absorb a certain amount of factual
knowledge, and be aware of the most common tricks, traps, and scams that exist in the world.
Psychic Scams: Astrology (Not to be Confused with Astronomy)
If you're in North America, you probably know a little bit about astrology. You have your star sign (one
of twelve) and then you read your horoscope, which forecasts your future with some generic, vague,
catch-all message that amounts to something like: "Watch out! Life is challenging!"
And it amuses you, because it's purely for entertainment -- right? Well, in Asian countries, like
India, they have astrology, but it's called Jyotisha, and it is a sophisticated system that is layered like a
mile wide onion.
Jyotisha, also known as Hindu astrology, postulates that the position of the planets, and stars at
the moment of your birth reveals a map of your life, and your karmic destiny, based on how you lived
your past lives.
For this many Indians visit local astrologers to see what their futures hold, and they seek advice
to make important decisions about their lives. But what should be harmless amusement is instead
presented like something of a science that has to be taken to heart.
Big mistake. There is no evidence showing that astrology works, and why would it? Why would
the alignment of stars, and planets too far away to physically affect you, bring you down a certain path?
Where is the logic in this? There is no logic.
Astrology should be treated as a source of amusement, and that is all.
Fun Fact: A long time ago, the terms astrology, and astronomy used to be interchangeable, but now
that is no longer the case. Astrology is to do with fortune telling, while astronomy is the legitimate
study of outer space.
Ineffective Healing: Psychic Healing, Holy Healing, Ancient Chinese Healing
When one is sick they become desperate, and can put themselves at risk. They will seek help where
they should not seek help, and people with little to no legitimate medical training will offer them
solutions that sound promising but in reality do not work.
In many "third world countries" there exists psychic healers. Though many of them don't go
under the title "psychic healer." Instead they try to present themselves as legitimate practitioners of an
alternative branch of medicine.
One peculiar practice is something that can only be described as "psychic surgery." Psychic
surgery, which can be found in the rural Philippines, is surgery done without any tools, or anesthesia.
They reach into your torso, using only their hands, and pull out whatever is ailing you. To the outsider
it looks extremely convincing.
In truth, nothing is being done. The surgery is just an illusion, sleight of hand, and flattering
angles. What appears to be pulled from a patient's body is really just animal blood, and animal parts.
Meanwhile, in China they sell people on traditional Chinese medicine. They have odd herbs that
you ingest, or drink, and they do unusual things like cupping therapy, and moxibustion. But all these
concoctions are not supported by any strong evidence.
In cupping therapy, using what looks like glass bell jars, they create suction on your skin, and
cause swelling to draw out blood, and so they say the toxins as well.
Then in moxibustion they burn mugwort, which contains a known toxin called thujone. But why
would you want to release a toxin into the air, along with all that smoke? Cupping therapy, and
mugwort do not have the health benefits that the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners claim... It's
snake oil!
Yet millions of people buy into these "alternative medicines" in spite of a lack of evidence, and
facts to support their efficacy. However, this medical nonsense is not limited to developing/3rd world
countries.
In westernized countries, they have homeopathy (ho-me-op-uh-thee), and faith healing.
Homeopathy as it is today takes substances, purported to have healing properties, and that is then
diluted with water or alcohol, but in such a way that what is left is extremely minute. It can be as bad as
1 in 50,000, or 1 drug particle in 50,000 parts of a diluent (like water or alcohol). But that could never
have any significant effects on anyone's health, and not including the placebo effect, it is ineffective.
Then you have faith healing, or holy healing, which is extremely dangerous because of the
claims it makes, yet it is somehow protected by law, because of laws protecting religion. Perhaps
you've seen the TV broadcasts of faith healing?
There's a guy in a tacky suit, standing in front of a religious crowd, and then he calls people up,
and smacks 'em on the foreheads, and they faint, and fall down. He fills them with the holy spirit. The
only problem is it's horse-crap, and only done to impress an audience, and collect monetary donations
to get rich.
The reality is no one can call upon God's power at will, and no one can use psychic-like powers
to heal the body. Academic knowledge has already established the boundaries of what is, and isn't
possible, and what isn't possible is healing people through non-scientific thinking.
Another Traditional Chinese Medicine Scam: Acupuncture
So, you might've heard of this. You get half naked, and then some Asian dude sticks needles into your
body. They say it's good for pain relief, and that it improves your health. They say the needles help
your body's flow of energy, or as they call it your qi (pronounced "chee").
The plain reality is this practice of poking people with needles is not supported by modern
science. Perhaps it might maybe help with pain, but anything else, there's no evidence, and what they
call evidence is very weak, and is countered by other studies.
Why would sticking long, thin needles into your body, thereby creating wounds, help your
health?
Psychic Scams: Contacting the Dead, Cold Reading
Grief is a powerful emotion. When people grieve they become vulnerable, and susceptible to the deceit
of others. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one through death can tell you that their sorrow made them
weak, and hurt.
Doubly so, if the person that died was a romantic partner. When people are in romantic
relationships, or in love, all emotions are magnified. The highs are heavenly, and the lows seem to be in
the depths of hell.
Predators know this, and prey on those who have been deprived of someone that they once
greatly cared for. Many of these predators will claim to be psychic, or clairvoyant, and say that they can
talk to the deceased.
They will especially do so through "cold reading." In cold reading, a psychic will gather a large
group of people (who are each grieving), and then seemingly talk to the dead, knowing things that
strangers should not know, and being able to pass on messages from the "other side."
The psychic will struggle, trying to speak to the spirits, and then let you know what they're
hearing, or seeing in their mysterious mind.
They'll say something like, "I'm getting a message from a woman. A woman named Mary, or
Sue...? Or Elizabeth... Or Annie... Annabelle... Andrea...."
Someone then voluntarily raises their hand, and says, "I have a mother named Annie."
The psychic goes, "Ah, yes, Annie... She's trying to tell me something... I'm seeing something
about... Pain... Something to do with the chest? I'm seeing pain in the chest."
"Yes!" says the the lady in the audience. "My mother died of a heart attack!"
"It was so sudden," the psychic states.
"Very sudden," replies the lady in the audience. "It was like it happened in no time at all."
"I know," says the psychic in a solemn voice. "But I'm in contact with your mother, Annie, and
she wants you to know something..."
"What is it?" asks the lady in the audience.
"She loves you," says the psychic, "and even though you two had your differences, she always
cared for you, and she wants you to be happy."
The lady in the audience begins to openly weep. The psychic is pleased, and everyone around is
in awe. However, this is all a ruse. If we examine the scenario we can see the tricks that are being used.
First off, the psychic has assembled a group of people who are grieving, and want to believe that their
loved ones are in heaven, or in the after life. What the psychic is doing is affirming their biases.
Secondly, the psychic is using broad statements that seem specific when in reality they aren't.
Remember the Barnum Effect (or Forer Effect)? It is just like that where a person gives a high accuracy
rating to something that is about them, but what they're told is in fact broad, and general, so it can apply
to a wide range of people.
In our scenario, the psychic talks about chest pain, but the chest is quite a large area, and chest
pain can describe numerous maladies. Also, it is extremely common for people to have chest pain. It is
not a rare occurence. Death from heart disease (which would cause chest pains) is the #1 cause of death
in America. Guessing that someone had chest pains is not an impressive feat whatsoever.
Yet it worked, and our psychic had other tricks up his sleeve, too. One thing he did was casting
numerous words, and messages. When he began his routine he said no less than six different names. It
was a broad swing, and since he spoke to a group, somebody was bound to find a connection to what he
threw out there. But would he land on the right thing with as little as one or two names, and a single
person? The answer is not likely.
The psychic, with some confident acting, made everyone believe his mental groping was a
legitimate process, and not a shotgun approach. But the throng of mourners were desperate, and wanted
peace of mind. They wanted to know that everything would be okay.
Unfortunately, no person living on Earth can talk to the dead, and those claiming they can do so
are preying on the vulnerable, who are reeling from tragedy.
Psychic Scams: Mind Reading
There are numerous methods that a psychic can use to convince a person that they are telepathic, and
can read minds. One way is to use mirrors. Imagine, a psychic asks you to a draw a picture, while they
turn around, and cover their eyes.
When you're finished, they face you, and tell you exactly what you drew. How could they
know? The psychic made use of mirrors, which were in their hands to help them sneak a look. But of
course, why would anyone need to cover their eyes while turned around?
Another mind reading trick is forcing a card. However, this is most commonly used by
magicians, who don't claim to be psychic. A magician will shuffle a deck of cards, and quickly fan
them out to you. You take a card, at their behest, and they call out what you've chosen, and they are
spot on.
You're a bit astonished, but they didn't actually read your mind. The psychic forced a card on
you. Using timing, and dexterity, they subtly gave you the card that they wanted you to have.
The psychic with a stealthy maneuver literally put the card between your fingers, and made you
choose their pick of card. What seemed like mind reading was psychology, and exploiting the human
inclination to grab what is closest, especially when in a rush.
But there are other tricks which are much more clever though somewhat more complex. There
is the "Swami gimmick." In the Swami gimmick a psychic meets with a participant, and tells the
participant to think of a number from 1 to 100.
"Now, don't tell me the number," says the psychic. "I will read your mind, and write it down."
The psychic then writes onto a notepad.
"Okay," says the psychic, done writing down the number. "What was your number?"
"22," replies the participant.
The psychic smiles, then turns around the notepad in his hands, and shows that he has in fact
written down the number "22." The participant is amazed...but they've been fooled.
Here's what really happened: In the beginning when the psychic said he would write down the
number he was lying. He only did the motion of writing with his hand. Then when the participant
revealed the number they were thinking of, the psychic using a false thumb with a pen nib attached to
it, secretly wrote down "22." Finally, he showed off the number, pretending that he had done so earlier
when in reality it was all done after. No mind reading of any sort took place. Because mind reading is
impossible.
Psychic Trickery: Auras
An aura, also known as a human energy field, is a glowing, colored emanation around a person's figure
that can tell a psychic, or clairvoyant (who can see it) the quality of someone's spirit, or mood. It is
much like the halo of an angel that indicates someone's character... So they say.
In reality, psychics try to prove the existence of auras, and therefore their ability to see them,
through means of photographic manipulation. One trick they do is pressing Polaroid photos with their
fingers to create colors around the person in the picture.
If they don't use Polaroids, then they will use normal cameras, and that means either the
doctoring of images, or controlling the elements of an environment to make a subject look like they
have an aura.
Or if a psychic doesn't want to be bothered with that, then they may just show you a photo of
someone with a "glory." A glory is an optical phenomenon, which has the resemblance of a halo. It's
caused by light interacting with mist in the air. It can make someone look like they have a halo, or that
they're emitting some type of special energy, but it's really just light. Auras don't exist, at least for
people.
Photographic Trickery: Orbs, and Spirits
Paranormal investigators aren't just investigators. They are in the business of convincing people that the
paranormal is real in order that they can have their frivolous jobs which frightens the gullible.
Paranormal investigators will seek to convince others that "the other side" exists, and there are
spirits all around us. They will present pictures of what they call "orbs." These orbs are bright, round,
and translucent, and appear to be floating. They say these are actually spirits.
No. They are not spirits, because cameras cannot photograph spirits. The orbs that they allege
are spirits are really out of focus droplets of water (e.g. rain), or particles of dust. No camera can see
spirits, or ghosts, or phantoms. Cameras can only capture, and process light.
Aliens & UFOs
Aliens are big business. It sounds silly, but the idea of beings from outer-space is fascinating to people,
and can drive tourism, the entertainment industry, and especially the pointless purchasing of numerous
gewgaws.
So, there is a clear motivation to push the public into thinking that "ETs" exist, or more
specifically that they are here, and they are visiting us.
But why would aliens want to visit Earth, which according to some is the Tijuana of the
universe? And what evidence is there that this is happening?
Some who buy into the idea of aliens point to UFOs, saying this is evidence of aliens. But the
acronym UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object, meaning anything can be considered a UFO, so
long as it is flying high in the air, and is unidentified. Even a bunch of helium-filled balloons
unidentified is a UFO.
However, not everyone who see things in the sky, and think they are alien, are fools. In the
1980s, there were numerous reports of mysterious, flying, black triangles. The witnesses to these
mysterious, flying, black triangles were dismissed, and called crazy.
In truth, they were far from crazy. Much later, it was revealed the military, along with defense
contractors, were experimenting with new, secret, stealth aircraft.
Were they the ones accusing the witnesses of being crazy? Probably, but we see two things here:
A) The aircraft were real, and not hallucinations, or fantasy, and B) They were of earthly origin, and it
was not aliens up to no good.
In fact, there were two major aircraft having the appearance of flying, black triangles. There
was the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, and later the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.
Alas, both of these were designed, and manufactured on planet earth, so no aliens from outer-
space were involved whatsoever. But the idea of aliens existing, and visiting us persists. People
continually believe that UFOs are piloted by cosmic visitors.
The chances of that being true though is extremely unlikely. If there existed a hyper intelligent
species that could travel through the vastness of space, why couldn't they cloak themselves with some
type of invisibility technology to avoid detection?
Basic logic would tell us that something doesn't add up. Even though aliens from other planets
probably exist the UFOs we see are most likely of human nature, but some people will tell us
otherwise, because they want to profit...or have a laugh at our expense.
Cost Concealment
This is a principal element in being able to trick, and scam people for profit. When a person (or
organization) wants to trick/scam someone they will deliberately conceal the true cost of something.
They will propose an idea that seems acceptable, but in reality it is not.
Cost concealment can done through social engineering, through misleading language, the
withholding of information, hiding information, and/or plain lying.
Example 1: Tricksters will use "free-bait." They will offer you something, and make you think it
is for free, or so cheap that it's pretty much free, and then when you accept, they tell you that
you have to pay up some absurd sum of money.
Madame Artiste: "Hello, Young Sir, may I draw you? You are very handsome."
Young Sir: "Really? Well, okay then!"
(Madame Artiste draws the Young Sir. She hands him the crude drawing.)
Madame Artiste: $100, please.
Young Sir: $100? For this? I thought you were going to do it for free.
Madame Artiste: I am a slave for art, but I am not a fool. Please, pay what you owe me.
Young Sir: But...
Madame Artiste: YOU PAY NOW!
(As you can see, the Young Sir finds himself in a dilemma, because Madame Artiste
concealed the cost of her art in the beginning.)
Example 2: Banks, and financial, and investment corporations, routinely fool people by
concealing the costs of their lackluster services through confusion. Having no principles, or
morality these "money companies" nickel-and-dime customers by binding them to contracts,
documents up to 69 pages long, having as many as 48 different service charges. If you make a
minor mistake you then have to pay for something which has no value to you. You get
penalized for nothing. Don't have the account minimum? Your account's inactive? You took out
your money too many times this month? Blah, blah, blah, they will be totally shitty, and take
your money without actual permission.
Get Rich Quick Schemes: Advance-fee Scam
Some stranger, usually a person of prestigious nature from a foreign country, will tell you they have all
this money locked away somewhere (in a vault, in a bank, wherever), and they need your help getting it
out.
All you have to do is pay a fee to them, or somebody else, and then all that cash that's locked
away can be unlocked, and they'll split the recuperated money with you. The sum they promise can be
in the millions, or hundreds of thousands of dollars. But obviously this is a scam. There's nothing to be
gained, except loss.
Of course, why would someone, like a rich prince from Africa, go to a perfect stranger in their
time of need? Why couldn't they contact someone else they know, and trust?
Get-rich-quick Schemes: Fake Lotteries, Sweepstakes, and Contests
Someone that you don't know will call you up, or e-mail you, or contact you through the mail, and say
that you won a prize, or money. All you have to do is either give them some "simple information"
and/or money to pay off a claim-fee, or tax.
This is complete bull-crap. First off, you can't legitimately win a prize from any type of contest,
unless you've entered it yourself. Second, you shouldn't have to pay anything to claim a prize. Third,
when they ask you for your details they're really trying to get important information from you, so that
they can steal from you later on. They might ask you for your social security number, your bank details,
answers to security questions, passwords, and/or a credit card number. Do not tell them anything!
Get-rich-quick Schemes: TV Quiz Show Scam
If you watch late night TV you will come upon these fraudulent quiz shows. They ask people watching
to participate, and if you answer some relatively simple questions, or solve a problem, or puzzle, you
will win a prize (they say).
To do this all you have to do is call a number, which then costs you money. The problem is there
is fine print on your TV screen, stating that there's no guarantee that you get to play to win the prize;
who gets to participate is randomly drawn.
Meaning, the majority of people calling in won't win anything. The quiz show is really just
collecting money from people who try getting through to play. How this is legal, I don't know, but it is.
So, watch out for it.
Gambling Scams: Betting Pools
Betting pools (or office pools) are usually run by ugly miscreants. The miscreant at your workplace, or
school, will gather whoever they know, and ask them to bet on something, usually which sports team
shall win in a tournament.
Of course this is not not-for-profit. The miscreant will take a big percent of the prize paid out, or
even worse he will participate himself, and take the best teams (usually for free), so that everyone else
has a lower chance of winning.
This person organizing the pool is a dirty rat; even if you do win he might not pay out. So, if
your local miscreant asks you to bet on something tell him to screw off.
Gambling Scams: Casinos
The house always wins. All rules in a casino help the casino win. Legitimate strategies for winning, like
counting cards is illegal, and if you do happen to win a lot of money, they will ban you. There's no
winning at a casino. It is through, and through a legal scam. Avoid it.
Gambling Scams: Penny Stocks/Crappy Stocks
Penny stocks... Is it a gambling scam, or get-rich-quick scam? Either way, penny stocks should be
avoided. They are cheap for a reason, and are not a good investment. Those who push you into buying
penny stocks are trying to scam you. They're trying to sell you garbage, so that they can make a tidy
profit.
Refuse it. Penny stocks make for bad investments. Hell, normal, blue-chip stocks are risky
enough, why would you go for penny stocks, which have terrible finances, and little to no history of
reliably making money?
You work hard for your money, so invest it wisely. Stay clear of these risky investments.
Financial losses can be devastating. Remember that attaining wealth is about more than gaining; it's
also about avoiding losses.
To quote the famous investor Warren Buffett: "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Don't
forget Rule No. 1."
When you invest, pick the winners, and don't gamble on the losers. Amateur investors tend to
have this problem, where they gravitate toward the losers, and not the winners. For example, if they
have a portfolio of stocks, and the numbers start changing, they will sell off the winners, and keep the
losers in hopes of rebounding from their losses.
But this makes no sense. Imagine you were investing into people instead of stocks. From these
choices who would you pick as most likely to succeed?
A) The Honors Student - He is hard-working, studious, and has a good sense of humor. He has a
good relationship with his family, and is thrifty. He's interested in computers, and enjoys
painting. He is also religious, and is a vegetarian that loves animals, and the environment. He
plans on going to college to pursue his interests.
B) The Pot Smoker - He likes to party, and have fun. He smokes a lot of marijuana, and does
okay in school. Sometimes he goes to Taekwondo classes, but he lacks the flexibility to do a
really good axe kick. When he grows up he wants to become a DJ, or porn star. He has no
plans to attend college. He often misspells college, and writes it as "collage."
Now, between person A), and person B), who would you pick to succeed? The one who appears to be
on the right track, or the Pot Smoker that has no concrete plans for the future?
What are the chances that the Honors Student does better than the Pot Smoker? Would you take
a gamble on the Pot Smoker? Probably not, because he has a history of indecisiveness, and an addiction
to green medicine.
Of course, you would go for the Honors Student. The chances the Honors Student does well is
very possible. He has the qualities that can help an individual thrive. Not that there's anything wrong
with the Pot Smoker, but it's clear that what will happen to him in the years to come is unclear.
Likewise, when you choose stocks, you ought to pick the ones that show strength, and
characteristics that can bring prosperity. You should invest into what is healthy, and trending upwards.
To paraphrase Peter Lynch: Imagine your stock portfolio like a garden. Would you pluck out the
flowers, and leave in the weeds? No, you wouldn't. That would make for a crappy garden. What you
want is the flowers growing, and the weeds gone.
But if some of your flowers were dying, you would remove them, and replace them with brand
new flowers. So, in stock market investing, it is imperative to have an exit strategy.
William J. O'Neil (another stock market guy) recommends selling off stocks when they decline.
If you've invested into a company, and its stock has rapidly dropped 7% to 8%, sell without waiting.
This will either cut your losses, or retain your profits.
But this section of our book isn't meant to be about detailed, stock, investing strategies. This is
about avoidance of loss, which is to say you should avoid penny stocks. Because 99.9% of penny stocks
are worth exactly their cost.
General Scams: Deceptive Pricing
No matter where you go to buy things there will always be seedy people, who will try to fool you.
They'll do this by misleading you about their prices (i.e. deceptive pricing), baiting you into a
transaction.
You will especially notice this online. Adverts, and promotions show you something that you
want, and then when you click to get through, you see that it was not as you expected. Maybe the price
is not for the item you saw, or the item price is low but the shipping costs are exorbitant.
Although this sometimes happens in "real life" too. When I was a child, I remember seeing a
FREE PAVING
sign that said: " way ." So, the word "free" was in big, bold lettering, and
"paving" was equally visible, but the "way" part was minuscule. This was the company's method of
getting itself attention. But did it work? I don't know, but it sure was deceptive.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Empty Boxes
One "good" scam is the empty box scam. This doesn't happen too often, but it does happen. A scummy
person will take an empty box of a specific design, and seal it up with something worthless, then try to
take it to a store for a refund, or pass it on to someone else.
If you're in America, you will know about Redbox movie, and game rental vending machines.
Terrible people steal the games, and return empty boxes. They keep the disc, or card, and put in a
substitute that is read by the machine, which thinks it is genuine.
Alternatively, a person might buy an item from a Wal-Mart, and return the box that looks sealed
with dead weight inside. If they can't fool the retail giant, then they might try to flip it onto some
unsuspecting person.
I once knew someone once who was tricked with empty boxes in the 1990s. When Jim (a
pseudonym) was having lunch, he was approached by a Rastafarian with two camcorder boxes.
The Rastafarian showed Jim the camcorder boxes, and said he could buy each camcorder for
$100 each. (Seen as a bargain at the time, because a camcorder, i.e. video camera, used to cost $1,000
or more.)
Jim didn't know if he wanted to buy them. The Rastafarian said the camcorders were stolen, and
the cops were looking for him, and he quickly had to unload them. He said something to the effect of:
"Buy them now, or they'll be gone! I have to leave!" He pressured Jim, using time.
"Alright!" went Jim, who wanted to record his daughter's first footsteps, "I'll take 'em!"
So, Jim paid the Rastafarian $200, and off the Rastafarian went. Jim then went home, and
opened the camcorder boxes. What was inside of them? Two very fine bricks. There were no
camcorders whatsoever. Jim was tricked with empty boxes. Too bad.
The lessons here are: A) Don't buy things that are stolen, B) Buy from legitimate sellers, C)
Don't just judge a book by its cover something by the box it is in, and D) Have some patience. You
don't need to jump on every offer that looks good. Take your time to think about it.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Broken or Faulty Items
This scam is harder to avoid than a box with bupkus in it. Usually, you'll get broken, or faulty items
from individuals that don't run businesses. Sometimes retailers can give you crap, but it's more likely a
person on his or her own trying to sell you something will pull a fast one.
So, if you meet someone in person, who has something you're interested in, take your time, and
test it out first before exchanging any money. Whatever it is, see whether it works, and check its
legitimacy.
Of course, this gets tricky when you're buying online. You can't touch anything, can you? You
will have to rely on reviews, and make use of payment services that can protect you in cases of fraud.
Obviously, in anything you do online there is a chance things can go awry.
It's best if you can go to an established retailer for what you want. The local brick, and mortar
stores are your best bet.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: White Van Speaker Scam
The White Van Speaker Scam doesn't happen as much as it used to, but it's good to know about. So,
this is how it works:
- A couple guys buy some cheap speakers that cost them around $40 or $50.
- They load them up into a van, and then travel around, and find someone who they think is
naive, or young, with disposable income.
- They tell this person that they have high quality speakers for sale (the ones that had cost them
$40 to $50). They will say that a previous customer ordered them from their company, and
cancelled them, so now they need to unload them at a steep discount.
- Or they'll tell another story as to why they have these speakers on the cheap.
- They state that the speakers normally sell for thousands of dollars, but they're available for a
fraction of that price. They'll show off an advertisement to confirm the price.
- It's available for a limited time, they say, and the offer will soon be gone.
- The mark (aka victim) comes to a decision, and buys the speakers. Upon taking it home, and
trying it out, they find out they've purchased cheap quality speakers.
If you want to avoid this type of thing... Don't buy stuff from the back of someone's random van.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Substituted Items
Oftentimes sellers will offer you something for sale, but when you buy it, and have it in your hands,
you'll find the item isn't what you wanted. They gave you something cheaper instead, hoping you
wouldn't notice.
Unfortunately, in this situation, if you've bought an item from some nobody, who has no
accountability, you're out of luck.
So, it must be reiterated, try to buy your items from established, legitimate retailers, and pay
attention to reviews, and use payment services that allow you to reject fraudulent charges.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Bait and Switch
This is something that many stores do. They advertise a sale, and show that something you want is at a
discount, or desirable price. Then when you visit the store, by design, they don't have what they
promised, and instead try to sell you something similar, but far more profitable.
This is a bait and switch scam. In many places this is illegal, however, it is difficult to prove.
These days, to do bait and switch legally, a store won't have zero of what they're advertising. Rather
they will have very few, maybe one or two of an item, that instantly becomes out of stock.
When you go there, and find it's out of stock, they pressure you into buying something else
which is similar. And since going to the store takes effort most people will make the purchase, anyway,
so as to not go home empty-handed.
But don't play into this game. If what you wanted is not there, just leave the store, and forget
about. Did you really need that thing, whatever it was? Probably not.
Addendum: The bait and switch tactic can be used outside of the retail industry. It can be used by
media companies, too. Example, the Discovery Channel promotes Michael Phelps racing a shark for
Shark Week, but then when you watch the program it's just Phelps racing a fake, simulated shark.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Close But No Cigar
Companies that make subpar products often try to imitate the leaders in their industry. They will copy
their style, and make it look like that what they have to offer is the same. They attempt to fool
customers who don't know the subtle differences.
Many a Christmases have been ruined by parents accidentally buying the wrong gift for a child,
because they were fooled into buying something inferior that they thought was a brand name item.
Imagine a little boy, or little girl asking for Lego, and instead receiving Mega Bloks on Xmas
morning. Oh, no! What have you done, Mega Bloks?!
But, hey, there's worse. Have you heard of "The Asylum"? The Asylum is a movie company that
makes knockoff versions of popular movies, and there is no doubt about it that they are trying to make
unsuspecting adults confused.
Here is a list of some of their titles (see if you know the popular movies they're trying to copy):
- Atlantic Rim
- Transmorphers
- Titanic II
- Snakes on a Train
- Almighty Thor
- Alien vs. Hunter
- Avengers Grimm
- I Am Omega
- The Day the Earth Stopped
- Sunday School Musical
- The Da Vinci Treasure
- Pirates of Treasure Island
(The answers in order: Pacific Rim, Transformers, James Cameron's Titanic, Snakes on a Plane,
Marvel's Thor, Alien vs. Predator, The Avengers, I Am Legend, The Day the Earth Stood Still, High
School Musical, The Da Vinci Code, Pirates of the Caribbean.)
If you didn't know any of these that's okay. You're probably more of a book reader, but the titles
of these movies were meant to be confusing. And it goes without saying that companies, and
corporations are not always honest with consumers.
To avoid their trickery, be detail oriented, and pay attention. This is a must in this day, and age.
When something feels off question it. Make use of your instincts, or get an opinion from someone you
know, and trust.
And remember don't ever put all your trust into a single company. Remember that the main goal
for a company is to make money. It's not really to help people. If murdering was legal, and profitable,
you'd see "Kill People Inc" #1 on the Fortune 500 list.
"More Than You Bargained For" Scams: Free "Lunches"
You may have heard the phrase: "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Well, it turns out that's true.
Not in the literal sense, but as far as how the world actually works. Humans, being creatures of trade
and exchange, (with few exceptions) will not give you a darn thing, unless they are getting something
in return.
What seems free, or cheap may actually have a grave cost. There's this one scam where they
advertise that you can get a free phone for the low cost of a dollar (or a similar price), and all you have
to do is pay them, with a credit card, and give them some information.
Suffice it to say it is a scam, and everything you give them is so they can extract gobs of money
from you without your permission (i.e. theft). No company can give you something so expensive for
free, or for $1.00, or $2.00, or even $5.00 -- unless there's a catch, and that catch is you are going to
pay for it later.
Not surprisingly, there are even legitimate companies that partake in this deceit, although they
don't directly rip you off. A lot of websites, that seem free, get compensated by collecting your data,
and making money selling off your information.
Speaking of technology, there are also "businesses" which offer you "free" video games, or
software -- which really installs malware, adware, ransomware, or viruses onto your device.
Ransomware is a newer one, and it holds your data hostage. If you don't pay the swindlers the
money they demand, they then delete all your important files.
Scary, huh? How can you avoid this? It's a minefield out there. You have to be vigilante, and
extremely skeptical of things that are free, or far cheaper than they should be. Turn down offers, if they
seem too good to be true.
And what is too good to be true? Think about the exchange. What are you getting, and what is
the other person, or party getting, too? If the value of the exchange appears that you get everything, and
they get little to nothing, then you are probably being pulled into a trap.
Although there are a few exceptions, you must remain skeptical of one-sided deals. As they say,
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Misleading Language: Misleading Names, Misleading Words, Lexical Ambiguity
Names, and words can tell us so much about things, but they can also mislead us. Misleading names,
misleading words, and lexical ambiguity give people ideas that aren't true.
Example 1: You see the term "evaporated cane juice" as an ingredient on a label, but it isn't
healthy for you. It's pretty much just sugar. ("Evaporated cane juice" is a misleading name. A
misleading name can be used to make something seem better or worse than it really is.)
Example 2: The title for a video says "Dan Duty Talks About His Fight." You click the title,
and watch the video. Turns out this was clickbait, a misleading title. Dan Duty actually got into
an argument, and not a physical fight. Because of its somewhat ambiguous nature the word
"fight" misled you into thinking of a physical fight, not something just verbal. (One can
consider this ambiguous communication. Ambiguous communication is communication that is
unclear, and can be interpreted in more than one way. It is often done to mislead people. This
example shows lexical ambiguity, the presence of more than one meaning in a word/phrase.)
Charity Scams
The reality is many calls for aid are false. If you get guilt-tripped easily you just might fall for it. But
don't be gullible. Recognize frauds when they approach you.
Here is a quick list of common charity scams:
1) "Homeless" Person Begging for Money - But they're not really homeless, and they have
everything they need to live. Look at them. Do they have the appearance of someone who's
genuinely been living on the streets? Do they smell? Do they seem too clean, and tidy? If they
are well kempt, then ignore them.
2) "Normal" Stranger That Needs Your Help for Something Very Specific - They'll ask for
money for the bus, or gas, or something like that. They have the opposite strategy to the fake
homeless person. They try to make themselves look like a normal person, who's just down on
their luck at the moment. Be wary. You might think, "I won't be tricked. I'll just buy them what
they need, and give it to them. No money involved." But if they're really a scammer they'll just
take what you bought, and sell it, or move to the next target. Unfortunately, there isn't really any
way to know what their intentions are, unless you can tell when someone is lying by paying
attention to their body language. If in doubt, politely refuse, and walk away.
3) Real Homeless People - But they give you a false reason as to why they need your money.
They'll ask for money for food, or medicine, but it won't be used for that. One, medicine
requires a prescription, and likely they haven't seen a doctor in a while, and two, free food is
normally available in abundance in North America via food banks. The truth is a homeless
person might be trying to get money for drugs, or alcohol, or cigarettes. Which is bad, but how
can you stop that? You can't. If you give away money you can only hope for the best.
4) Fake/Deceitful Charities - All over the world there are many fake, and deceitful charities. The
question is, how do you know that they are? In Canada, there is an organization called the
Children's Joy Foundation. They claim to help children in need in the Philippines by clothing,
and feeding them. They deploy numerous women to collect donations, and these women often
pursue people in shopping centers. Since they're persona non grata, they quietly go up to a
target, and show them some literature, and beg them for money to feed the children. However,
the Children's Joy Foundation is an extension of the "Kingdom of Jesus Christ" church, which is
under the control of Apollo Quiboloy, who claims to be the "Appointed Son of God." Quiboloy,
however, shares no similarities to Jesus Christ, living a lavish, luxurious lifestyle, whilst others
around him remain poor. It's rather obvious to outsiders that he's running a cult. He is a cult
leader getting rich off the naïve. This "charity" called the Children's Joy Foundation is nothing
but a ruse. The women that work for him, asking for money, are funneling money into
Quiboloy's back pocket.
5) Sob Stories - Scams don't just come from big organizations. Often they are perpetrated by
selfish individuals. The easiest way to get money from people it seems is by telling sob stories.
The worse the better. But the lachrymose tale needs to be easily summarized; so this is why you
have scammers doing things like pretending to have cancer to collect donations. Some year ago,
a resident of Calgary, Canada, named Jennifer Halford faked having breast cancer, and then
went on to falsely claim that her home burned down in the widely publicized Fort McMurray
wildfire. However, it should be mentioned that Jennifer Halford, after undergoing psychiatric
evaluation was said to be in distress, and her actions were primarily seeking attention. But still
people were fooled. So, when you hear sob stories be at least a little skeptical.
6) Charities That Aren't Charitable - There are a ton of charities that exist, and like anything else
they are not all equal. Many charities only do the absolute bare minimum to legally be
considered a charity, and in reality they do not truly have the intent to help the cause they are
championing. These fraudulent charities, of course, exist to collect wealth for the founders. The
Kids Wish Network for example (as of speaking) only distributes 23.3% of its funds to program
expenses. And according to a June 6, 2013 article from the Tampa Bay Times at its worst year it
was less than 3%. The charity also suspiciously spent millions of dollars on services from
companies operated by the founder Mark Breiner. Compare this to a reputable charity like
Doctors Without Borders, where a respectable 89% of their money goes towards program
expenses. So it seems not all charities are charitable.
In summary: Whenever donating you have to do your due diligence. You work hard for your money.
Don't just give it away to anyone that asks.
Kickbacks: Towing Scam
When a person is in a position of power, or authority, and they help someone make unethical income,
and they receive a share of that income, this is what is known as a kickback.
In the automobile towing industry there is a common scam, where a local business, and a
towing company make an under the table deal. Those working for the local business keep an eye on
their parking lot, and when people come there to park, and then leave, right away the towing company
is called.
The towing company brings in a tow truck, and tows away the car that was there for only a few
minutes. After that, the car is impounded, and is only released when hundreds of dollars are paid, and
no receipt is given.
This is unethical. Cars should only be towed away without permission, if they are impeding
business, city work, or something else of importance. You can't just take anyone's car in a parking lot,
and hold it hostage for no good reason. This is highly illegal, and is extortion.
Men who unscrupulously tow away people's cars are scumbags.
Political Theft: Approving Overly Expensive Projects (aka Boondoggles)
Politicians can be pretty slimy, and deceitful. With the power of government behind them, and a
bureaucratic system too stupid, and too corrupt to see what's going on, they steal money from tax-
payers to become wealthy...or wealthier.
This much is evident when you examine the United States Congress. The majority of Congress
members are strikingly rich, and they did not achieve that solely through government-provided salaries.
They used their powers to strike deals with mega corporations that generously lined their pockets.
Of course, this can't take place directly, and in the open. There is a method to their madness.
The Method:
Step 1. Become a politician that can directly influence law, or approve large-scale projects.
Step 2. Spend time networking, especially with executives of large, public companies.
Step 3. Make an under the table deal with these executives. Promise to create, or bend laws in
their favor, or approve an expensive, large-scale project which they will be involved in.
Step 3.5. Hash out the details. Agree to an appropriate payout that will not raise eyebrows.
Step 4. Carry through with promises.
Step 5. Receive payout. Payout likely not cash, but rather stocks/shares that can then be sold off
to receive money.
However, if someone's already an executive at a company, who then becomes a politican, s/he can skip
a couple of these steps, and get right to screwing people over.
Yes, this is obviously, terrible, but you can fight back. You can still vote, and shape your
country. But vote smart. Don't vote with your heart. Use facts. Do your research on politicians, and
look at their history. Do not vote in politicians that will create conflicts of interest.
Fun fact: When you combine the words "corporation" and "democracy" you get the portmanteau
"corporatocracy" which is an economic, and political system where corporations control the
government!
Political Theft: Charities
Have you noticed that a lot of politicians run charities? These aren't really charities as much as they are
vehicles for amassing wealth. Obviously, since charities aren't taxed like businesses, making profits
through them can be advantageous.
This is how it works:
- Be a politician.
- Set up a charity to help [insert popular problem here].
- Hobnob with rich people, and collect donations in exchange for favors.
- Do speeches for money, and lecture people about aforementioned popular problem.
- Use your political position to persuade government in funding your charity's projects.
- Assign friends, and family easy, well-paying jobs as consultants.
- Pay self for being CEO of your charity
- Give self pat on back for doing "charitable" work.
- Become popular.
- Meet with phony celebrities, and throw hedonistic parties, and galas.
- Enjoy your life.
Yes, while it's true that there isn't much you can do about this type of scam, it is still good to know for
yourself. When you go out to vote, you can be an informed voter, and realize that some politicians
aren't very honest.
Political Theft: Selling Off Public Assets
Another way in which politicians steal from the public is selling off public assets to private companies
for dirt cheap. Obviously, when politicians do sell off these public assets they get compensated for their
"efforts."
But is it as common as it seems? In Canada, in the year 1989, the government, mostly using tax-
payer money, constructed, and opened up the Toronto SkyDome at a cost of over a billion dollars
(adjusted for inflation). It was one of the most expensive projects in the world.
Yet without consent from the public, the SkyDome swapped hands, and was passed down to
corporations at a fraction of the original cost. Its last sale was to Rogers Communications Inc, which
bought it for a paltry $25 million, or around 4% of the original price tag.
And then Rogers renamed the SkyDome to the egregious name of the "Rogers Centre." All that
money provided by the public only ended in a loss, and their beloved sports stadium went to a heartless
corporation.
Political Chicanery: Bundled Malfeasance (Riders)
As you know many politicians do companies favours for money and personal wealth, but it is a bit
more tricky than it seems.
For a politician to get a crappy law through the system (to help corporations) they first have to
obscure it. They do so by using riders. A rider is an additional provision, which is surreptitiously tacked
onto a bill, but it has little to no relevance to the main goal of the bill.
Riders can especially be problematic when it is attached to an important bill. To deny the rider
means to deny the entire bill, and that can cause delays, and extra work to be done. This is why in some
states partial vetoes are allowed. But money-hungry politicians will try, anyway.
Political Chicanery: False Efforts, Futile Research
Public approval is extremely important for politicians, but politicians often want to do things that won't
be approved by the public; so, they make false efforts to appease their constituents.
They will pretend that they're doing something with sincerity, but in reality they're being
deceptive, and manipulative.
For example, politicians approve funding for studies, and they skew the studies, or they do the
studies only to ignore it. Then they do what they want, and say, "Well, we did our research, and due
diligence." Which is bullshit.
Example: The University of California, Santa Barbara has concluded that putting a halt to overfishing
would promote population recovery for numerous endangered species. But as of speaking government
has not taken proper action in favor of short-term economic gains.
Artificially Constructed Scarcity of Supply: Scheming, and Scalping
Most people would think that a company selling as much product as possible at a time would be doing
the smart thing, but sometimes this is not the case. Sometimes intentionally making a product scarce is
beneficial.
This has three effects:

a) Consumer Demand Increases - Because of the human inclination toward loss aversion.
b) Prices Maintain, or Go Up - Because demand has increased this means prices either stay the
same (as opposed to declining), or go up.
c) Scalpers Appear - Who see an opportunity to make money. They'll snatch up these artificially
scarce products, and resell it on the market at exorbitant prices, and take advantage of needy
consumers.
It's infuriating, but what can you do about this as an individual? The simple answer is: Don't buy it.
Artificially Constructed Scarcity of Supply: The Diamond Cartel
Diamonds are forever expensive. But they are not as valuable as most people think. Nay, diamonds are
extremely common, and not rare whatsoever. They are only costly, because of marketing, advertising,
and the diamond cartel.
The diamond cartel, also known as De Beers, was formed in the year 1888 as a means to
maintain the price of diamonds by restricting supply, and therefore controlling the market. However,
the reality is diamonds have little to no intrinsic value, and their price is exorbitant.
They are not a good investment, and quickly lose their value after being purchased. If you try to
sell your diamond back to a jeweler you will be given very little money in return (compared to what
you originally paid).
If you are getting married skip the diamond. In fact, don't buy any type of expensive ring. Most
jewelery is highly marked up, and does not appreciate in value. Instead think of a wedding ring as a
symbol, and not an investment. Be smart, and buy what makes sense. Buy what you can comfortably
afford. As long as the ring is durable, well made, and attractive, and is a representation of your love,
that should be good enough for anyone.
Jewellers Duping Customers, and Clients
You show them a genuine piece of jewellery/precious object, then they say it's fake, but they can throw
it out for you, or they offer to purchase it for practically nothing... This is a scam! Yes, not all jewellers
do this, but it happens.
Common Crimes: Street Robberies, Theft, & Pick-pocketing
Robberies! Perhaps robbery is not technically a scam, but it is certainly dishonest, and immoral. Let's
talk about how you can avoid being a victim.
First, some observations about robbery:
- Criminals are predators, and will be more likely to rob you, if you appear to be vulnerable. So, if you
are very young, very old, small, a woman, handicapped, or feeble, you could be a target. Normally,
criminals will avoid targeting tall, confident, healthy, strong-looking men.
- Most criminals are criminals, because they're extremely stupid, and can't do anything else for a living.
It is very difficult to reason with them, and so you must always remain on your guard when confronted.
- As of speaking, if you live in the United States of America, the District of Columbia has the highest
rate of robberies. 510.9 robberies for every 100,000 people.
- Conversely, the state of Wyoming has the least number of robberies with 10.1 robberies for every
100,000 people.
- 29% of all violent crime committed by juveniles occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. But 26% of all
violent crime committed by adults occurs between 8 p.m. and 12 p.m.
(Source: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03401.asp?qaDate=2010)
How to Avoid Robberies (and Other Crimes):
a) Time - If you can do your activities earlier in the day. You know, when old people are active.
b) Concealed Carry - If you are legally allowed to carry around a gun, then do so. Guns are a great tool
for protecting yourself. However, you must be trained in shooting. You can't just buy a gun. Learn
about gun safety, and proper technique. Emphasis on the gun safety part.
c) Intuition - In an educated society we are taught to be patient, and to look at things carefully, and
observe...but this isn't always good for survival. Sometimes you have to let your subconscious take
over, and you must make use of your intuitition.
What is intuition? Intuition is that gut feeling you get, and you feel something is wrong, but you
don't know exactly why. So, when you suddenly become uncomfortable don't fight it. If you're out for a
walk, and you see a group of men coming down the sidewalk, and that gives you an unsettling feeling,
then follow your intuition. Turn around, and go the other way, or better yet cross to the other side. Don't
be afraid of offending anyone. It's your life.
d) Look Confident - Robbers will target those who look weak, and scared. So stand tall, keep your head
up, and shoulders back. Act like you belong.
e) Be Aware of Your Surroundings, Don't Let Your Guard Down - Young people often listen to music
while walking around, or they stare at their phones, and this can make them a target to robbers.
Robbers will first see that they have an expensive gadget to be stolen, and that they're not aware of
their surroundings.
Ergo, when out and about, you must not let your guard down. You must be aware of your
surroundings, and your environment as much as possible.
While appearing confident, intermittently look about, and make sure you don't get so engrossed
into a single activity that you don't know what's going on around you. Open your eyes, and ears.
Know what is in front of you, and know what is behind you. Know what is to the side of you.
See who is nearby. See the vehicles on the street. See the movement of the shadows. See the activity of
your environment. See that which is around you.
f) Beware of Distractions - Many robbers will try to distract you before they make an attack. So, be on
guard, and be aware of their tricks.
They might ask you for the directions to a place, the time, a cigarette, lighter, etc. Then when
you try to help them out, they grab, and/or strike you.
So, when you are talking to strangers be aware. Keep your eyes on the person you're talking to,
don't let them get too close, and be prepared to defend yourself. If you get a bad feeling, go with it, and
leave right away. No need to ask for permission.
Example: If someone asks you for the time, and you have on a watch, don't look down. Bring the watch
up to your face to see the time. This way you can react quickly enough, if attacked.
g) Avoid Bad (Run-down) Areas - Fun fact: Police officers like avoiding bad areas! So, if you want to
stay safe, travel in the areas that look nice. Avoid bad areas, because bad looking areas have bad
people, and no cops to protect you.
Here are some things that can tell you if an area is bad:
- Lots of trash on the ground. Trashy people throw trash on the ground.
- Abundant graffiti. Graffiti tells you that useless dumbasses are nearby.
- Excessive vandalism in any form is negative.
- Broken windows, boarded up windows, or bars on windows are all a bad sign too.
- Liquor stores, payday lending outlets, and strip clubs means seedy people are abound.
- Abandoned houses, and abandoned buildings means a lackluster economy, which translates
into crime.
- Obviously rusted cars, sitting in driveways are not a good sign.
- Overgrown grass, or poorly maintained lawns means nobody is doing maintenance, because
the people don't care for the crap area that they live in.
- Non-working, broken street lights are bad.
- Restaurants, or shops, where employees are behind glass means there is danger.
- Shopping carts not near their stores or shopping centers should raise your suspicions.
Shopping carts are for shopping. They shouldn't be roadside decorations.
- Have you noticed fully grown men, without helmets, riding BMX bicycles on the streets?
That'll indicate a rundown place.
- If common objects are locked up, or bolted down, then you are in a bad neighborhood. Do the
stores lock up common, everyday items? Do people's air conditioners have cages around
them? Are all the mailboxes locking mailboxes?
- If there are people just standing around, or sitting down, not doing anything of value, you've
probably entered a bad area... Don't they have jobs, or schools to go to?
h) Respond to the Violation of Your Personal Space - Although the concept of personal space differs by
country, you will have your own idea of what personal space ought to be. If your personal space is
broken, or violated by a stranger, or unwelcome person, respond to it.
Robbers, and thieves will violate your personal space, so they can steal from you, or attack you.
If someone you don't know is getting too close to you, immediately move away, and leave the area.
Remain skeptical. If someone stops you to ask for "a light" (i.e. a lighter) they might be a
criminal, looking to distract you. If they are a criminal, as soon as you get distracted, and pause to
think, they'll punch you, or draw a dangerous weapon, and then take your valuables.
i) Keep a Confident, Defensive Posture - When talking to someone, a stranger in particular, don't be too
relaxed. Stand tall, and confident, with your chin slightly down. Have one foot slightly back, and keep
your hands elevated, in front of you, not down by your side.
j) Don't Risk Your Life for Money - No matter what no amount of money is worth your life. Others
may think otherwise, but you are priceless. Don't enter into conflict to save the money in your wallet.
k) Have a Decoy Wallet - Consider keeping two wallets on you. Your real wallet (which will be in a
place someone wouldn't normally look), and a decoy wallet. The decoy wallet that you give to the
robber should look real, and have some things in it to fool the robber.
It's recommended that the decoy wallet contain at least $20 in it, random business cards, generic
receipts, and a fake credit card. Keep in mind any of these items should NOT contain any information
about you, or people you know.
l) Consider Throwing Your Wallet - Sometimes a robber doesn't just want your money. He might want
to kill you, too. If you sense real danger, then take your chances to escape. Take out your wallet, and
then throw it in the face of the robber, and as fast as you can run in the opposite direction.
m) Be Aware of Pre-Attack Cues, or Pre-Attack Indicators - Predators will do certain things before
attacking, and/or robbing you. That is to say, they make pre-attack cues, signals telling you that they are
about to attack, and/or rob you.
Some common things they do before striking:

1. They invade your personal space, getting too close.
2. They approach you from odd angles.
3. They lean in towards you.
4. They have a fighter's stance, one foot forward, and one foot back.
5. They have clenched fists.
6. They look around to check if anyone else is around. If there are people around, they will
check to see if anyone is watching.
If you see these behaviors be suspicious, and prepared to flee.
n) Learn Martial Arts - Study self-defense. Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or Sambo -- choose one.
o) Have Company - There is strength in numbers. If you have to go out bring a friend that you trust,
who will have your back. Criminals are more reluctant to attack people when they are with others.
p) Stay in Your Car - If there's a conflict, and you're in your car, stay in there. Don't get out to confront
an aggressor. Drive away.
Or if someone comes up to your car, and asks for something, keep the doors locked, and don't
roll the window down all the way. Just have it down enough, so you can talk to them.
And when traveling, if there is someone outside lying down in the middle of the road, be sure to
remain skeptical. In some countries a person will lie down in the middle of the road to get a car to stop,
and when the driver gets out, they are ambushed.
If it's not a person then it might be a log, or some garbage. In that case, just back up. Don't try to
move it out of the way. The road has been intentionally blocked because there are others waiting
around to rob you.
q) Avoid Lonely Areas - Sometimes people like to take shortcuts, and go through an alleyway, or
isolated path to save time. Try not to do that. Go through well lit, bright areas, that people obviously
travel. Because it might be that an area is lonely for a good reason.
r) Avoid Men (Maybe?) - This is a difficult thing to say, but you ought to be more skeptical of the men
you meet than the women. Because men have a much stronger inclination towards crime than the
"fairer sex."
Now, it's not to say you can trust every woman (because clearly you can't), but a man is far
more likely to be transgressive, and break the law, or encourage wicked behavior.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics: For every 100,000 males 1,352 of them are
incarcerated; however, for women the number is 126 in prison for every 100,000 females. This means
the amount of male criminals is nearly 11 times as great as that of women.
(Data Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Population in the United States, 2010,
Appendix Table 3.)
Therefore, if you want to do your best to avoid harm, then you must be extra skeptical of men.
Men are naturally predisposed to deviation.
Tip: If you encounter danger, and choose to run away (which is normally the best option to stay safe),
scream, and make noise, shouting for help. Robbers will usually stop chasing you when you bring too
much attention to yourself.
s) Don't Let Anyone Isolate You - Often thugs will threaten you, and try taking you to an isolated area,
or isolated space. They will say get in their car, or the trunk of their car, or into a dark place, where no
one is.
Don't let them, because they are going to do something really bad to you. This is a huge red
flag. If they demand you go somewhere, away from other eyes, say "yes" to them, but then when
they're calm, and think you're going along with their plan, run away as fast as you can to safety.
t) Ignore, and Avoid Conflict - Humans are social creatures. They usually need feedback to take action.
So, when in sticky situations, or potentially dangerous situations, involving aggressive humans, you
can often (but not always) just ignore them, avoid eye contact, and walk away.
u) Beware of Pickpockets - In truth, you can't really tell if someone is a pickpocket, and pickpockets
don't always "pick pockets." They will take whatever they can that is valuable, and isn't locked up.
To avoid being victimized pay attention to your surroundings, and keep your valuables in a
place that is hard to access for a thief. Keep your wallet in front of you, in a pocket that can be zipped
up. If your coat, or jacket has an inner pocket place it in there.
In the case you are extra cautious, you can have a decoy wallet as well. If you are a woman, and
carry a handbag, consider not putting your wallet, or phone, or anything valuable, in your handbag.
Also, be very aware of people encroaching on your personal space. Pickpockets will bump into
you, or get too close to you to take your things. If anyone gets too close, keep your eyes on them, and
quickly move away.
Lastly, avoid over-crowded places, and avoid carrying around anything precious, because the
reality is sometimes you can't avoid theft. Just have the essentials on you.
Fun Fact About Pickpockets: After a asshole pickpocket takes your wallet, he will take out the money,
and throw away everything else to avoid being caught with your possessions. This is why sometimes
you will find an empty wallet on the ground, but with no cash inside.
v) Have an Exit Plan, Run - In conflict, in fights, and struggles, many people meet their demise because
they don't have an exit plan, or exit strategy. When you take action you have to know how to end the
action, and you do that by retreating... You run your ass off, until you're safe, and away from danger!
Don't stick around, waiting for a conclusion. The conclusion is you escape. Better yet don't let
conflict happen in the first place. If you sense danger run. There's nothing wrong with running.
Flight > Fight.
w) Exercise, Be in Good Shape - Even if you never ever practice martial arts, it is still certain that
exercising, and getting in shape will increase your ability to defend yourself. Also, there are health
benefits, both mental, and physical. So, exercise! Be strong!
Common Crimes: The Gang Trap
I don't know who's reading this, but if you're a young man, living in an impoverished area with gangs --
DO NOT join a gang. Gangs are filled with immoral, selfish, undisciplined people, who have no higher
purpose. They will not protect you, or take care of you.
There is no in-group favouritism that benefits you. The reality is being a gang member will
expose you to more danger than normal, and increase your poverty. Gangs don't pay you any wages,
and you will never get rich.
The only people that get rich are the ones at the top. Everyone else is treated like a slave.
Joining a gang is nothing but a trap, and there is no glory in being in a gang. Being a gang member
makes you a target to both criminals, and law enforcement. It will shorten your life, and make you
miserable.
If you want to protect yourself, and you want money, and you want to be part of a fraternity,
then join the military, or become a police officer. It's a million times better than joining a gang. Period.
Online Scams: Penny Auction
You know about normal bidding/auction websites. You punch in a price, entering the amount you're
willing to pay, and others are allowed to upend that amount to obtain the item for sale.
Well, there are bidding websites that modify this process. They have what they call penny
auctions, and instead of allowing anyone to put in any sum they please, the price of the items only
increase a penny at a time, and the last bidder wins.
But there's a catch. Each bid costs you $0.50 to $1.00, and what usually happens is you spend
money without ever having received anything. One problem about penny auctions is they have bots to
prevent real people from being the last bidder that wins the item. Which is obviously fraudulent, but
how is anyone to know what's going on behind the scenes?
But in the case there are no bots, then what are the odds you are successful? Not very high,
because of the competition. Some people are even willing to lose money to win that item that they
want.
Economist Martin Shubik demonstrated this through a psychologically driven game called the
"Dollar Auction."
In the Dollar Auction a single dollar is put up for auction, and each bid adds on 5 cents, but the
catch is only the last bidder wins, and the second bidder has to pay what they had bid. What ends up
happening is the last two bidders get into a bidding war, with no one wanting to pay out, and eventually
someone has to pay far more than a dollar for a dollar.
The only winner is the auctioneer. And this is how in principle penny auctions work. The main
beneficiaries are the sellers, and not the buyers. Therefore, it's best to avoid penny auctions, lest you
pay for nothing.
Online Scams: Betting Scams
Are the people who arrange bets scammers, and con artists? Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes
they can be legitimate.
However, there is an aspect of betting that is seldom talked about: Paid for betting advice. There
are services, usually online, that offer betting advice, and they strongly suggest that you will win gobs
of money.
The truth is no website that sells you betting advice can help you to win more than the average.
How could they? If they know so much about what to bet on, why wouldn't they just make the bets
themselves, and get rich?
It's obvious what they're doing. They are taking advantage of people with gambling addictions.
Online Scams: "Crowdfunding"
When entrepreneurs want to raise cash for a project, or venture, normally they will go to a few
investors who have enough funds to supply their needs. Crowdfunding does the opposite of this, having
numerous "investors" that provide considerably smaller sums of money, but which adds up to a similar
amount.
Crowdfunding literally uses a crowd for funding. However, there are downsides to this. One,
people aren't really investing. They don't get receive a share of profits like a real investor would.
Rather, they are promised a product, or service that is then given to them upon the success of a project.
Two, crowdfunding carries a great deal of risk. You might not even get what is promised to you,
and because of how the terms, and agreements are structured for projects, there is nothing you can do to
get your money back.
Which is why crowdfunding is often used by con artists. They will promise to give you
something really cool for your monetary pledge, but then mysteriously have difficulties doing so, and
then they will do a vanishing act.
Now, is that to say crowdfunding is always a scam. No. Not at all. Crowdfunding is often used
by legitimate entrepreneurs, and can be a great benefit to the world, and those supporting it. However,
it does have an inordinate amount of risk. You are taking a gamble on people, who may or may not be
capable of doing as they promise.
If you don't have any money that you are okay with losing, then avoid crowd funding.
Online Scams: Information Theft, Phishing
Technology is a pain in the ass to use, and it's hard to stay safe when nearly all devices, and gadgets are
connected to the internet. Enterprising scumbags criminals know this, and will steal information from
people for financial gain, often doing so through the practice of phishing.
Phishing chiefly involves the use of fake e-mail addresses, and fake websites to obtain access to
people's information. They'll tell you that there's trouble with your account, or something else like that,
and direct you to a fraudulent website designed to look real.
Then when you enter your name, password, phone number, or credit card, to resolve the non-
existent issue, they will obtain enough information to defraud you of money.
To avoid the dangers of phishing do not click on any links contained in the message that's telling
you there's something wrong with your account. Instead, close your browser, and open it up again to
start anew.
Then enter the official web address of the company that you are having trouble with. Check to
see if there's any information about the supposed issue when you are logged in. If it says nothing, then
you are probably fine, and don't need to take further action.
Also, when you use technology, make sure you are on a modern, up-to-date system, with anti-
virus software. Sometimes links can lead to viruses, or malware, which can be used for theft.
And lastly, use your common sense. Only visit, and use trusted, reputable websites, and
services.
Phone Scams: "Microsoft" is Calling
Information, and identity theft commonly happens through the phone. You will get a call from a big
company like Apple, or Microsoft, telling you there's a problem with your computer, or your account.
You then look at the phone number on your caller ID, and see that it looks official.
Ah, but it's not. The phone number has been spoofed (i.e. faked). Tech companies don't call
their customers. If there's trouble on your end, you will have to contact them, and do the heavy lifting,
and botheration yourself.
Microsoft is not calling you! Microsoft doesn't care about you! Microsoft is a big pile of shit!
Microsoft barely has the ability to make software, much less give customer service!
So, do not give the person claiming to be a Microsoft employee any information whatsoever.
Just hang up the phone, and pretend they don't exist.
However, there are some cases where banks will call you. Yes, it does happen, but remember
banks won't ask you for vital information (that if anyone else knew could open you up to a case of
fraud).
If someone is asking for your mother's maiden name, or something personal, or identifying, just
hang up the phone. But don't swear at them, because these scamming scumbags can still screw around
with you by using your number, and pretending to be you.
Speaking of which, sometimes scammers will call you using your phone number. Seeing your
own number call you can pique your curiosity, and you might be tempted to answer -- but don't answer.
It's a bullshit call.
Lesson: Don't give out important information over the phone! Don't give information to strangers that
can help them perpetrate fraud! Be skeptical! If they ask for your credit card number, debit card
number, address, mother's maiden name, or anything that could be a security question, hang up, and
consider filing a report with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).
Phony Job Postings
Many companies will put out outrageous job postings, because they want people, specifically locals, to
not respond. After which they will say to the government that they can't find locals to fill in the
positions, and then they will use cheaper foreign workers. (To get permission to use foreign workers
companies have to prove to the government that they couldn't find anyone within the country to take
their offered jobs.)
Get-rich-quick Schemes: Pyramid Schemes
Not to be confused with multi-level marketing, a pyramid scheme is a fraudulent method of making
money. It works through an organization, which makes the majority of its profits through recruitment as
opposed to a valuable product and/or service being sold.
Example of how this can work:
- A hot new company appears on the market, and they are a distributor of an expensive weight
loss juice product.
- However, they don't sell directly to consumers.
- Instead this company attracts individuals to sell for them.
- These individuals are told that they can get rich, and makes gobs of money, selling weight loss
juice, but first they have to pay a price.
- To become a part of this they have to shell out $200, and they will then be registered as an
official distributor; after which, they receive a starter kit.
- The starter kit gives them instructions on how to sell -- buy the weight loss juice, in bulk, and
then make some "easy sales" with a sales pitch script.
- But as it turns out the weight loss juice is not very popular, because of its expensive price, and
lack of evidence in helping people slim down.
- The distributor is then stuck with all this unsold product. But there's another way to make
money. If they pay $4000 to the weight loss juice company they can upgrade their status, and
become a supervisor, and they themselves can recruit distributors.
- Through this method they are able to earn a "passive income" and earn 2% from from
whatever sales are done through their distributors, and best of all it goes "several layers deep,"
so they can get even more money than the mere 2%.
- It all sounds so appealing! And the weight loss juice company strongly encourages people to
upgrade, and recruit distributors, because this appears to be the best way to earn money.
But it's a pyramid scheme... What makes it a pyramid scheme? The profits are made in the recruitment
process, not the product itself that is to be sold. Unfortunately, there isn't an unlimited amount of people
to recruit, and the well quickly runs dry. If success is predicated on bringing in other suckers, then
eventually you'll run out of those that you can sucker.
The real question is: Why do grown men, and women fall for pyramid schemes?
There are two parts to this:
1) There is a clever but unethical use of social engineering - Two important things a company
running a pyramid scheme does are A) make false promise of gifts (the gifts being riches),
and B) they present misleading testimonials that convince people of a legitimacy that doesn't
exist.
2) The sunk cost fallacy - People who invest money into a pyramid scheme are more likely
to put in extra time, and money into it than if they hadn't contributed anything at all. The
fear of loss enforces their dedication to their fruitless endeavour.
Therefore the best course of action is to never get involved in pyramid schemes in the first place. When
you are approached with an opportunity to earn an income make sure you know the perimeters of the
deal.
Will you be selling a product, or service that is affordable, and valuable to consumers? Do you
have to pay a large quantity of money upfront to join? Are you encouraged to recruit others, as opposed
to selling directly?
If the answers are no, yes, and yes, you are facing a scam.
Get-rich-quick Schemes: Ponzi Schemes, Cryptocurrency
The Ponzi scheme is named after Charles Ponzi, a swindler, and conman. He became rich acting as a
financier, taking people's money, and investing it for them.
Of course, it was all a hoax. Profits were illegitimate, and only created by siphoning money
from investors, and redistributing but a fraction of what they had put in. Eventually, everything
collapsed, and Ponzi ran away with everyone's cash.
Example of how a Ponzi scheme works:

- 100 investors put $10,000 each into a Ponzi scheme that is masquerading as a legitimate
investment fund.
- The fund promises a return (aka growth of money) of 20% per year.
- But the Ponzi scheme manager is not doing any investing, and only has $1,000,000 (100
investors x $10,000). He gives everyone 20% for the year, meaning $200,000 is now gone,
and each investor gets back $2,000, falsely believing it's profit.
- This seems like an excellent deal, and the initial 100 investors attract another 100 new
investors, bringing the total amount of investors to 200.
- The Ponzi scheme has amassed $1.8 million.
- More money is paid out, and this attracts even more investors.
- Soon the Ponzi scheme has collected $20 million.
- But the Ponzi scheme has reached its limit, and cannot attract new investors to pay off the
others.
- Knowing this the person who started the Ponzi scheme takes the $20 million, and runs away.
Although a Ponzi scheme bears a striking resemblance to a pyramid scheme it differs slightly in
its operations. A Ponzi scheme typically does not purport to be selling products, or consumer services,
and it does not benefit by recruiting distributors, or salespeople. It is simpler only pretending to be a
vehicle for profitable investing.
But this makes Ponzi schemes extra dangerous, because they can be hard to spot. People who
have all the credentials in the world can run Ponzi schemes. Bernard "Bernie" Madoff was one such
person. He was a chairman for the NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
Quotations).
He had a title, and experience, and everything that one could want out of a person, who would
invest their money -- yet 4,800 people were duped to the tune of $64.8 billion. And these weren't
foolish people either. Many of them were successful, intelligent individuals.
Richard Spring, as an example, was a securities analyst, meaning he was knowledgeable about
finance. Yet he was tricked, because you cannot not truly know that a Ponzi scheme is a Ponzi scheme,
unless you are an insider, or the promised returns on your investment are exorbitantly high (which
would raise suspicions).
If you still want someone else to invest your money remember to use the utmost precaution.
Seek transparency. Transparency means you know where your money is being allocated, and you know
the details of your investment.
But most importantly: Be realistic. Investing is tricky, even for the most seasoned of pros. All
economies are subject to business cycles (times of prosperity, and gloom), and investments will go up,
and they will go down.
Someone that guarantees you they will beat the market every time, and your investment will
never reduce in value, is probably trying to rip you off -- or they don't know what they're doing.
General Advice: How to Avoid Tricks, Traps, and Scams
There are millions of scams that exist in the world, and you can't ever know about them all. But
knowing a few things can help you avoid being a victim.
Here is a list of suggestions to help you in avoiding scams, and fraud:
1. Be Wary of Strangers - Not that all strangers are dangerous, but you will typically be scammed by
people that you do not know. When strangers make unusual requests of you, you must be cautious, and
mentally have your guard up.
In China, for example, a country known for scamming people, locals often try to rip off tourists.
One scam they do is a "tea scam."
This is how it works: A Chinese woman you don't know comes up to you, and chats you up. If
you are receptive to her, she then introduces her friend, or "cousin." Then she suggests you all go out
for some drinks. She says she knows a nice place.
The three of you walk a bit, and arrive at some hole in the wall place that serves tea, coffee,
and/or beer. You are sat down, and there is a confusing menu, or no menu at all. You order, thinking the
prices will be reasonable, and you find out you owe hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. You've
been grossly misled about the costs.
If you refuse to pay some ugly Chinese men will surround you, and intimidate you into paying
up. Or they'll lower the price, but you will still pay an absurd amount of money for what should only
cost a few dollars.
If you've been made to pay, leave, and prepare for a visit to the local police. First, write out the
details of what happened to you, and be sure to include your name, all relevant details, the address of
the place you visited, and how much you paid.
Obtain a translation from a translator, then make a photocopy of your passport. Attach this to
your complaint. Head there with someone who speaks the language of the land, and submit your
complaint to the police.
Have patience as it may take some time. After waiting, you will head to the place that ripped
you off, and you can demand a refund. Once you get your refund, thank the police officer, and that's it...
But what a crappy experience, huh?
But this sort of thing happens all the time in China, and other "third world" countries, too. This
is why you have to be careful around strangers. Don't assume that a friendly stranger coming up to you
has good intentions.
By default, you should trust strangers a lot less than you trust your family, friends, and
neighbours. You should especially be distrustful of strangers when you are in a foreign land, because
thieves, and con-artists target tourists.
2. Do Your Dealings With Brick and Mortar Establishments - When you want to buy something, or you
want to do some sort of business, try to seek establishments that have a physical location, instead of
dealing with people who are floating about in the air.
Brick and Mortar Establishments at the very least have a location that you can find, and go back
to, if need be; furthermore, they've established some credentials by proving their financial stability to a
real estate company, and/or bank.
Although this is no guarantee of avoiding scammers it is more likely that someone with a
physical location that the public can visit will have more legitimacy than others.
3. Be Skeptical of What Seems Too Good to Be True - Many scams work by appealing to people's
greed. Therefore, to avoid scams, think about the fairness of the exchange. Ask yourself: "What is
being exchanged here? What does the other person receive? Is this deal fair? What is the motivation
behind this deal?"
If you find the exchange/deal is too lopsided in your favour, then it is likely too good to be true,
and is probably a scam, someone trying to bait you into a trap. Steer clear.
Note: While there might be exceptions to this it is rare. Always be precautious.
4. Use Your Instincts - The human brain, as you know, is quite mysterious. There are things happening
inside your head that you can't even comprehend. This is why when trying to stay safe, in any form,
you should not completely ignore your instincts.
Instead listen. Instincts arise from the subconscious gears turning in your mind, and can warn
you of potential harm from external forces. Instinct is like a feeling in your gut, a quiet whisper in your
ear, or a red flag that is trying to give you a warning.
If you encounter something, and it seems off, and you feel it, but can't explain it, then that is
your instincts trying to tell you to be careful. So, turn around, and walk away from a situation that
could end up sideways. There's nothing wrong with walking away, literally, or metaphorically, if it will
keep you safe.
5. Learn About Social Engineering - In this book we have included a lengthy treatise on social
engineering. Read it, and remember it, and see how people are trying to manipulate you.
6. Expand Your Knowledge - No one book can provide you with everything you need to know. Look
elsewhere, and read, and learn about the different scams, and the traps that are out there. Arm yourself
with knowledge.
7. Don't Tolerate Strange, and Undesirable Behaviours - In a polite society we are often told to be
polite, and tolerant of others, even if they are acting strange, or doing undesirable things to us. But the
reality is you have to protect yourself, and if someone is making you uncomfortable do not tolerate it.
That is not to say you should instantly be aggressive, and hostile, but rather you should take
appropriate action. If a person is being rude, pushy, creepy, or acting unusually, then they are probably
up to no good, and you should walk away -- or if need be run, and call the police.
8. As a Rule Never Give Out "Sensitive Personal Information" to Strangers - With few exceptions, you
should never give out any sensitive personal information to strangers... But what does this mean? Your
first, and last name, your age, your birthday, where you live, where you were born, the schools you
went to, your mother's maiden name, who your family are, where you bank, plastic cards information,
e-mail addresses, etc, are all sensitive personal information (aka personally identifiable information),
and should be kept secret to anyone that you do not intimately know.
9. Opt to Give to Reputable Charities Instead - Sometimes people will ask you for money, and give you
a sob story, or they'll beg you for help. You cannot be certain of anyone's character within a short
amount of time, so if you do not want to be scammed, yet still wish to be generous, opt to give to a
reputable charity instead. (And give directly, not through some unknown person, who might be an
imposter.)
10. Find the Holes in Their Stories - A lot of scammers will try to pass off their fake stories as real in
order to scam you. So, when someone tells you a story, or shares a testimonial, ask lots of questions
about it -- both to the person you are talking to, and yourself.
When talking to someone find the inconsistencies (holes) in what they are telling you. Listen to
what they're saying, and think about it. Is what they're saying reasonable? Does it make sense? Does it
make you uncomfortable, or give you an odd feeling? Have they verbally made any mistakes? Did they
say one thing that contradicted another? Did they say anything that does not match their appearances,
or behavior, or earlier statements?
All of these questions are important. Do you remember the empty box scam? How "Jim" was
ripped off by that Rastafarian? The Rastafarian said the cops were looking for him, and he quickly had
to unload his two stolen camcorders, which were really just bricks.
But that story doesn't make sense, does it? There's a hole in it, if you look. Think about it: If you
were a thief, and the cops were looking for you, why would you take the time to approach a random
person having lunch to sell stolen merchandise? Wouldn't it be more logical to make your escape first,
and then do your selling at a different time?
But Jim never asked any of these questions to himself, and he was tricked, and lost his $200. He
didn't have a skeptical mind, and did not query the scammer either. He should have asked where the
cops were, and why there were no sounds of sirens, or where the scammer got his goods from.
So, when facing someone, who is questionable, you must ask questions. Ask questions so the
story has to be expanded. Most people aren't improv artists. If they're lying they will make mistakes,
but you have to pay attention. Analyze the information you have received. Is there consistency? Is there
logic to what they're saying? Is it reasonable?
11. Expect the Unexpected - One big reason people get scammed is because they do not expect the
unexpected. They do not see themselves as potential victims. They do not see the possibility of being
duped, but anyone can be duped, or fooled, or scammed.
To avoid scams, and chicanery, you must have that mind that you could be targeted. It's not that
you should be paranoid, but you can't have the attitude that you will never meet a "wolf in sheep's
clothing."
12. Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing - Many people will pretend to be something that they are
not. So, pay attention, and be skeptical. What you see may not be what you get.
Example: In 2018/2019, Sen. Dinah Sykes and Rep. Stephanie Clayton, two Kansas politicians,
tricked voters by running as Republicans, and then immediately switched to being Democrats.
This is real scumbag behavior.
13. Take Caution Around Overly Friendly Strangers - If a total stranger comes up to you, and they are
overly friend, that should raise a red flag. Although friendliness is a good thing being overly friendly
can indicate that a person is trying to sell you on a persona that doesn't exist, i.e. they are being phony.
However, what is considered overly friendly can be highly dependent on culture. Some cultures
are more open, and friendly, while others are reserved, and introverted.
If you are visiting a foreign land, then you ought to use the locals as a measuring stick. If you
are in a country where most people seem bashful, then somebody who approaches you, with a big grin,
who is very talkative, might be dangerous; although that can't really be known, until something
happens, or you further investigate.
The safest bet is to not let that happen, and proceed to literally exit the situation.
Note: The opposite of this is somebody being overly aggressive, but when someone is overly aggressive
we will know that there are certainly bad intentions.
14. Watch Out for Info Bombs - If you're communicating with someone, who's a stranger, and right
away they start telling you their life story -- be careful. You might be dealing with someone
unscrupulous.
15. Recognize Abnormalities - This has to be reiterated, but one of the best ways to avoid danger, and
crime, and skulduggery is by establishing or being aware of normality, and identifying what appears to
be abnormal. Not that there's anything wrong with the strange, or unusual, but a strategy for survival in
this world requires one to know what is not normal, and what is acceptable; after which, you can take
the proper course of action to stay safe.
For example: When you are outside for a walk no one will step in your path, and stop to block
your way... Right? Well, suppose that a person were to step in your path, and block your way.
Abnormal, isn't it? That abnormality is a red flag, and it spells a possibly dangerous situation ahead of
you. So, you must turn around, and run, or prepare for a fight.
Although this type of behavior seems overboard for some, it is the reality of the world that to
stay (relatively) unscathed we have to have expectations, and ideas of what is normal, and when these
norms are broken we react, either through battle, or retreat.
16. Don't Do Deals with Criminals - A shady person, or criminal might come up to you, offering you
the deal of a life time (or the year), but do not do business with them. Not only will you incriminate
yourself, but you are acting immoral, and you're liable to get duped by an untrustworthy individual,
who is not honest enough to make an honest living.
17. Have Patience (For Yourself) - In some situations, you will be forced to make a quick decision...
But most of the time that is not required, and in everyday life you should exercise patience, and think
carefully. Don't let a would-be scammer persuade you by telling you that whatever they have on offer is
only available for a limited period.
Reject the pressure placed on you, and be patient in evaluating what is before you. Remember
the saying: "Haste makes waste."
18. Get a Second Opinion - Two heads are better than one, they say, and that is true when trying to
evaluate whether something is a scam, or not. If you don't know what to make of what you're looking at
ask someone that you know, and trust for their opinion.
Listen to them, and consider their point of view. They might have an insight which you never
thought of. If you can't ask someone for help in person, then do some research online, and see if anyone
else has stories to share, or experiences about what you've encountered.
19. Read the Fine Print - Before legally agreeing to anything, read the fine print, and read the details.
Should there be too much fine print and details to read, then (if possible) choose to opt out. Seek to
make a deal elsewhere.
Ethically speaking, a contract ought to be straight forward, and simple enough to understand.
Complex, jargon-filled contracts are the earmark of seedy individuals, and seedy organizations.
20. Read the Reviews - We live in the information age. Investigate, and search for reviews on what you
are looking at. Just be aware that not all reviews are true. Use multiple sources of information, and pay
attention to how the reviewers write. Real reviewers tend to make grammatical mistakes, and they are
specific about their experiences, which is the opposite to fake reviews with perfect grammar, and
generic praise.
21. The Best Reviews, and Testimonials Are from People You Already Know and Trust - They are less
likely to mislead you.
22. Inquire, Ask Questions - Granted, you are in no real danger, be curious, and ask questions of the
person who you believe is dubious in nature. The questions that are answered (and not answered) will
provide you with a better idea of what they are trying to do, and the details help you see the lack of
consistencies, and logic, if any.
23. Don't Lend Out Anything Which You Want Returned - Some people steal by stealing, and others
steal by "borrowing" something, and not returning it. If someone wants to borrow something from you,
and you have to have it back, don't lend it out. Say "sorry, I can't" and move along.
24. Be Aware of Accomplices - Scammers, and frauds don't always act alone. Like magicians, many of
them have teams, or partners, so be aware that the person whom you think is unconnected to someone
might in fact be connected.
25. Think About Ulterior Motives - Often the motive that a person presents is not their motive at all.
Which is why you have to surmise, and think on what their ulterior motive(s) could be. What is it that
they really want? What is their true plan?
You might not know for certain, but the act of pondering, imagining the possibilities, and
various scenarios, can help you spot dishonesty.
Ask yourself: "If the motive this person presents is not true, what else would they desire?" and
"Would that desire, or goal harm me?"
If the answer is "yes" then (in a manner of speaking) you must back away.
26. Think About Fairness - Scammers prey on people by exploiting their greed. When there is a
potential deal in front of you don't accept it right away.
Query the situation. Ask yourself, "What will this exchange entail?" and "Is it fair for both
sides?" If the answer to the last question is no, then something is probably wrong.
27. Establish Boundaries & Rules - A common factor in success is the establishment of boundaries, and
rules. If you look at anyone who is successful, and you inquire as to how they live, and how they
achieved their goals, they shall tell you directly, or indirectly that they have rules which they follow to
stay on track.
In staying safe, and avoiding scams, the same applies. You must have clearly defined
boundaries, and rules that if violated cause you to make a decision of refusal.
For example: In dealing with someone, who is too pushy, or pressuring, or hostile, you must put
your foot down, and refuse them.
But you must be firm, and be able to say no. You must stand your ground, and not let anyone
persuade you against your own interests. Although this seems fairly simple, saying no can be difficult
for certain people. However, with practice you can get better at it.
The main question is: "What should your boundaries, and rules be?" Some people are willing to
take more risks, while others are extra precautious.
Well, your experiences, and absorbed knowledge are contributors to how you behave when met
with perilous situations. Second-hand information can especially be helpful. Why not learn from
others?
For example: You meet someone who has an arm missing. You ask him why his arm is missing.
"When I was younger," he says, "I put my arm outside the bus window while it was moving... Nothing
happened, but then I went home, and tried to juggle some chainsaws."
The story is shocking, but it also teaches you a lesson. You then make a rule in your mind to
never juggle chainsaws because of the risks involved.
This is a bit of a silly example, but that is the process of how you establish rules, and
boundaries. You learn what to do, and what not to do through experiences of your own, and of others.
Not to mention books like this, which offer a plethora of advice.
CHAPTER 35:
FALLACIES, AND FAULTS IN THINKING
Human Irrationality -- That Which Makes Humans Human
Many believe that humans have free will, but we as humans are bound to certain characteristics, and
many behaviors we exhibit are not done so through our conscious choosing. We clearly have numerous
biases, and faults in thinking.
If that were not true, then things like social engineering would not work. Yet social engineering
has proven itself to work, and has been used throughout time to shape society.
It is possible because of a universal rule that applies to us all which is that: People are
motivated by self-interest, and driven by their emotions.
This is what allows manipulators to warp the behavior of others. It is the self-interested,
emotionally charged individuals that are susceptible to particular influence.
So to do away with this influence, and to be more in control of ourselves, we must fill our
brains with knowledge, knowledge that teaches us rationality, and objectivity through self-awareness.
To gain self-awareness we must learn about our human flaws -- our biases, and faults in thinking.
Though it may seem society is moving away from rationality, because of the challenges in self-
reflecting in the modern world, we can certainly reverse, or at least slow down the march into mental
maelstroms through the act of learning about the human condition, and where we are weak in the mind.
Fallacies and Faults in Thinking
And so, we begin with fallacies, and faults in thinking... But first! What are fallacies? What is a
fallacy? A fallacy is a misconception. It is an unsound argument. It is bad reasoning. It is erroneous
thought trying to appear as logic.
Some would call it mental gymnastics, but whatever the names be, fallacies are problems found
in argumentation, debate, discussion, and thought. We begin with the first fallacy of using a false
premise. Ground zero.
0. False Premise, Use of a False Premise, or False Assumption - A false premise is an incorrect
proposition, which forms the basis of an argument. When an argument is made on a false premise (or
false assumption) the conclusion is likely to be incorrect.
Example: Someone tells you, "All Africans are great athletes. My friend Dean's African.
He must be a great athlete."
Yes, Dean might be a great athlete, but the premise that all Africans are great athletes is
false, and should not be used to take someone towards a conclusion.
1. Fallacy Fallacy - You point out someone's fallacy (mistake) in an argument, and try to nullify their
proposition simply based on one or a few errors, which does not mean for certain that they are wrong.
There must be more evidence.
Example: You assert that a person's stance on gun control is wrong, just because he misused
statistics. (The misuse of statistics is a statistical fallacy.)
2. Psychologist's Fallacy - This happens when a person analyzes an individual, and uses their personal
experiences, and beliefs as a measuring stick when it is not relevant.
Example: A young man, who is tall, and in shape, says that anyone can run a marathon. But for
many this is untrue. What if someone has no legs?
3. Black or White Fallacy - Asserting in an argument that there are only two choices when in reality
there might be one or several more. This is an "either/or" attitude.
Example: The president of the USA says, "Either you're against us, or with us." This neglects
the third option which is neutrality.
4. Fallacy of the Single Cause - Falsely thinking, and pushing the idea that there is only a single cause
or solution to something.
Example: A politician says that, "The cause of poverty is a lack of jobs."
5. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc - This is a Latin phrase which means "after this, therefore because of
this." It is a fallacy in which one believes two unconnected events are connected because of their
closeness in time; one falsely believes that "Event A" has caused "Event B."
Example: An undefeated boxer makes love to his wife the night before his big fight. Then when
he fights, he loses, and his perfect record is broken. He then erroneously believes that the act of
making love to his wife made him lose.
6. Argumentum Ad Populum - "Argumentum Ad Populum" meaning "Appeal to Popular Opinion" is a

fallacious argument that asserts that a proposition is correct because it is supported, or believed by
many.
Following this is an informal essay attacking "argumentum ad populum." After reading it, see if you
can provide counter arguments, and think how you would debate against this. The key to sharpening
your mind is hearing ideas you disagree with, and step by step, using your intellect, tearing apart what
you believe is wrong.
THE ESSAY:
An overwhelming amount of people believe that elective abortions are morally correct, and that it is not
infanticide (i.e. murder of babies), but this is wrong. However, they feel confident in their principles,
because they are supported by a majority.
However, mass conformity does not justify this wrongdoing, and it does not serve as proper
proof of correctness. Using a bit of logic, we can see that abortions are an act of immorality.
First, we must define death. What is death? It is when one's life ceases. Then we must ask, what
are the rules of death? The rule is that it is inevitable, and happens to everyone. Then we ask another
question, what makes death an act of injustice?
Normally, death is an act of injustice if it is murder, and murder is intentionally taking action to
end early or prevent a living being's ability to live without their permission.
Abortion has both these elements containing both: a) Intentional action to end the continuing of
someone's existence (before they can have any autonomy), and b) there is no permission granted from
the fetus.
Now, one might be reluctant to accept the second part, because it's clear that in no situation
could a fetus grant any type of permission. One may reason then that the pregnant woman therefore
ought to make the final decision. But under law, if someone is deemed unable to consent to something,
typically the default is that no permission is given to taking an act seen as harmful.
Take for example, laws regarding sexuality. A young teenager, who is far more developed than a
fetus, cannot give consent to have sex with an adult. A 40 year old man having sex with a 13 year old is
illegal, even if s/he says yes, because there is the assumption that this youth is not able to properly
agree, because their brain is under-developed. Thus, the law protects this teenager, and imposes
morality, and consequences onto the adult.
So important is consent and permission in law that it is considered rape if you have sex with a
woman that is drunk -- who tries seducing you. Her being drunk means she is not in the right mind, and
that means she cannot rightfully give you permission.
Not being able to give conscious permission means no, and since a fetus, likewise, cannot
consent to the ending of its life, an abortion is then equivalent to infanticide, or the murder of an infant.
Saying that abortion is wrong is the correct position to take.
If one looks back into the past, one finds out that the antiquated view of babies allowed a
woman to commit murder in the form of negligence. In ancient Europe, and Asia it was common
practice to kill a baby by abandoning it, and leaving it perish through exposure like hypothermia,
hunger, thirst, or predators.
But as society grew, and moved forward, and we became smarter, we deemed this immoral, and
illegal, and wrote it into law, and punished those who would kill their child through means of exposure,
and neglect.
Protecting babies through law, and punishment displayed mankind's compassion, and moving
forward in intellectual thought. Then as we grew abortion became illegal, but recently this has been
reversing, and some even go so far as to praising abortions, and individuals that disagree are harshly
criticized.
But choosing to protect the innocent, voiceless, and defenseless is a good thing, and it shows
that we have compassion, and are maturing as a society. Vegans, and vegetarians (even if they support
abortions) operate on similar ideologies.
They protest against animal slaughter, and abuse, and protect them, because they know it is
wrong, since animals cannot consent to what happens to them, and they are voiceless, and defenseless,
and require the help of others to save them, and prevent misery.
However, like those that are "pro life" they too are in the minority. But does that mean the are
wrong? It doesn't. Majority opinion doesn't always mean correct.
Of course, there is the argument that if you make abortions illegal, women will perform the
abortions themselves, and be at risk of great harm, or death. That however still does not justify the
acceptance of abortions.
If a robber decides to rob someone's house, and they are shot, and hurt by the owner of the
home, this should not result in the law crafting itself around the protection, and welfare of the robber.
The robber is in the wrong, and he is deciding to take a risk for his own gain, and the negative
consequences rest on his shoulders alone.
Yet those who are "left leaning" insist that any punishment, by law, nature, or otherwise, to a
woman that has an abortion is cruel. Punishment is seen as regressive, but whether punishment is
regressive is dependent on the nature of the crime. Is the punishment proportionate to the crime?
Sometimes increasing the severity of a punishment is actually progressive.
In the past, when most women did not have equal rights, rape was seen as "no big deal." In the
1970s legal systems did not even allow for the prosecution of rape within a marriage. It wasn't
considered wrong as women were seen like a type of property to be used, and disposed of for the
purpose of man -- similar to how today pregnant women see their fetuses as their property with which
they can do what they want.
But as society grew, so did views about consent. Rape became recognized as harmful, and the
punishment for rape became harsher, and that was a good thing. The punitive treatment to rapists was
progressive.
Ergo, punishment isn't always regressive, and in fact can be progressive. Though how anyone
who has an abortion should be punished is up for debate. If there is no punishment, then at the very
least it should be illegal, and not encouraged.
An unborn baby is not a disposable item. The reductive argument that it is either a clump or
bundle of cells, or a parasite is absolutely absurd.
First, living humans are always comprised of cells. An adult is a huge collection of cells, so
being cells does not remove the value of an individual. Second, babies are not parasites. In the womb, if
a mother incurs organ damage, the fetus will donate its own stem cells to help her heal, and this is
known as fetomaternal microchimerism.
Based on this information, we can conclude that the relationship between an unborn baby, and
mother is symbiotic. We can also conclude that a fetus, or an embryo, or unborn baby, call it what you
want, is remarkably sophisticated, and has a worth that cannot be removed by popular opinion.
Everyone has a right to live, and to exist, even if there are others that disagree. Popular opinion
is no justification for allowing innocent life to end. One would be immoral in ignoring the facts, and
ignoring the defenseless and voiceless, who desperately need our protection.
7. Begging the Question - Is a type of circular reasoning. It is like a Catch 22. A Catch 22 would be
something like: "You require job experience to get a job." As you can see, there is an interdependence
that doesn't work.
In "begging the question" you have this similarity. The evidence of a statement (or argument)
needs the assertion to be true to be valid. And the statement (or argument) avoids answering the
question that prompted the response, so is therefore "begging the question."
Example:
You are talking to a lady about religion.
You: "How do you know the Flying Spaghetti Monster is real?"
Lady: "It says so in the Flying Spaghetti Monster bible."
You: "How do you know that the Flying Spaghetti Monster bible is true?"
Lady: "It was written by the Flying Spaghetti Monster."
8. Appeal to Nature - When someone says that something is better or right, because it is natural.
Example: Someone says, "Natural cures are better. Mother nature knows best!" But they've
ignored the fact that mother nature also produces venom, and toxins that can kill people.
9. Syntactic Ambiguity - Phrasing something in such a way that it can be interpreted in more than one
way.
Example:
George: "Say good night, Gracie."
Gracie: "Goodnight, Gracie!"
10. Tu Quoque - An informal fallacy also known as an "appeal to hypocrisy." It's when you point out
someone's hypocrisy to invalidate their point. What's wrong with that, right? Well, it becomes a fallacy
when it is irrelevant. Someone can be inconsistent in their thinking, but what they are arguing is still
true.
Example:
Evanna: "Eating meat is wrong! It's wrong, wrong, wrongity, wrong!"
Harry: "How can you say eating meat is wrong when you're wearing leather pants? Also, who
wears leather pants in the summer? Isn't it hot, and sticky?"
In that dialogue, Evanna is right about eating meat, yet Harry criticizes Evanna's
hypocrisy, pointing out that she is wearing leather pants. Yes, there is a degree of hypocrisy, but
that does not invalidate Evanna's thoughts on meat consumption.
11. No True Scotsman - This is a fallacy that modifies a position so that the evidence against it does not
fit.
Example:
Reginald: "Conor, what do you think about sheep shagging?"
Conor: "It's wrong, and no Scotsman would ever shag a sheep."
Reginald: "Why, I saw a Scotsman shagging a sheep just the other day. I recorded it, too. Would
you like to see the video?"
Conor: "No TRUE Scotsman would ever shag a sheep."
12. Genetic Fallacy - A fallacy that (typically) attacks something based on its history, origin, or source.
Example:
White Man: "We really need to reduce immigration. It's a huge strain on our country."
Social Justice Warrior: "Hmph! You're a white man! Your ancestors used to own slaves, and like
you benefited from that. Like why should I take your opinion seriously? You're racist."
White Man: "But my wife is black. Also, me being white, and genetically related to slave
owners doesn't nullify my opinion. I'm not saying this because I hate anyone. I just think we
need to reduce immigration, because we can't afford it right now."
Social Justice Warrior: "Don't make me punch you in the throat, Nazi!"
13. Argument to Moderation - This happens when someone tries to please everyone, and they
incorrectly insist that a solution, or resolution can be made by finding a middle ground.
Example:
It's the year 1691...
Person A argues that slavery is good.
Person B argues that slavery is bad.
Person C argues that Person A, and Person B should settle their differences by finding
something that is in the middle. He suggests that maybe slaves could be slaves every day, except
on Saturday, and Sunday.
14-A. Appeal to Tradition, Appeal to Antiquity - Claiming that something is good, right, or acceptable,
because it is traditional, old(er), or of the past. Also, there can be the claim that something isn't good,
right, or acceptable, because it goes against tradition, isn't old(er), or of the past.
Example 1: "These clothes are cool, because it's 'vintage.'"
Example 2: "We shouldn't allow gay people to get married, because it goes against tradition."
Example 3: "That tribe of cannibals should be left alone. They've lived as cannibals for over
2,000 years. We shouldn't interfere."
14-B. Appeal to Common Practice - Related to "Appeal to Tradition/Antiquity" this is a claim that
something is good, right, acceptable, okay, or not a "big deal" because it is common, and often happens.
Example: A boy does something bad, and the mom says, "Boys will be boys."
15. Argument from Ignorance - A claim that something is true, because it hasn't been proven false.
Example: A child tells another child that the Easter Bunny is real, because she has no evidence
to prove otherwise.
16. Argument from Silence - Using silence to support a supposition, argument, conclusion, or idea.
Example 1: The media believes that Hillary Clinton is going to become president, because few
are being vocal about their support for Donald Trump.
Example 2: Nobody has said anything against this thing therefore it is true.
17. Argumentum Ad Nauseam - When someone argues to the point of making someone sick, or
nauseous. The opposition gives up, because they can't stand to hear it anymore.
Example: "Martha concedes that 'gif' is pronounced with a hard G, because she doesn't want to
debate anymore. She's sick of it."
18. Association Fallacy - Faulty reasoning that makes a conclusion about someone, or something,
because of its association. Guilt by Association* is one well known type of association fallacy.
Example 1 : Jack observes that his co-worker Larry is fat, and lazy. Jack then foolishly believes
that there is a link between being fat, and lazy.
Later on, he meets Barry, who also happens to be fat. Jack now thinks that Barry is lazy.
But he is wrong, because Barry is a hard worker. There is no evidence to say that all fat people
are lazy.
Example 2: Laurence is friends with Joey, Moe, and Eddie. Joey, Moe, and Eddie are all
criminals. Outside observers then believe that Laurence is a criminal, too.
Example 3: A teacher disagrees with her student's presentation, because it uses quotes from
Donald Trump.
*The opposite of "Guilt by Association" is "Honor by Association" which is just how it sounds. Instead
of having something negative like guilt (by association), you have honor, or something else considered
positive.
Sippenhaft - Is a German word referring to a principle in which family or groups are made to share the
burden, and responsibility of the behaviour of any one of its members.
We witnessed this during World War 2 in Germany. Nazis would enforce Sippenhaft to keep
Jews obedient. They would warn everyone that if one Jew chose to escape another within the
concentration camp would be punished. This made Jews more likely to conform.
19. Broken Window Fallacy - First observed, and recorded by French economist, Frederic Bastiat, the
Broken Window Fallacy is a delusion in which one believes destruction is beneficial to society, because
it creates opportunities, especially for money, and wealth.
Example: A child breaks a neighbour's window. The child's father says it's good, because it
means someone will have a job fixing that window. But the father is being ignorant, because
had the neighbour's window not been broken, the neighbour could have used his money for
something else. So, there is a real loss to the neighbour.
20. Cherry Picking - This happens when a person debating, or presenting an idea, only chooses to
shows facts, and evidence, which supports his or her side, whilst ignoring that which is contrary.
Example: A politician (with ulterior motives) endorses going to war, talking about all the jobs it
will create, but he does not discuss the huge sums of money that has to be borrowed to fuel the
war, and all the inevitable casualties.
21. Correlation Proves Causation Fallacy - When two things, in a manner of speaking, "move together,"
people sometimes believe that this correlation (CO-relation) is enough to prove causation (i.e. the cause
of something).
Imagine that a chart is measuring two different things, and it is noticed that Item A goes up with
Item B, and vice-versa. In this situation an individual will be inclined to believe that one is responsible
for the other; however, correlation does not always prove causation.
Example: A statistician notices that when the weather gets warmer violent crime increases. He
then blames warm weather for causing violent crime. But he has disregarded the fact that warm
weather means more people choose to go outside. More people = More victims.
22. Destroying the Exception - When a person debates or argues, and they take a general statement, or
rule of thumb, but they then exclude any exceptions, they are destroying the exception(s). They are not
being logical, because they are ignoring nuances.
In essence, they've asserted a general statement, or rule of thumb as something universal, even
though it shouldn't be.
Example:
- Punching people is bad.
- The sport of boxing requires you to punch people.
- Therefore boxing is bad.
23. False Analogy - When a person compares things, and shows the similarities, but ignores the
differences to make a point, they are making a false analogy. Or in some cases a person will just
compare things which are outright different, erroneously thinking they are similar.
Example: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get."
24. Presentism - If a historian, or person studying history, interprets history through their own modern
perspective, they are committing an act of presentism. Presentism is considered to be a form of cultural
bias. To think that people of the past think like those who exist today is very likely wrong.
Example: A history student believes that Thomas Jefferson was an evil person for having owned
slaves. He declares that no one would do that today.
25. Moralistic Fallacy - A moralistic fallacy gives priority to morality instead of the truth, presenting an
ideal to make a conclusion rather than facing what is true, and perhaps unpleasant.
Example: We should view men and women as equal; therefore, both sexes should be treated
exactly the same.
26. Nirvana Fallacy* - To think that problems can only be solved with perfect/ideal solutions, and that
flawed or lesser solutions will never work.
Example: "What's the point of background checks for people wanting to buy guns? That only
delays law-abiding citizens from getting guns; meanwhile, criminals will do whatever they
want."
*All or Nothing Mentality - Related to the Nirvana Fallacy, when one has an "All or Nothing
Mentality" they refuse something because it isn't 100% of what is desired.
Example: Mark Zuckerberg wanted to give poor people free access to the internet, but
opponents shot down the idea, because it didn't give them access to everything.
27. Irrelevant Conclusion or Missing the Point - If one draws an irrelevant conclusion, or they are
missing the point of something, they have given answers or comments to questions that were not asked,
directly, or implicitly. They have failed to be on point.
Example:
You: "Is it legal to smoke weed here?"
Friend: "It should be legal to smoke weed here."
In that short piece of dialogue the question is answered -- but not really.
28. Overwhelming Exception - If a general statement is made, which is true, but has numerous
exceptions that are dismissed, this then becomes a fallacy.
Example: Many claim that the USA is a capitalistic country, but they ignore things like public
schools, libraries, medicaid, welfare, FEMA, fire services, the police, etc.
29. Retrospective Determinism - A term coined by French philosopher Henri Bergson, retrospective
determinism describes the informal fallacy which falsely asserts that a specific occurrence in the past
was inevitable, and arose because of its circumstances rather than something else, and it is bound to
happen again in the future, if the circumstances are repeated.
It's like saying: "Ah-ha! I knew it all along!" or "I knew that was going to happen!"
Example: "When Thanos declared himself ruler of the Marvel universe he was bound to be
overthrown."
30. Slippery Slope - Fallaciously believing that small, or minor actions will certainly lead to negative
consequences, i.e. small, or minor actions (seen as negative) make a slope slippery on which society
falls.
Example: If we let homosexuals get married, then soon people will be marrying dogs, and cats,
and roller coasters.
31. Survivorship Bias - Drawing conclusions by focusing on the winners (survivors) whilst not taking
into account the numerous losers.
Example 1: During World War 2, when bullet-riddled planes returned to safety, it was initially
suggested to reinforce the areas that were shot up. However, this was faulty thinking. The places
shot in reality represented resilient points. Statistician Abraham Wald knew this, and decided
that the military do the opposite, instead reinforcing the areas that weren't shot on the surviving
airplanes.
Example 2: Money guru Bob Kiyosaki says that he succeeded because of all his hard work, and
so others think that this is the most important characteristic in becoming a success. However,
Bob has not mentioned all the losers who also worked hard but failed. So it goes, success cannot
be explained by hard work alone. Normally, numerous factors play a part in achieving a goal.
32. Thought Terminating Cliche - A cliche is an over-used idea, thought, or expression. It is usually
broad in meaning, and explains very little about the world. Using a cliche to end an argument, or to
counter a point is considered improper within debate.
Example: Sam Harris is debating a Z-grade actor with a big head, and equally big ego. Harris
is talking about religious zealotry, and its perils. The Z-grade actor shouts at Harris, and says,
"That's racist!" without offering any reasonable refutation. The Z-grade actor was too
ignorant to think of anything else; so, he used a thought terminating cliche.
33. Traitorous Critic Fallacy - Also known as "ergo decedo" or "therefore leave" this describes a
manner of thinking where suggestions to emulate outsiders is met with hostility, and the person who
makes the suggestion is told to leave.
Example:
American 1: "There's too much racism in our country. Why can't we be more like Canada?"
American 2: "You cuck! If you don't like it here, then you should get out of here, and go live in
an igloo!"
American 1: "Seriously?"
34. Wrong Direction Fallacy - An error in thinking, where cause and effect are reversed.
Example: Poor hearing causes loud music.
35. Not as Bad as Fallacy - An error in thinking that justifies amoral, or immoral behaviour(s) because
it is not as bad as something else. Or believing that a problem is trivial, or not worth discussing,
because it is not as bad as something else.
Example: Someone caught littering says, "Hey, littering once in a while is okay. It's not as bad
as driving around a car, and polluting the air."
36. I'm Entitled to My Opinion Fallacy (Or I Have a Right to My Opinion Fallacy) - One asserts that
they have a right to their opinion to support their position, and quash opposition.
Example:
Mr Peach: "I don't believe in evolution."
Mrs Peach: "But evolution is real. It's not science fiction. I don't think it should be dismissed,
or considered frivolous."
Mr Peach: "Well, my dear, I have a right to my opinion."
Mrs Peach: "That doesn't mean anything."
Mr Peach: "Emily, you can't take away my freedom of speech. It's my right to say as I please.
This is America, not the United Kingdom, or, oh God, Germany."
Mrs Peach: "Yes, I know, but I... Ugh, never mind."
37. Relativist Fallacy - Also known as the subjectivist fallacy, this fallacy occurs when an individual
falsely believes that something is true for one person, but not another. Ordinarily, you will see this
come out as "rules for thee, but not for me."
Example:
Chuck: "If you want to lose weight you should go on a healthy diet, and exercise."
Buck: "That works for others, but not me. I have a slow metabolism. I'm like a sloth. I just don't
burn a lot of energy."
Chuck: "Surely, that deep fried pizza you're eating isn't helping."
Buck: "You don't know me."
38. Tone Policing - Tone policing seeks to diminish an argument by attacking someone's tone instead of
their message, which very well could be true.
Example:
People: "We don't like these gag orders! It is our right to have freedom of speech, and freedom
of the press!"
UK Government: "Your tone is not appreciated. Speak to us in a proper manner, or we will have
to place the lot of you in jail."
People: "We won't let you!"
UK Government: "So, will you fight back? What with? Guns? Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
39. The Taboo - Placing a restriction on arguments or points, not allowing one to speak freely about a
topic is committing an error in debate, because debates should not have taboos.
Example:
Billy: "We should not let more of these people into our country. They have ideologies that are
harmful to our society. They ravage our women without remorse."
Riley: "How dare you bring that up! You know I've been ravaged! This is my trigger!"
Billy: "I apologize, but --"
Riley: "I won't talk about this! It's not right!"
The Overton Window - The Overton Window, named after political "scientist" Joseph P. Overton, is the
concept that there is a limited range of topics that the public is willing to discuss. What then falls
outside the Overton Window is what the public won't discuss, because it is socially taboo, or perhaps
too complicated of an issue.
For example: Up until recently it was considered taboo to talk about gay marriage. Now it is
within the Overton Window, meaning you can discuss it freely.
40. Shifting the Burden of Proof - When someone makes a claim the etiquette is that they are
responsible for providing the proof that it is true. When they don't, and when they demand the
opposition to provide the proof, they are shifting the burden of proof, and this is wrong.
Example:
Christmas morning...
Li'l Bill: "Wow! Look at all these presents Santa Claus brought us!"
Li'l Jill: "I think mom, and dad bought them, actually."
Li'l Bill: "What are you talking about? It says these are from Santa Claus."
Li'l Jill: "I have my doubts."
Li'l Bill: "If you don't think Santa brought us these presents, then where's your evidence?"
Li'l Jill: "I shouldn't have to provide the evidence. That's on you. You're making the ridiculous
claim. My belief is much more plausible."
Li'l Bill: "I'm sorry, but I fail to see your point. Either provide me with the evidence that I'm
wrong, or I shall continue believing that an old white man, that I've never seen in person, is
watching over me at all times, and he rewards or punishes me based on my behaviour."
Li'l Jill rolls her eyes.
41. Reification Fallacy - When something imaginary/abstract is treated as if it were real, or tangible.
Example: "We've been polluting the Earth too much, and we are paying the price. Mother
Nature is angry at us."
But Mother Nature isn't real. Mother Nature is imaginary, and abstract. "She" isn't a
person. Mother Nature can't be angry at anyone, or intentionally hurt people.
Note: One can reify what is abstract (i.e. reification), but one can also hypostatize, which applies more
broadly than reification, and means treating an array of things as of distinct substance, or a part of
reality. For example, treating video games as if they were as real as what is tangible is hypostatization.
42. Reductio ad Hitlerum - Also known as "playing the Hitler card." This is a form of ad hominem, and
a method to invalidate someone's claim(s) by pointing out that there is a connection to Adolf Hitler,
and/or Nazis.
Example:
Professor Egghead: "We definitely should increase funding to NASA, and expand space
exploration."
New Student: "No, it's a bad idea."
Professor Egghead: "What do you mean?"
New Student: "Did you know that today's rocket technology is based off research, and
development that was originally funded by Nazi Germany?"
Professor Egghead: "And?"
New Student: "Adolf Hitler was a Nazi, Professor Egghead! And I'll be damned if I support
anything related to Hitler!"
Professor Egghead: "...Why are you in my class?"
An observation: When a person wants to villainize someone they might call them a Nazi -- and then
this sometimes leads to violence. But in most cases this name-calling is nonsensical.
The term "Nazi" is a historical term with a specific meaning. It is about a group of people that
tried extinguishing minorities, and the Jewish population. Calling someone a Nazi for no good reason is
also insulting to Jews, because it trivializes the tragedies they once faced.
There is little logic in calling someone a Nazi, even if they imitate one. Imagine for a moment
the Pacific equivalent of this: Japanese youth in Japan dressing up as marines from World War 2. They
speak no English (similar to how a lot of "Nazis" don't speak German), but they carry around the U.S.
flag, and talk about the greatness, and might of America.
...Are these marines? Would you call them marines, or neo-marines? No? Because that would be
silly. You aren't something just because you say you are, and you put on a costume.
43. Personalization Fallacy - This is a fallacy in which an individual takes reasonable criticism about
something personally. They believe presented, non-personal, opposing ideas are "ad hominem."
However, it can go the other way as well. One can also personally take blame for certain things,
and feel a sense of guilt -- although this seems to be far more rare than the former.
Example 1:
Julian: "I am against increasing funding to the arts. I'd rather see surplus funds go towards
health care."
Jessup: "What've you got against me?"
Julian: "Huh?
Jessup: "You know I'm an artist, and I need to make a living for myself. Why would you suggest
slashing funding to the arts?"
Julian: "That wasn't a statement against you."
Jessup: "Well, either way, I'm going to be affected."
Example 2:
In a debate about history, Joan is told the facts about slavery, and now she feels guilty. She has
so much "white guilt." Not that she did anything to cause that slavery, because it happened in a
time when she wasn't even alive, but it just makes her feel "so, so" bad.
44. Non Sequitur - Pronounced "non-sek-wit-er" is a fallacy that interjects, or tries to add to a debate or
discussion something which seems related but in reality is unconnected.
Additionally, a non sequitur can be thought of as a response of faulty reasoning, a type of
logical delusion.
Example:
Abbey: "Why should we ban plastic bags here in the west? We're not the ones doing the
polluting. In fact, 90% of the plastic polluting our oceans comes from only 10 rivers. These
rivers belong to: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria. Don't you
think they're the countries that should be trying to fix things first? We should ask them to stop
throwing their garbage into the waters."
Megan: "Who are you to criticize anyone? Did you not drive here in a nice, fancy car? I'm sure
that causes lots of pollution!"
Abbey then tells Megan to shut up, because Megan has made a non sequitur here. Her
comment, though somewhat related, is actually off topic. Abbey is only talking about plastic
bags, and water pollution, and furthermore she did not say that her driving a car was
inconsequential.
45. Moving the Goalposts - When you respond to someone's argument, and you have provided
sufficient evidence against what they have said, your opponent may choose to shift their demands, and
then ask more of you, so that your intellectual maneuver is diminished.
What they have really done here is they have "moved the goalposts."
Example:
Debater 1: "Religion is bad! It makes you stupid! Give me one piece of evidence that proves
otherwise! G'head! Let's see it!"
Debater 2: "In Canada, secular high schools have a graduation rate of 71.6%, but for Christian
schools it's 93.2%. That's a difference of almost 22%."
Debater 1: "I, I don't believe that."
Debater 2: "It's true. Look it up."
Debater 1: "Pffffft! So what? That's high school. That's low level stuff. I mean, who cares?
Like what have religious people done in the world of science? Hmm? Name me one prominent
religious scientist...if you can."
Debater 2: "Albert Einstein. He was a Jew, and when he lived in Munich, Germany as a child he
was a student at a Catholic elementary school."
Debater 1: "Nah, nah, that doesn't count. He was non-observant."
Debater 2: "Okay. How about Gregor Mendel? He's considered the father of modern genetics.
Not only was he a scientist, he was also a monk."
Debater 1: "That doesn't count either. That was so long ago. Gimme something else."
Debater 2 sighs. He is having a very hard time with Debater 1, because he keeps moving the
goalposts.
46. Fundamental Attribution Error - An error in thinking that occurs when an individual's internal
characteristics are blamed instead of external factors. That is to say, blame is placed on someone's
personality rather than their circumstances.
Example: Aaliyah is driving her car, and is cut off by a driver. Aaliyah honks her horn, and
starts yelling. She is such a psychopathic moron that she catches up with this driver, rolls her
window down, and begins swearing at him at the top of her lungs.
"What the [bleep] do you think you're doing, you [bleep]!" she says. "Learn to drive, or
go back to your own country, you [bleep]!"
The driver turns his head, and replies, "I, I'm having a heart attack. I'm trying to get to
the hospital."
Aaliyah then lowers her head in shame, and stops following the driver. She is ashamed,
because she has made a fundamental attribution error, blaming the man's driving on his
personality rather than something beyond his control.
47. Fallacy of Sunk Costs - Nearly everything you do has a cost to it. The cost might be time, or it
might be money. Sometimes when a person pursues something they make a heavy investment of time,
and/or money, and then during the pursuit it becomes apparent that what they wanted to achieve is no
longer worthwhile.
Yet they continue on. They look at their disappointing investment, which cannot be reversed,
and decide to see it through to the bitter end. Because they can't stand the thought of spending all that
time, and money, and getting nothing in return.
However, this is illogical. When one is in a fruitless situation, they have to accept their losses,
and stop themselves from losing anymore... In other words, they must stop focusing on their sunk costs.
Example: Jackie, and her friends go to see a movie at the cinema. It's a three hour long movie,
and they get half way in, and realize that what they're watching is awful, and not what they
expected at all. But they already paid their money, they reckon, and so watch the entire thing. It
bored them to tears.
48. Appeal to Probability - To believe something will definitely happen, because statistically speaking
it's probable, is an error in thinking. An individual cannot exactly know future events.
Example:
Dad: "What are you going to do with your life, son?"
Son: "I wanna open up a brand new vegan restaurant!"
Dad: "Well, that's a bloody waste of time. You're going to fail."
Son: "What? Why would you say that?"
Dad: "80% of restaurants fail within 5 years."
Son: "So what?"
Dad: "Sew buttons!"
49. Appeal to Improbability - To believe something will never happen, because statistically speaking it
is improbable, is an error in thinking. An individual cannot exactly know future events.
Example: "The numbers show that the chances of getting struck by lightning is extremely low,
so I'm okay with standing under this tall tree during this storm. I don't wanna ruin my hairdo."
50. Lowest Common Denominator Fallacy - During argumentation, or debate, a "player" may try to
establish a foundation of morality to bolster their position. In doing so they are liable to commit a
fallacy called the "lowest common denominator fallacy."
This is a fallacy where a person argues that the lowest common denominator, or an individual or
group thought to be corrupt, is the baseline for how someone ought to behave.
However, that thinking is incorrect as people should want to dissociate themselves from those
that are wicked, and cruel.
Example: "How can you say that abortions should be outlawed? Even the Nazis allowed women
to have abortions! NAZIS!" (Question: Why would you want to copy the Nazis?)
51. Generic Devaluing Fallacy - In debate, or everyday socializing, there is a pursuit of validation, and
oftentimes superiority. Those who seek superiority may do so not by elevating their own position, but
rather through means of devaluing/lowering someone else's position.
They will take on a flippant attitude, and be dismissive of someone's points, with no concrete
reason as to why they are behaving that way. They might say "so what" or that something is "no big
deal."
But if it is no big deal, then why not concede? Yet they do not concede, and act supercilious
without justification. They devalue their opponent's character, or opinions with a haughty attitude,
whilst providing no evidence to counter what they've seen or heard.
Example:
Kathleen: "We need to take care of the environment, and stop burning coal."
Doug: "Whatever, who cares?"
Kathleen: "Lots of people care."
Doug: "Well, I haven't met them."
52. Non-Judgmental Fallacy - In today's world calling someone judgmental is an insult. So, there is this
trend in debate where a debater will attack someone for their judgmentalness, and lack of empathy, as if
it is a flaw, and proves faulty reasoning.
However, judgmentalness alone proves nothing. A person very well may be right in their
judgmentalness. Examining, and criticizing the general attitude, and tone of a person should not be
enough to win a debate.
Humans are naturally judgmental, and it is a trait that helps one to survival. Without judgments
placed on others we become vulnerable. Look at the differences in children, and adults.
An adult stays safe by being distrustful, while a child, who hasn't learned about the dangers of
society, endangers him or herself by lacking judgment, and not being distrustful.
If an attractive stranger were to offer a child candy, they'd be very likely to take it, and then the
next thing you know this 7 year old is on the back of a milk carton.
Thus, one can conclude that being judgmental is not always a negative quality. Judgmentalness
is only bad if it is extreme, and based on false information.
Example:
Joe is against long-term prison sentences, while Alex advocates the use of prison as a way to
reduce violent crime, and he says he has little sympathy for those who hurt others. Joe criticizes
him for being too judgmental, and says that prison is bad for a progressive society.
Though Alex's tone is frowned upon, this does not reduce the validity of his thinking.
Him being judgmental is not evidence of faulty reasoning.
In fact, Alex has data to support his argument. He shows that there is a strong correlation
between increases in incarceration rates, and declines in violent crime.
53. Everyone or No-one Fallacy - This particular fallacy concerns criticism placed against others.
When a person criticizes an individual, or minimal amount of people, they are admonished for not
extending their criticism to everyone else who is involved.
In other words, there is an "everyone or no-one" attitude, demanding that criticism is only valid
when it applies to all deemed guilty, and if not then the person who made the criticism is told they
should refrain from saying anything at all.
Or alternatively a person will maintain loyalty to a group, but criticize those that have done
wrong. An opponent will then strongly suggest that this is the incorrect course of action, only allowing
for two options, which is censuring everyone, with no exceptions, or having fully loyalty, and the
dispute will elevate.
Example 1: Jessica is opposed to Mykul joining her sports organization because he has a history
of violence. She voices her thoughts, and another person chimes in saying, "What about the
other people in our organization? What about your teammates? Shouldn't you call them out
too for being violent?"
That would be highly appropriate, however, Jessica's criticism of Mykul is not invalid
because she is not laying her criticisms against anyone, and everyone who is similar.
Example 2: Arnold criticizes the Catholic church for their wrongdoings, but continues to
practice his faith. His partner says that's silly, and he should disavow Catholicism entirely.
However, Arnold replies that not everyone who is Catholic is bad, and there are bad people
everywhere, and Christianity still has merit.
54. Appeal to Pity - When someone is engaged in debate or conversation, and they make use of pity,
and guilt to gain support, they are making an appeal to pity. They are being emotionally manipulative,
trying to validate their points based not on facts but emotions.
Example:
Jenny: "Cheating on your spouse is wrong, Lauren."
Lauren: "It's not my fault, Jenny. Bradley went overseas to fight in a war, and I was left all
alone. I was so lonely."
Jenny: "Your appeal to pity does nothing for me. You made a commitment to Bradley when you
married him, and you betrayed him. He's going to be devastated when he finds out what you
did with that robot."
55. Faulty Generalization - To make a conclusion about many/all people, or things belonging to a
specific category based on a negligible amount of evidence is faulty generalization.
Example: Gary the Racist has noticed a few "black people" eating watermelon. Now he thinks
all black people are fruitarians.
56. Jumping to Conclusions - Also known as inference-observation confusion, jumping to a conclusion

is the act of judging something with insufficient information/evidence. Sometimes when this is done it
is an honest mistake, but other times it is fuelled by prejudice, or malice.
Example: Robert sees a dishevelled man stumbling out of a convenience store. Robert, who
lives in a bad neighbourhood, jumps to the conclusion that this man is nothing but a drunkard.
But he is incorrect. This man has Cerebral Palsy.
57. Appeal to Motive - To debase a point in a conversation or debate an interlocutor may choose to
question another person's motives, and accuse them of having devious motives for saying what they are
saying. This is a type of "ad hominem" attack, focusing on someone's character instead of the
information they have presented.
A simpler way of looking at this is that a person unreasonably asserts your actions are/were
motivated by something negative.
Example 1:
Jonathan: "We need to abolish welfare. It's not a good system."
Russell: "You know the majority of people on welfare are minorities, right?"
Jonathan: "And?"
Russell: "Hmm, aren't you being a little racist?"
Jonathan: "I'm not racist."
Russell: "Seems like the only reason you hate welfare is because you're racist. You want these
minorities to suffer, don't you? Your motive is nothing but racism, and frankly it makes me
sick."
Jonathan: "Please. I am not racist in any degree."
Russell: "That's not what your white skin says."
Jonathan: "...Seriously?"
Example 2:
"The Nothing to Hide Argument" is an example of "appeal to motive."
Government: "We want to monitor everyone's internet activity."
Citizen: "I don't want that. What about our privacy?"
Government: "What's the worry? If you have nothing bad to hide this won't affect you."
Citizen: "Why do you think privacy advocates only advocate privacy because they have bad
things to hide? You know, people do many things that aren't bad but that they don't want others
to see. Pooping is not a bad thing, but you don't want anyone watching you do it... Or do you?"
58. Confusing Universal Assertions and General Assertions - People being people, they often speak in
generalities. During conversation, or debate, a person might make a general assertion, and others will
misinterpret this, incorrectly believing that the general assertion is being put forth as a universal
assertion. They will point out the few exceptions to prove that the individual is wrong.
However, it is a general assertion, and general assertions naturally have exceptions, and the
exceptions alone do not refute the assertion. Universal assertions and general assertions are different,
and the distinction must be recognized.
Example:
Clark: "Pit bulls are dangerous. They should be banned."
Charlie: "You're wrong. Not all pit bulls are dangerous. I had a pit bull when I was a kid. He
was the nicest dog ever."
Clark: "Well, Charlie, your exceptional experience doesn't prove I'm wrong. My observation
still holds true, generally speaking."
59. Apophenia - Apophenia is an umbrella term that concerns the human tendency to perceive
connections between unrelated phenomenon, and/or things. Since humans are naturally inclined to
finding meaning, even in places where there is none, we find that there are numerous types of
apophenia.
Here we have six of the most popular ones:
a) Hidden Meanings - Humans sometimes look for hidden meanings in objects and occurrences. But
often, contrary to what they believe, there is no meaning. Sigmund Fraud Freud used to have the habit
of trying to find hidden meaning to analyze the human psyche.
Are you familiar with the term "Freudian slip"? Also known as parapraxis it is an error in
communication, which some believe reveals a person's true thoughts, or thoughts of the subconscious
mind.
One says one thing when they meant to say something else, and then the first thing they say is
considered an indicator of what is really on their mind.
Example:
Mary Sue: "Jane, I love you. You're the breast -- ah-ha-ha, I mean the BEST!"
Jane: "Wow, Mary Sue. I didn't know you were a lesbian."
Mary Sue: "I'm not a lesbian."
Jane: "Then why did you say 'breast'? You're obviously secretly thinking of my breasts."
Mary Sue: "No! It was a slip of the tongue. It doesn't mean anything."
Jane: "That's not what my degree in psychology thinks."
b) Rorschach Test - Named after its inventor Hermann Rorschach, this is an old psychological test
which requires a person to look at inkblots, and say what they think it is. According to some it reveals a
person's deep inner-thoughts.
However, this test has been criticized by many as having no merit. How can an inkblot tell you
about a person's characteristics?
[Insert Inkblot Picture]

What do you see?
c) Pareidolia - Have you ever looked at a random object, and seen a person's face? Have you ever
looked at the moon, and saw a man? If you answered yes to either of these, you have experienced the
psychological phenomenon of pareidolia, the human inclination to see faces (and even animals) in
places where there are none.
Example: Manny saw a coconut for the first time, and recognized a face, but it was really just
three dimples on the fruit.
d) Gambler's Fallacy - Gamblers, often being superstitious, will see patterns in gambling that do not
exist. They believe that they can be on a "hot streak" and that previous outcomes in their gambling
influence the future. But this isn't true, unless you include electronic, or mechanical games that do
calculations that are not random.
Example: A man is playing 21 at the casino. He wins five times in a row, and then believes that
he's on a hot streak. Feeling lucky, and encouraged by others he keeps playing...but then loses
everything.
e) Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy - The name of this fallacy comes from a folktale about a Texan who
shoots at the side of a barn -- but his aim is so poor that it goes all over the place. Following this the
Texan then looks for the spot where his bullets landed the most (in a cluster), and he paints a bullseye
around it to make it appear that he has been successful. In the end, he dubs himself the Texas
Sharpshooter.
What this means in intellectual terms is that people may try to create meaning where there is
none, and cherry pick data to suit their desires, shaping a hypothesis around the information instead of
having a hypothesis which is validated or invalidated by what is discovered.
Example: A young professor wants to see if income disparities in the United States of America
can affect cancer rates. So, he collects data, and creates a map of the USA, and finds that those
that are ill with cancer are everywhere but that there are slightly higher concentrations in the
north-east in states like New York, and Pennsylvania. But New York is a very wealthy state. He
then concludes that living in a cold climate, near the ocean is making people sick. It must be
geographic. But his thoughts are wrong. There are hundreds of millions of people living in
America, and the states with the most cancer patients have more men, and women, and greater
population densities. In other words, more people equals more cancer.
f) The 27 Club - An imaginary club asserting that great musicians tend to die at the age of 27. Amy
Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Jimi Hendrix all belong to this "club" each having died at the age of 27.
However, data shows that most musicians do not die at this age, and being this age does not increase
one's chances of dying.
The 27 Club is fiction.
60. History Equals the Future Outlook - History can teach us a lot, but often there is an over-reliance on
history to predict the future. The reality is the future can be extremely unpredictable, and future events
cannot be foreseen with any great degree of accuracy.
Example: When people invest they look to the past to predict the future, but often end up
failing, and losing money because the past (i.e. history) cannot always help one to accurately
predict future events. For example, the Eastman Kodak Company used to be a king in the
photography business, but now it is a shell of its former self, because the corporation did not see
the rise of new technologies supplanting film. They were headstrong about film, which based on
the past was a reliable source of revenue -- but things changed.
61. Two Wrongs Make a Right - A person tries to justify a wrongdoing based purely on the wrongdoing
of another individual.
Example: A girl, and boy get into an argument. The girl punches the boy in the face. The boy
punches her back. But this doesn't make the situation better, and they get into a fight, and
neither learn anything from their experience. There is just bitterness. As they say: "An eye for
an eye makes the world go blind."
62. Inconsistency - Two or more ideas (or views, or beliefs) about a particular thing are presented, but
their veracity is in doubt, because they conflict with one another.
Example: Jenifur says she loves animals, but later mentions enjoying the consumption of their
flesh.
63. False Equivalence - Oftentimes a person will think two or more things (or ideas) are alike, the
same, or comparable, because they share one, or a few characteristics, but often it is false equivalence,
and the belief that these things are the same/similar is incorrect when objectively examined; the
examination shows the differences are too great.
Example: Football, and tennis are practically the same, because they both use weird-looking
balls.
64. Blame the Jew (Blame the Exception) - All throughout history Jews have been blamed for the
world's problems. Because of their culture, which is more advanced than many other cultures, Jews
have come out unscathed in times when others have suffered.
So, being the exception in hard times much of society has blamed the Jews for causing the
suffering of others. There is this suspicious mentality, where people think the exceptions in a calamity
are the cause of it. This is almost always faulty reasoning.
Example: From the years 1348 to 1351, in Europe, Jews were blamed for causing the Plague.
Since many Jews stayed healthy people thought they were the cause of it. But the reality is
they just had superior hygiene to others.
65. Ad Hominem - Meaning "to the man" it is a tactic to win an argument or debate through verbal
attacks, insults intended to make someone back off, or devalue their stance, or position.
Example:
Extreme Feminist: "How could you know what's good for women? You're a man!"
Ad Hominem Effect - Unless someone has a low self-esteem, when you attack, and insult someone,
they will become defensive, and be far less likely to listen to you. If you insult a belief of theirs they
will "dig in their heels," meaning they will refuse your ideas, and increase their belief in that which you
are trying to refute. (Also known as the "backfire effect.")
66. Appeal to Fear - Using fear to win support for an idea. Politicians, and businesses often use fear to
persuade people. Fear reduces a person's ability to reason.
Example: Politicians use the fear of the unknown to manipulate the public. Many wars are
started because of what is unknown more than what is known.
67. Style Over Substance - In debate, and serious conversation, it is obligatory to use reasoning,
focusing on the facts, and employing logical thinking. However, for many, winning is more important
than being correct.
For this they will use style over substance. They will be flashy, and communicate with
epigrams, and words that excite, and evoke emotions. They will be cool, and slick, rather than
presenting valuable, factual information.
Example:
A celebrity is on a stage, with a group of people, discussing animal welfare. When it's his turn
to speak he is given a microphone. He immediately urges everyone to be kind to animals, and
then he asks for the crowd to be silent. At which point he closes his eyes, and begins slowly
clapping. What's going on?
"Every time I clap," the celebrity says in a calm voice, "an elephant dies in Africa."
...
"Then stop f***ing doing it then!" a man in the crowd yells.
68. Memory Inaccuracy Problem - Memories are not concrete. They are in fact far more fragile than
most think. Memories change over time. Each time you access a memory it is changed ever so slightly.
Memories can unintentionally be altered by both external conditions, and one's internal state.
Example: It has been observed by scientists that eyewitness accounts are often very inaccurate.
69. Conclusion through Superficial Connection(s) - Thinking that a thing exists, or will exist, because
of one or a few shared characteristic(s), which are (to the objective-minded) superficial or not so
important.
Example: A dyslexic entrepreneur thinks, "Richard Branson is dyslexic, and so am I. Therefore I

have a great chance of success in business!"
70. Predictable, Therefore Less Valuable Fallacy - People make predictions. They sometimes make
predictions about their opposition, or others, and then when these predictions come true they feel smug,
and superior, and they give themselves permission to go, "Ah-ha! I knew it! How predictable! You're so
simple!"
So, they belittle one, and their arguments, thoughts, and ideas by showing predictability. But
something is not less valuable, or invalid, just because it is predictable. Many worthy things are
predictable.
71. Frequency Illusion (aka the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon) - The frequency illusion is a
phenomenon that occurs when an individual learns of, or notices something, and then it later on seems
to frequently appear, and reappear. But most likely this is just an illusion.
Example: You receive a Taylor Swiss record for your birthday. After you listen to her music,
you start hearing her music on the radio, and seeing her on TV all the time. It's like she's
entered your life, and she isn't leaving. But this is just an illusion. Taylor Swiss is a popular
artist, and has always been popular on radio, and TV. You've just started noticing her now,
because you listened to her CD.
72. Mandela Effect - When a person misremembers something, and not believing an error was made,
they explain the differences as being caused by what is paranormal. For example, people often think the
"Berenstain Bears" were called the "Berenstein Bears."
The truth of the matter is they may have seen erroneous spelling on a product, which was later
corrected, or they were very young. Children learning often mix up letters. The letter "a" and "e" are
easily confused in the mind of a child, who is learning to read, and write.
The Mandela Effect as you may have suspected was named after Nelson Mandela, whom many
mistakenly believed died in prison while in South Africa.
Yes, this all seems rather spooky, but the reality is it is most likely confabulation, also known as
a memory error.
Meaning, the Mandela Effect is really about false memories. A person can have a false memory
about something, and mistakenly believe something was one way when it was not, because the mind is
imperfect.
73. Reductionism (i.e. Layman's Reductionism) - The practice of taking something rather complex, and
reducing it, simplifying it to the point of distortion.
Example: "Poverty is caused by a lack of money."
74. Logical Extreme - A rhetorical device, though often fallacious, a logical extreme seeks to disprove
an idea by showing it in the extreme.
Example:
Hancock: "We should raise minimum wage to $20 an hour."
Jackson: "Wouldn't that just cause the price of goods to increase?"
Hancock: "No."
Jackson: "No? Why not make minimum wage $200 an hour then?"
Hancock: "That's too high."
Jackson: "Based on what? If raising minimum wage won't affect the price of goods, we should
get it as high as possible, no?"
Hancock: "You, um... Shut up, Jackson."
75. Regression Fallacy - An informal fallacy that assumes something has returned to normal because of
corrective efforts taken during a period of abnormality.
Example: A man has a cold, and so decides to drink a gallon of orange juice. His cold symptoms
quickly go away. He strongly believes this occurred because he drank all that orange juice.
But we cannot draw that conclusion based on his orange juice consumption alone. We
don't know for certain the cause of his speedy recovery, because there hasn't been enough
testing, or evidence. One has to consider all the factors in something, not just one aspect.
76. Equivocation - An informal fallacy in which a person accidentally, or intentionally draws a false
conclusion through the use of words, or phrases in multiple senses.
Example:
Austin: "I got into an argument today with a stranger."
Taylor: "Oh?
Austin: "He said he'd clean my clock. But I told him not to bother. I didn't have a clock for him
to clean."
77. All This, Therefore That Fallacy - This is a type of association fallacy. It happens when people
draw, or assert a false conclusion based on two or more things sharing the same characteristic(s).
For example, a group of people smoked marijuana, and then became lost in a desert, and died.
One is led into drawing the conclusion that they died because they smoked marijuana, and their minds
were altered.
However, this is a *false cause. Many people smoke marijuana, and are completely fine. The
real cause here (as opposed to the false cause) is visiting the desert, which is a vast landscape that
caused them to become confused, and lost.
*The term "false cause" also means a category of informal fallacies, where a cause is incorrectly
identified. Other names for this are: the questionable cause, causal fallacy, or non causa pro causa
(which is Latin, and means "non-cause for cause" in English).
78. Not All Reasoning (As a Fallacy)* - Not All Reasoning is based on phrases beginning with "not all"
which are usually a response to counter someone's observations, arguments, or commentary. Not All
Reasoning places emphasis on exceptions.
In the first form, one propounds "not all" of something to refute a general but true observation.
Then we have the second form, where one overgeneralizes but rejects the criticisms pointing to a
significant exception, using once again the words "not all" (or an equivalent to that).
Example 1:
Evanna: "Animal farms are extremely cruel."
Chuck: "Not all animal farms are extremely cruel (and therefore I believe your observations are
invalid)."
Example 2:
Emma: "Men are pigs! They sexually harass women!"
Buck: "Not all men sexually harass women."
Emma: "Again with this 'not all men' nonsense."
*Note: Not All Reasoning does not always require the words "not all." Not All Reasoning includes
other phrases, and terms meaning the same thing.
79. False Reclassification - To avoid cognitive discomfort one may reclassify something so as to
distance it from the reality of what it really is.
For example, a nationalist is okay with their army killing people, because they are "defending
the country." But at the same time this nationalist is vehemently against violent acts from outsiders,
which is classified as acts of terrorism.
However, the violent acts from these outsiders, to the outsiders, is considered an act of war, and
those committing violence for them, against the nationalist's country, are considered to be their soldiers.
So, what's happened here is the nationalist has classified actions differently based on their
source, and thus has falsely reclassified these acts of violence.
The reality is both actions result in the deaths of innocent people, and so both are the same, if
not similar, being equally immoral.
80. Connection Ignorance - When an individual makes an assertion but fails to recognize a connection
between relevant information they have an ignorance of connection.
Example: Roe Jogan says, "The world used to be much more dangerous when I was growing
up, but people back then were not so protective of their kids. But now the world is safer people
are over-protective of children. They should be more relaxed." (Here Roe Jogan misses the
connection between safety, and protection of children.)
81. Acceptance or Rejection by Association - People often lack objectivity, and will accept, or reject
things based purely on association.
For example, if someone you hate is a fan of Steven Spielberg's movies, you will probably not
want to watch Steven Spielberg's movies, which is highly irrational, because he makes awesome
movies.
82. Identity Fallacy (aka Identity Politics) - An identity fallacy occurs when a person makes a judgment
about someone's argument, or ideas, based on their identity.
Example: Howard Schultz's ideas about solving poverty are rejected, because he is rich.
83. Presentation Judgmentalism - Arguments, and ideas should be judged on details, and logic, but
often people judge arguments, and ideas based on the way it is presented, and its superficial qualities.
Example: A politician, who is unsightly, and has a stutter, is losing a debate on TV, even though
his arguments are stronger, and more rational than what his opponent is saying. This is because
viewers are making judgments based on presentation.
CHAPTER 36:
COMMON HUMAN BIASES, AND BEHAVIORS
Humans are irrational, and biased. We all know this, but what are these biases, and irrationalities that
we have? Can we improve our critical thinking by knowing about them? How deep do these mental
blunders go, and why do they exist?
First it should be said that yes, we can improve our critical thinking by knowing about our
biases, and irrationalities. The field of psychology, and behaviour has an excellent grasp on where we
mentally lack, and where we excel.
But the values of the ways in which we think can be arbitrary. Sometimes what serves us wrong
can serve us right, too. For example, one would say that being emotional is bad; however, emotions can
help us survive, and quickly react to our environment.
Nevertheless, the human brain is flawed, and awareness of this is beneficial to us in this modern
world. One flaw you may know about is the suggestibility of the mind. If someone says your breathing
sounds laboured you will suddenly become aware of your breathing.
Or perhaps in the the reading of this sentence you don't notice that there is an extra "the." But
it's not your fault. Almost everyone does it. According to a study about "eye movements and word
skipping during reading" it is said that "three letter words are skipped about 67% of the time."
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3543826/)
So, it is clearly evident that the human brain thinks in a certain manner, and is prone to error,
and we ought to be aware of this in order to master our minds. Following this, you will read about the
most common human biases, and mental blunders.
The Letter A
Ableism - Discrimination, and social prejudice against those who are disabled. People naturally prefer
those who are healthy.
Abuse Inclination Mentality - That which is in poor condition will (usually) be treated worse than the
equivalent that is in good condition, because what is in good condition is thought to be more deserving
of better treatment. This applies to both inanimate objects, and people.
Example: A person tries to take good care of a new car, but an old car they don't really care if it
gets a bit dinged-up in a parking lot.
Actor-Observer Bias - When people judge themselves they believe their errors are caused by outside
forces (or forces not in their control), and not because of their personality. But in the reverse, someone
judging another, they believe the error is due to a personality flaw rather than external influences.
Example: You have to go to the bathroom, and then make some mistakes in driving. It's not your
fault, you think. You have to go potty, and you don't want to poop yourself. But earlier you saw
someone doing the same, and thought the driver was being rude, and inconsiderate. You didn't
think that maybe he also had to take a crap.
Anchoring - A mentality in which one gives preference, and heavy reliance to the first piece(s) of
information available to them, instead of weighing, and comparing everything that is relevant without
bias.
Example: Many individuals who search for information on a topic via search engine will only
use the first page of search results.
Anecdotal Bias - The human propensity to use anecdotal evidence to support claims, or arguments. But
anecdotal evidence is usually weak, and not considered real evidence. Personal stories are extremely
biased.
Anti-Freedom of Speech Bias - There is a pernicious trend in society that supports the suppression of
certain speech, and human expression. These acts against freedom of speech are widely supported,
because those who wish to control society (for selfish purposes) have brainwashed a large segment of
the public to accept it, using subterfuge, and pretext that evokes strong emotions.
Often when someone complains about the erosion of freedom of speech, those against freedom
of speech will use one of many explanations to justify it:
- If the government is censoring speech they will shrug their shoulders, and say, "Well, it's the
law." As if the law is always moral.
- If a school is censoring speech they will say that students have the right to feel safe (even
though they are not under any threat of real harm).
- If a company is censoring speech they will tell you that companies are under no obligation to
uphold the notion of freedom of speech, and that freedom of speech laws are only for
government.
And the list goes on, but what is most alarming is this corporate overlord support, where
individuals give businesses a free pass to do whatever they please to people. They'll say, "Well, it's their
business, they can do whatever they want. They can delete/remove/block/ban whoever they want. It's
their right."
The problem with this is that businesses own everything that you need to survive, and thrive.
Being apathetic about, or approving of businesses controlling our speech through their control of our
livelihoods is borderline evil, if not evil.
Where, and how can one freely speak, if it is acceptable for businesses to quash outspoken
customers? Who can you criticize without repercussions? The banks, financial institutions? They
control your money. Educational organizations? They are the gatekeepers of knowledge. How about
your place of work? Say anything against them, and they will fire you, and let others know, so you
won't have a job in the future.
Maybe you think you can let your voice be heard outside in public -- but wait! All that land,
where people are, is owned by landlords. They can give you the boot, and have you carried away by the
police.
Want to have a go at retail giants? Perhaps the Wal-Marts of the world won't allow you in their
stores anymore, or they won't let you shop online. Now you won't have a place to buy food.
Perhaps you'd like to complain about all this through the phone, or through the mail, or the
internet...but wait, they've all heard about your views on the world, and they've banned you from using
their services.
Yes, you're probably thinking this is unrealistic -- but is it? Businesses virtually own everything,
and there are no laws stopping them from targeting people, or trying to obliterate people's freedoms.
They can control the public by cutting them off.
And they do not even have to do it to everyone. They can create a chilling effect* by going after
individuals, and making an example of them.
Though this is something extremely negative many people are still inclined to accepting this
behaviour, because they are pleased at who is being crucified (so to speak). But they do not realize that
there will be a time when their ideas, and thoughts are unwelcomed, and they will be punished, too.
So, being happy because that person you hate is silenced is foolish. You must see the bigger
picture. The government, and businesses are treating us like pieces on a chess board. Sure, right now
you might be safe because you are not the pawn, but you are certainly a piece in the game, and
whatever you are, you will later on be sacrificed to protect the King -- if you allow it, if you allow the
pawns to die off.
*The chilling effect is an occurrence that happens when people are under threat, and so they abstain
from exercising their rights, or freedoms to avoid being targeted. Terrorists for example commit acts of
terror to stop people from speaking out on certain topics, like religion, or political corruption.
Anti-Religion or Anti-Religious Bias - In this day, and age many people are turning against religion.
However, this can sometimes hinder logical thinking.
Example: In the 1920s astronomer, and Catholic priest, Georges Lemaître, proposed the Big
Bang Theory (then called the hypothesis of the primeval atom ), but it was dismissed, and
derided because of its religious quality. Many decades later it was proven to be true.
Argument from Inertia - Also known as "stay the course" this is a bias in which people continue an ill-
advised course of action, even if they know it is wrong, because they do not want to admit being
wrong.
Example: A husband gets into a verbal fight with his wife. The wife is correct in her thinking,
but the husband continues arguing, and getting angrier, because he does not want to accept that
he is wrong about his position. Wrong move, buddy!
Attentional Bias - Attentional Bias is the phenomenon of hyperattention to certain things, especially
what appears to be threatening/negative, or is connected to thoughts recurring in the mind.
Example 1: If placed in a room with a puppy, and snake, you will (probably) pay more attention
to the snake than the puppy, because you see it as a threat.
Example 2: A lady is single, and feeling lonely. She wants a boyfriend, and so is more likely to
notice men than other women, who have romantic partners.
Inattentional Bias - Also known as "tunnel vision," this is a tendency of the mind to focus on one or a
few things in a matter, ignoring all else, which may or may not yield negative consequences.
Example: In a video, a group of young people gather in a space, and throw a basketball back,
and forth. Viewers are asked to count the amount of times the ball is passed around, but most
people do not notice that a person in a gorilla suit casually enters into the scene. This is because
of their inattentional bias.
Authority Bias - A bias in which one places undue trust into an opinion from an authority figure, even
when that opinion is likely wrong. But remember it doesn't matter who you are, if you're wrong about
something. Wrong is wrong.
Example: Many people are inclined toward trusting the media, and news, because the media,
and news "sell" themselves as authority figures; however, the media industry, being gatekeepers
of information, are often biased, and guilty of biased gatekeeping, which is the task of selecting,
and disseminating news, and various information to the public. Meaning, through the media one
can gain a perspective on the world that is inaccurate.
Availability Bias, Availability Heuristic - The mind's preference for what comes readily, and most
quickly to the mind. Typically, this includes information recently acquired, and/or what stands out as
memorable. Often, however, what's memorable is not of the best quality. Things that are shocking, or
personal are usually memorable, but may not be right.
Example: You're asked for your thoughts on the economy, and you repeat what you saw on the
news just earlier. It's what came to you first in your mind.
Availability Cascade - The more you see, hear, or perceive something the more real, and valid it
becomes to you, and others.
Example: Many websites are "echo chambers" for liberal ideologies.
The Letter B
Backfire Effect - When you do an action, hoping to bring about a specific result, but it does the exact
opposite, making your situation worse. Or when debating/arguing with someone you offer evidence
contrary to their beliefs, but they reject it, and adhere even stronger to what they believe in.
Example 1: Barbara Streisand doesn't want someone photographing her mansion, so she loudly
complains, and brings it far more attention than before. (Aka the Streisand Effect.)
Example 2: An Atheist goes up to a Christian, and tries persuading him that God is fake. At the
end of the argument the Christian believes in God even more.
Bandwagon Effect - When people do something because other people are doing it.
Example:
A young man notices a long line of people waiting for something. He turns to his friend, and
says, "Hey, why are all these people waiting in this line? Ooh, there must be something good at
the other end. Let's join." Sadly, there was nothing good at the other end. It was a line for the
bathroom.
Biased Devaluing - A person will have a tendency to devalue something for their own benefit. Biased
devaluing is based in selfishness. It often happens when one wants to mitigate culpability for
something, or they are trying to negotiate, or bargain, or preserve their ego.
Example 1:
Frank: "Marie, you broke my vase!"
Marie: "Who cares? It's no big deal. That vase was ugly, anyway."
Example 2:
Taylor: "The price for this item is $500."
Austin: "$500? It's not worth that much. Other stores are selling it for half that."
Taylor: "Then go get it there then."
Example 3:
Scott: "Annie, will you go to the prom with me?"
Annie: "No. I want to go with my cat named Marbles."
Scott: "What! Fine, who cares? You smell."
Annie: "If I smell so much, then why did you ask me to go to the prom with you?"
Blame Shifting - Often people will unfairly blame a victim for the harm he or she received. Their
thinking is that the victim is at fault because s/he triggered the event.
Example: Lauren is sexually harassed at a party. She leaves, and later complains to a friend. The
friend asks Lauren what she was wearing, implying that she induced the harassment because
of her clothes. However, this is incorrect thinking as no one has the right to sexually harass you.
Blindspot Bias - You see the biases of other people, but not yourself.
Boiling Frog Syndrome - Although a frog can detect subtle increases in temperature, the term "boiling
frog syndrome" is based on the myth, and it is about the syndrome in which a person does not
acknowledge, or appropriately react to situations that are gradually becoming perilous, or unbeneficial.
Example: People often overeat, and gain lots of weight, but it does not happen overnight. With
few exceptions it takes many years.
Bold Winners, Shy Losers Mentality - This is a type of herd mentality. When people are winning they
are loud, and bold, but if they have lost they tend to keep quiet, and shy away.
Example: Sports Team A wins the game. The fans of Sports Team A become loud, and bold,
and talk about how great they are, and how everyone else "sucks." Meanwhile, the fans of
Sports Team B, feeling the sting of defeat become shy, and say little, even though Sports Team
B was competitive, and played well.
Brevity Bias - Not everything can or should be explained in a brief fashion, but humans are typically
impatient, and so prefer brevity. To quote Shakespeare: "Brevity is the soul of wit."
Bystander Effect - Also known as bystander apathy, this is a social psychological phenomenon where a
person does not (or is reluctant to) help someone in need, because there are many people around them.
They believe that someone else, not them, will remedy the situation.
Example: An old man is lying on the floor, passed out. He is surrounded by people, but no one
has called emergency services, nor is anyone checking to see if he's okay. Each person is
looking to the other person, thinking they will take appropriate action.
The Letter C
Choice-supportive Bias - A person is biased towards what they have chosen, and will support their
choice, even if they have not made the best choice.
Example: A lady is on a game show, and she has to choose from three boxes. She chooses the
box in the middle, and receives a toaster. The other two boxes are revealed, and there is a gold
watch, and $10,000.
The host asks her how she feels. She says that she likes the toaster because hers at home
needs replacing. Also, she doesn't want the gold watch, because it's for men, and the $10,000 is
just too much for her. What would she do with it?
Classist Bias - Classism is a global phenomenon. It is favouritism -- preference for those with higher
economic, and social status, and prejudice towards people "lower on the totem pole." It has a
particularly strong foothold in the United Kingdom.
Many "commoners" have snobbery to those who appear to be lower class, and a great (and
unreasonable) amount of deference for authority, and those from higher, social, and economic
backgrounds, even when they might be in the wrong.
Unfortunately, society in the UK has similarities to the caste system in India, though it is not as
obvious. Unlike the United States of America, a large amount of people in the UK have been
conditioned into the belief that a hierarchical system is best.
But often this is untrue, especially in a country as unwieldy as the UK, where government is
overly large, and reigns supreme. The problem with large government is that corruption, and
incompetency grows almost exponentially, but many people do not realize that. One fool will hire two
fools, and those two fools will hire eight fools, and so on, and so on.
Yet there remains this authority bias (often a part of classism) that creates this remarkably
corrupt society.
Example 1: In the UK an infant named Alfie Evans (born on May the 9th, 2016) was forcibly
taken off life support, and made to die. Authorities in the UK would not allow the parents to
take their child out of the country to Italy for experimental treatment.
The parents fought an uphill battle, and were extremely distraught, but many respected,
and wholeheartedly agreed with the hospital's decision to "put the last nail in the coffin." They
were fine with forcing Alfie Evans to "die in dignity."
But in reality that never happened. His death was anything but dignified. The complete
opposite in fact.
Many at the time argued that Alfie Evans was already dead, and it would be wasteful
making anymore effort trying to save his life. They devalued him, arguing his brain was liquid.
But why would that matter? Why would it matter that there was a fraction of a percent of
a chance to save him, or that he had no chance at all of living? Is it not the parents right to try?
But no, the government took ownership of the child. Much of the public, with their
classist mindset, agreed with the authority figures, lacking empathy, and the ability to see the
grief of the parents.
Example 2: Many in England say they support equality, and talk up a storm about wealth gaps,
but at the same time show great affection to the monarchy, and the Queen. Their classist attitude
is so prominent that they ignore the inconsistency in their thinking, favouring those that rule
over them.
Example 3: In the year 2002 the British government launched a project to create a computer
system to manage and connect together the entirety of the NHS (National Health Service).
But after nearly a decade of "work" they burned through £11.4 billion, and pulled the
plug on it, having produced nothing of value.
A disastrous, and questionable project, yet no one was properly held accountable for this
massive theft waste of tax payers' money. But the classist bias that is woven into British society
makes it nearly impossible to oppose those who are at the top. The imposed layers of people,
each group with different statuses, creates a palpable barrier to meaningful communication, and
debate.
Cobra Effect - The Cobra Effect occurs when a solution to a problem is sought, but this then causes the
problem to grow.
Example:
When the British government ruled India they tried getting rid of cobras. They paid people for
every dead cobra they brought to them, but this made people breed cobras to earn an income.
Thus, the program was ended, but those who bred the cobras released them, increasing their
population.
Cognitive Inertia - After beliefs are formed they are difficult to alter or discard. There is cognitive
inertia.
Example: Religions focus on indoctrinating children, because they have few beliefs that
will conflict with the adoption of newer beliefs, and once these newer beliefs are in place they
will be difficult to alter or remove.
Compartmentalization - When an individual holds two or more conflicting beliefs this can cause mental
discomfort, which is called cognitive dissonance. To avoid cognitive dissonance the mind may
subconsciously use a psychological defense mechanism called compartmentalization.
Compartmentalization is the mental separation of conflicting ideas, beliefs, and values, so that
they cannot "meet" one another. In other words, they are put into (mental) compartments, and kept
apart to avoid clashing.
Example: A man of science, and evolutionary biologist, happily believes in the Bible, and goes
to church every Sunday.
Confirmation Bias, Willful Ignorance - Instead of seeking new, and conflicting information about
something, a person may be inclined into finding data that confirms what they already believe. This is
similar to willful ignorance, that is to say intentionally ignoring something to avoid mental discomfort.
Example: Ronnie wanted to settle the debate about cheese sandwiches, so she went online, and
found information supporting her views about the tastiness of cheese sandwiches, and its
benefits. But she "cherry picked" and ignored anything that said otherwise.
Conformity Bias - People are apt to emulating their peers.
Example: Despite his fears, Little Timmy jumps off a tree, and dives into the water below,
because his friends are doing it.
Construal Level Theory - A theory in social psychology about the way people perceive objects, and
events based on distance. There are different types of distances: Distance in time, distance of physical
space, social distance, and so on. For many the "realness" of an object, or occurrence is greatly
determined by its distance. Close = Concrete. Far = Abstract.
Example: Grandma Dynamite, who is a native of Pennsylvania, is watching the news, and sees
that a madman has extinguished the lives of several dozen people in a blaze of glory. But she
isn't too worried, because it happened in Canada. Later on, she hears the story about her
neighbour getting punched in the face by a random stranger. She is frightened.
Contrast Principle - People make decisions, and judgments by comparing things that are similar to one
another. In stores, for example, they will have three of an item. Like a toaster. There will be the
expensive toaster, the middle-priced toaster, and the cheap toaster. Most will pick the one in the middle,
because they don't want to spend too much, but don't want the cheapest item either. The retailers know
this, and it's what they want.
Corporate Bootlicking Mentality - Society seems to be ambivalent about large corporations. On one
hand they oppose the lack of ethics large corporations commonly exhibit, but on the other hand they
will become corporate bootlickers to the companies behind their favourite brands, intellectual property,
and franchises.
However, the opinions shown mainly seem to be about an individual's personal experience. If
they are treated well they don't care if others are treated poorly, and their relationship with a company
will be fine to them so long as they get what they want.
For example, an author signs a contract to sell off the movie rights to his books for $5000, and
the movies then go on to make $3 billion. Then when the author demands a portion of this $3 billion,
from the popular movie company, the corporate bootlickers say he doesn't deserve any more than
$5000, and that, "He signed a contract. He got what he was promised. The large movie company did
what they were legally obligated to do."
Yes, however, who is to say that the contract was fair, considering the author's state of mind, or
health at the time of signing the contract? If the author was broke at the time (thus having no lawyer),
and desperately needed money, and the corporation knew this, and then intentionally gave him a low-
ball offer, would that be considered fair, or right? Should the legality of the matter be the only thing
considered in the judgment of the author, and what is fair, or right?
Taking this further, what if the company did market research, and knew with confidence the
author's books would be a hit as movies, but they withheld this information from him? Is any of this
ethical?
Now, let's take this to the extreme. What if a woman is lost in a desert, and some company finds
her, and offers her a cold bottle of water, and a ride home for $10,000? Fair? Is that fair to negotiate
when someone is in dire straits, or not of the right mind, or right health? Is this not predatory behavior?
But the corporate bootlickers will lean on the law, and side with these mega corporations,
thinking that companies being within their rights means that they are right. No, being within your rights
does not always mean you are right. You have the right to swear at people, who don't deserve it, but are
you in the right when you swear at people, who don't deserve it? Of course not.
But the corporate bootlickers have a different perspective. They have many incorrect ideas
about how the world works. Many of them think ordinary people, and large corporations are on a level
playing field, and that these large corporations seek fair deals.
Untrue. Large corporations have the upper hand. They can be sneaky, and unethical, and get
their way, and bend people to their will, and exploit the desperation of individuals. They have high
powered lawyers, and government behind them. They wield the power, and to a mega corporation you
are an ant.
Cryptomnesia - An error of the mind in which a person observes something, and forgets about it, but
then later on it resurfaces, and they falsely believe it's their own, original thought.
Example: A famous blonde comedian tells a joke, and is very proud of it after it gets uproarious
laughter... But as it turns out the joke was really from Patrice O'Neil. The blonde comedian
watched his special, and then forgot about it. Years later it came into her head, and she thought
she had made up something brand new.
Cultural Bias - People have a difficult time seeing things through other people's perspectives. A person
will usually rely on their own culture to judge others, rather than trying to find out how someone else
would see a situation.
Example: IQ tests devised by those in western countries ask questions relevant to those in the
west, skewing results for minorities, and foreigners.
Culture Similarity and National Bias - People tend to prefer their own culture, and national identity,
thinking it superior to what is different.
Example: Many Americans think that the USA is the greatest country in the world despite
much evidence saying otherwise.
The Letter D
Denialism - Denying reality to avoid the truth that may cause discomfort, or distress.
Example: A mother is confronted by a teacher, who claims her son is bullying other children.
The mother becomes defensive, and says it can't be true, and that she raised her son right, and
that he is an absolute angel at home. However, her son's behavior at school says otherwise.
Default Bias - Also known as the "status quo bias" it is a preference for things to stay the same.
Example: "If it's not broke don't fix it."
Desire Reality Bias - A desire reality bias is the penchant that humans have in which they believe that
what they desire is, will, or should be reality.
Example: Candace thinks the price of the new iPhone will only be $400, but that is really
her desire more than an educated guess.
Did Nothing Wrong Mentality - Feeling guilty causes mental discomfort, therefore people are inclined
to alleviating their guilt with a "Did Nothing Wrong" mentality, which means they typically rationalize
immoral or foolish decisions by denying wrongdoing, and asserting various, and often convoluted
details that their actions were not deviant, or wrong, or it was somehow justified.
Note, this mentality can also apply to those speaking on behalf of others. Parents often think
this way, not believing their children have done any wrong, even if evidence says otherwise.
Example: A teenager has his friend, who's working at a shop, misprice expensive gadgets.
The teenager then purchases these gadgets at the checkout, where his friend is, and buys them
for mere dollars. When later confronted about this, being accused of theft, the teenager says that
he paid for them, and it's not stealing -- he cannot, or will not understand it any other way.
Diminished Responsibility Bias - Facing punishment a person may be inclined to believing that they
should not be held responsible for a wrongdoing, or that they are only partially responsible, because of
their diminished mental state.
Example:
Jim: "It's not my fault that happened... I was drunk!"
Tim: "Yes, but you chose to drink when you were sober!"
Distorted Lens Perspective - People have different "lenses" (perspectives) than others, but often do not
realize it, and sometimes these lenses are distorted, providing erroneous thoughts, being influenced by
their feelings, personal experiences, and non-concrete information.
Example: A psychologist, Dr Robert Cleck, conducted an experiment. In the experiment women

had fake scars placed on their faces -- which were then secretly removed. The women, after
talking to a stranger, said they felt the stranger was staring at their scar, which made them
uncomfortable. These women had "distorted lenses."
Double Rejection - Person A rejects what Person B says/asserts/proposes, so Person B retaliates by

rejecting Person A, and their ideas, resulting in a "double rejection." This behavior is "tit for tat."
Example:
Person A: Do you have the cover art for your album?
Person B: Yes, this is the cover art for my latest album. It's a naked baby swimming.
Person A: You can see its wiener. I don't want this. Choose something else.
Person B: If you don't like it, then you must be a closet pedophile!
Person A: What the fuck? That doesn't make sense at all.
Person B: Nyehhh!
Double Standard Bias - When a person applies a rule, principle, or idea to one, and not another, in an
unfair manner, they have what is called a double standard.
Example: A father tells his kids to "stop fucking swearing so much!"
Doublethink - Derived from the book "1984" doublethink is the name for a mental state, where a
person holds two or more conflicting beliefs at a time.
Example: Jenneye believes the Earth is flat like a disc, but is proudly the president of the Global
Flat Earth Society.
Dunning-Kruger Effect - There is a strong tendency for individuals to overestimate their intelligence in
something they only know about minimally, or not at all.
For example, many people give very strong opinions about the economy, and politics, and
presume with certainty that they are correct in their views. But this runs counter to the truth, which is
that they actually are fairly ignorant.
Even though they have little education on these topics, they believe they know what is going on
by virtue of the fact that it touches their lives. In reality, economics, and politics are rather complex,
and can takes years of study to fully grasp.
Likewise, spectators that watch, and casually play sports often believe that they know what to
do to win a professional game, not grasping that it is far more complex than they know. There is a
significant ignorance to the numerous levels of skill, or lack of.
Conversely, people who are highly knowledgeable in a particular area of study, often
underestimate their own abilities, but at the same time also overestimate what others know of that same
subject. But while this all sounds somewhat negative the Dunning-Kruger Effect could have some
benefits.
Being able to see a pursuit as manageable may help with initial motivation. If an individual
were to pursue something with the full knowledge of its difficulty they could quickly become
discouraged, and choose to avoid it altogether, rather than trying to obtain competency.
In most cases though the Dunning-Kruger Effect just seems to be a form of beginner's
ignorance.
The Letter E
Entitlement Bias - Individuals believing they are inherently deserving of privileges, and preferential
treatment.
Example: There are studies where researchers go out into the field to do "social experiments"
on fairness. In it they give two people a proposition. There is an amount of money to be gained,
and the first person gets to decide how it's split. But the catch is that the second person, if they
feel the offer isn't fair, can make it so that nobody gets anything.
What was found is that in westernized countries, if the split wasn't at least 50/50, then
the second person (receiving less) in the experiment would scrap the deal, and make them both
get nothing, because they felt it was unfair.
However, in Asian countries, if the share was lopsided, like 70/30, then the second
person would accept it, because they believed it was better than nothing, and that it was free
money.
So, it was observed that the ideas of fairness are not universal.
Excuse Bias - Humans have a tendency to make excuses when they screw up, and normally they expect
others to accept it -- but there can be hypocrisy as those who are inclined to making excuses often will
not accept, or believe excuses from others.
Example: Jojo tells her teacher, Mrs Pumpernickel, that she couldn't do her homework, because
she felt sick. The next week, Mrs Pumpernickel informs her class that the school trip is
cancelled, because of her fibromyalgia. Jojo doesn't buy it. She thinks Mrs Pumpernickel
looks as healthy as a horse.
Expertise Bias - Experts or those that are knowledgeable in a particular field often think that people
that don't know what they know are stupid. These experts have placed themselves in a mental bubble,
thinking that their knowledge is supreme, and also obvious. But what is obvious to some won't be
obvious to others, because they come from different backgrounds.
Example: An old lady calls someone for help with her computer, and the man she's called thinks
she's stupid for not knowing what a "window" is. But this old lady is no fool. She is a retired
teacher.
Everyone Else is Doing it Mentality - Often what someone deems right, or wrong is based on others.
They will refuse, or take a course of action, because of what others are doing, or not doing.
Example: A tourist, who is part of a group, litters, throwing her garbage onto the ground. She is
confronted by a concerned citizen. She points to others, and says, "But they're doing it, too."
Everyone Except Me Mentality (Pluralistic Ignorance) - Individuals, especially those that are young,
have a tendency to think they are special. In many situations, and in life they have a belief that they are
the exception, and not like the rest of society -- they are different, and have unique qualities, even if
people can't see it.
This mentality produces self-flattery, negative views of others, or both.
Example: Young Neil is on a public bus, and he stares at all the people. He thinks, "Look at all
these people. They're sheep, and they don't even know it. But not me. I'm a high level thinker.
I'm different."
Meanwhile, the person behind him is having the exact same thought.
The Letter F
Family/Parental Bias - In many cultures, especially Asian cultures, people believe that family is of the
utmost importance, and that parents are superior to their children; parents must be respected at all
times, and they are always right.
But the reality is many parents are routinely wrong, and lots of families are psychologically
toxic.
Example: A mother slaps her son's face on his birthday, because he is making too much excited
noise.
Fairness Bias - In reality what is or isn't fair is highly dependent on the person making the judgments,
meaning judgments on fairness are subjective, and usually lean in the favor of the individual doing the
judging.
The fairness bias for example makes people think that the world is fair when they succeed, and
unfair when they fail.
Example: A man doesn't get promoted at his workplace. The promotion is instead given to a
colleague. The man says that life is unfair, and he's far more qualified. But next year, the man
gets another chance, and this time he gets the promotion he wanted, while his friend is passed
up. His friend complains, but the man insists that he deserves the promotion, and what
happened is fair.
False Consensus Bias - An inclination to thinking that one's opinions, habits, or beliefs are more widely
held, and common than is true.
Example: "I'm voting for Hillary Clinton! Everyone loves her! She's going to be the first female
president! Oh my goodness!"
False Uniqueness Bias - The tendency to think one's qualities, traits, attitudes, ideas, or behaviors are
unique -- though they are not.
Example: "This might be an unpopular opinion, but... I think bullying is bad!"
Filter Bubble - A term coined by Eli Pariser, a Filter Bubble is a bubble that causes intellectual
isolation. This bubble is a consequence of technology that tries to customize a person's online
experience, which (for the most part) has the result of them seeing only what they want to see.
However, to stimulate intellect people must encounter ideas, and thoughts that they find
uncomfortable.
Formal Education Bias - Those that are formally educated often overvalue their education, and are
dismissive of informal education, which in many cases can teach effectively but is not credentialled.
Although, the skepticism is fairly reasonable when you consider the amount of misinformation that
exists in the world.
Example: The Blue Stockings Society was an informal organization that sought to educate
women. It was founded in the year 1750 in a time when only men went to universities. The
society was ridiculed but nonetheless a valuable organization to those who joined.
The Framing Effect - You can present information to people in different ways, without fundamentally
changing the information, but get different responses. This is the framing effect. Imagine, if you will, a
painting. The reception to the painting will vary based on the frame that is around it.
Example:
A medical scientist invents a new drug. He tells Group A that taking the drug will give them a
70% chance of survival. However, he tells Group B there is a 30% chance it won't work.
The response of each group is different. Group A feels enthusiastic about the drug
but Group B is hesitant to use it. The reason for this is that Group A was given a positive frame,
while Group B had a negative frame. One emphasized the good, and the other the bad.
Fuck You, I Got Mine Mentality - Many people are self-centered. They put their wellbeing above
others, holding themselves in special status, with double standards. Often if they are having trouble in a
particular area in their life it is deemed of great importance, but once that trouble is gone, and someone
else is having the same trouble, they then show a lack of caring.
Example: Some women who choose to have elective abortions have a "Fuck You, I Got Mine
Mentality" because they do not care about the unborn baby they are carrying, and refuse to do
what has been done for them, instead choosing selfishness.
FUTON Bias - FUTON is an acronym meaning "Full Text On the Net." This is a research bias in
academia. The journals cited the most are the ones that are available for free on the internet. This is
problematic, because it often causes scholars to ignore other pertinent information.
Future Personality Bias - People, especially young people, have a tendency to underestimate, or
miscalculate how much they will change in the future. They do not fully comprehend the degree that
one's personality can be altered by future events, and experiences.
Example: Many young liberals do not believe they will become conservative when they become
older.
The Letter H
Halo Effect* - If someone is good at a thing, or known for a particular skill, or talent, or they are
popular (for whatever reason) there is a halo effect, which extends their reputation into other fields that
they might not be adept in.
Example: Rich celebrities talk about politics, and try guiding ordinary people's votes when in
reality most of them are ignorant about the government, and economics. But many will listen
because of their reputation, and fame.
*The opposite of the Halo Effect is the Horn Effect. With the Horn Effect a person's whole reputation is
soiled by one or a few negative things. What there is that is positive is ignored because of the bad,
which in a manner of speaking sticks out like a horn.
Halo Effect Internum* - The Halo Effect is typically regarded as what others think of an individual, but
one can self-appoint positive qualities to themselves based on a prior success(es). Meaning, a person
who is successful at one thing is inclined to think their talent extends into areas of which they have
insufficient knowledge, or experience.
Example: Bob Smith is a successful business-man, and so he thinks that he can be a successful
politician too, even though he's never done anything in politics.
*Internum is a Latin word meaning internal.
Hanlon's Razor - An aphorism stating that you should: "Never attribute to malice that which is
adequately explained by stupidity." Meaning, people are more idiotic than they are evil.
Hardship Bias - People have tendency to think that their own problems are the worst.
Example: Melvin complains to a friend about how crappy it is working in the retail industry. His
friend is a soldier, who fought terrorists, and had his arm blown off by an IED.
Herd Mentality, Mob Mentality - When a person is gathered with many other people of similar status
their thinking is liable to change, and behavior can worsen. There are a few reasons for this.
a) Humans naturally base their morality on what others are doing, looking for social cues for what is
acceptable. If one person does something immoral, and there is no backlash, others will likely copy.
b) A group will make an individual feel protected, and thus more powerful. This power emboldens
selfish, and immoral behaviours.
c) A person in a group feels that they are less likely to be caught for misbehaviors. There is an element
of anonymity within a group, because it is harder to extract a guilty individual from a mass of people.
However, when group punishments exist, where an individual's actions bring punishment to a whole
group, this thinking is dampened.
d) Although a group can make a person feel powerful there is also the fear of the group turning on an
individual. Thus, someone is more likely to conform, and join in wrongdoing to avoid punishment for
not participating.
e) Large gatherings of people usually don't happen by accident. Those who join a large group likely
have a common goal, and/or shared characteristics. This means there is a degree of kinship, which
produces an "us versus them" mentality. When you have that you have potential for chaos.
High Visibility Bias - People are naturally inclined to rewarding, or punishing, those who are most
visible.
Example: Actors are paid significantly more money than writers, even though writing is the
far more difficult pursuit. To write well you must be intelligent, and mature, and practice for
years, and years. Acting can be done by children. The most prestigious award in Hollywood is
an Oscar, which has been won by a 10 year old (Tatum O'Neal). The same can't be said for
writing, because writing requires one to be smart.
There is this false idea that actors get paid more because audiences see movies for
specific actors, but this is far from the truth. People see movies for the stories, which are written
by writers, or directors, and the actors are just there to act as living props to tell the narrative.
If actors are so special, why is it that Pixar movies are extremely successful? Pixar's
movies don't have actors. Voice actors, yes, but when they make a movie the voices for the
characters are done by a variety of people from different countries, meaning they are fungible.
So, the fact is actors are highly overvalued -- because of their visibility.
Hindsight Bias* - When something happens, and a person says "I knew it all along!" they have what is
called hindsight bias. After the fact they insist the event was predictable or obvious though it probably
wasn't.
This bias skews a person's perspective, and a person may unfairly judge others for having made
mistakes, and say things to them like "you should have known" or "you should have done this or that."
But these are ignorant thoughts, because a) a person can't travel back in time to correct their
mistake(s), and b) if something was very obvious to someone no mistake(s) would have been made
from the outset.
In other words, hindsight is 20/20.
*Also known as "creeping determinism."
Home Team Bias - In sports the home team usually has the advantage. This especially applies to sports,
like boxing, and mixed martial arts (MMA), where the outcome is highly dependent on judges.
Example: When Manny Pacquiao fought Australian boxer Jeff Horn in Australia, Jeff Horn was
declared the winner. But many disagreed with the decision, and thought the judges were corrupt.
The fact is there was a home team bias. Horn was given the win because he was an Australian
fighting in Australia. They wanted him to win.
Human Difference Ignorance - Often individuals fail to acknowledge the differences in humans,
thinking all (or almost all) people are equal.
Example: Steve says to Stephen, "If I can do it, you can too." But Stephen has a vastly
different personality, and intellect than Steve.
Hypocrisy, Rules for Thee but Not for Me, Double Standards - Because of selfishness, and/or a lack of
self-awareness, humans have a tendency to be inconsistent in their ideas, beliefs, and values.
When a woman admonishes others for doing something wrong, but she herself does it, this is
what we call hypocrisy.
When a woman tells others to do something, but she herself does not do it, this is what we call
"rules for thee but not for me."
When a man unfairly applies demands to one, but not another of identical status, this is a double
standard. There is literally double standards.
Example of Hypocrisy: A woman tells people that they need to be generous, but she herself
gives nothing to charity, and she is stingy.
Example of Rules for Thee but Not for Me: A wife tells her husband to not waste money on
beer, but she buys lottery tickets, and shoes that she doesn't need.
Example of Double Standards: A man tells his daughter to save herself for marriage, but
encourages his son to be promiscuous. This is not only a double-standard, but sexist, and
foolish. Both children should be told to not be promiscuous, because of the negative
consequences.
The Letter I
Ignorant to Ignorance Bias - Related to the Dunning-Kruger effect. When someone is extremely
ignorant about a subject they are ignorant to their ignorance. Or they are too stupid to know that they
are stupid.
Example: After finishing college, Billy's eyes were wide open, and looking back, he realized
that as a freshman he never knew that he never knew.
Ignorance to Subtlety - Many people fail to comprehend subtlety, and the fine details in life.
Example: School teachers often ignore the age differences of their students who are in the same
grade, and then believe some students have attention deficit disorder, when the truth is they
are just younger. Someone born in January will be older than a student born in December by no
more than a year, but the difference is great enough that there will be a signifigant difference in
intellect.
Illogical Insulting - Insults are commonly illogical, and this can be found upon examination of insults,
and their related remarks, which appear to be contradictory to one another. Of course, many a people
are inclined towards illogical insulting, because insults are usually done when one is emotional.
Example 1:
Benny: Will you go out on a date with me, Jenny?
Jenny: No.
Benny: You're a slut!
Jenny: How am I a slut? I said no, not yes. This makes no sense, Benny!
Example 2:
Fighter A: You're a terrible fighter, Fighter B! I'm gonna crush you!
Fighter B: We'll see...
(Fighter A beats Fighter B.)
Fighter A: Yes, I beat you, Fighter B! I'm amazing!
Fighter B: You called me a terrible fighter! You're amazing because you beat a "terrible
fighter"?
Illusory Superiority - A bias that makes one falsely believes that they are superior to others when they
are not.
Example: A young man believes he is going to be the next big thing, because he is "more
talented than everyone else" who is his age.
Implantation Oversight - When an individual is talking to another person they may, without realizing it,
implant an idea/ideas into their mind, eliciting an answer that is not genuine.
Example: A mother takes her child to a restaurant. They have pineapple pizza. When they're
done eating the mother asks her daughter if she liked the pizza.
"Did you like the pizza?" asks the mother. "It was delicious, wasn't it? I liked it a lot."
Her daughter nods, and enthusiastically replies, "Me, too!"
But the daughter doesn't really like the pizza that much, but her answer is shaped by the
fact that her mother said she liked the pizza. The mother does not realize her influence.
Implicit Bias - The mind is liable to stereotyping certain groups, and people, but whilst lacking an
awareness of it. Meaning, individuals will be prejudiced without realizing what they are doing. This is
implicit bias.
Example: Many people without being aware of it associate crime with "black people."
Important to Everyone Mentality - When something is important to an individual they have a tendency
to think that it is also considered important to others, and expect that they will act like it is so, but
people usually have differences of opinion in how important something is or isn't.
Example: A husband is sitting down in a kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a
newspaper. His wife's left a cake to bake in the oven, while she's in the living room watching
TV.
The cake sits in the oven too long, and burns. The wife runs into the kitchen, and scolds
the husband for not taking the cake out of the oven. She yells at him, and says, "Why didn't you
watch this?! This is for my mother's birthday!"
"If it's so important to you, then why didn't you keep an eye on it?" the husband replies.
"I mean, why is this my fault? I don't know how long a cake should bake for. You never even
told me to watch it either. This is on you, toots."
"Don't call me toots," the wife says, whilst gnashing her teeth.
Imposter Syndrome - A person has imposter syndrome, if they doubt their achievements, and feel that
they don't belong in the position they are in, although evidence says otherwise.
Example: Margaret is the CEO of a new, large company, and feels like an imposter, that she is
not qualified even though she has put in the hours, and has worked harder than anyone else.
Incremental Blindness - When something negative happens, and it is highly noticeable due to its
characteristic of being large, and impactful, people usually react immediately, responding to the threat
as soon as possible.
However, when there is something equally dangerous, but it happens incrementally, in small
steps, there is an apathy, or blindness to what is occuring.
Though this doesn't just apply to bad situations; this can also work in the opposite fashion,
where someone doesn't notice that things are steadily getting better.
Example 1: A man visits his doctor, and is told he is obese. His BMI (body mass index) is 40.
But this did not happen overnight. This happened slowly over several years.
Example 2: A woman complains about all the violence in the world, but statistics show we are
living in the least violent time in mankind's history. Violence has steadily decreased over the
years.
Addendum: Incremental Distribution Tactic - Many businesses, and individuals use an incremental
distribution tactic to persuade people to do what they want.
For example, a broke student sits down with his friend who has a large plate of French fries.
This broke student wants to eat the fries. So, he asks for one, and his friend naturally says yes. Then the
broke student asks for another...and another, and another, until he has taken half of his friend's fries.
The broke student got his friend to comply by getting him to "incrementally distribute" his food.
Asking for the fries one by one is much easier than saying, "Can I have half your fries?"
Independent Mind Bias - People often overestimate how independent minded they are, while
underestimating how much they are influenced by others.
Example: Joey Jojo says that advertisements are stupid, and they don't work on him. Yet he
bought some pizza after seeing an advertisement for $5.00 pizza.
Inexperienced Valuation Bias - Those who have little or no experience in something will often have
unrealistic perspectives on value.
Example: A human rights activist accuses a pharmaceutical company of price gouging, saying
that their drug should not sell for $1,000 per dose, because the cost to make their pills is only
$5.00; however, he has ignored the years of research, and development required to create the
drug, which amounts to billions of dollars.
Normally, the main cost of a drug is in the R&D not manufacturing. But the activist has
no knowledge, or experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and so cannot properly judge the
monetary value of medicine.
Ingroup Bias - People tend to favor others who are like themselves. They favor those who share their
background, those who are of their group. Some call this tribalism.
Example: Sports fans typically root for the teams who represent the area in which they live.
Inverted Logic - An occurence of the mind that can happen when an individual is under stress, or
swayed by intense emotions. Inverted logic is the taking of normal reasoning, and turning it upside
down, or inverting it, so to speak.
Example: A man doesn't want to get tested for STIs, because he's afraid he might have
something awful, but this is inverted logic. That there might be "something awful" should be
the motivation for getting tested.
The Letter J
Just Deserts Bias - People who have a "Just Deserts Bias" believe an individual harmed, because of
foolish decisions, deserved what happened to them. In other words, the individual is held responsible
for a personal negative consequence on the grounds that they should have "seen it coming."
However, the outside-observer in most cases is not fully aware of the other person's reasoning,
and/or state of mind. This therefore leads to a misguided feeling that "just deserts" was received.
But when judging an individual, who comes to harm through a decision they've made, it is
incorrect to assume that to them the potential harmful consequences were obvious. If indeed they truly
were obvious the individual would have altered their behavior to avoid a negative outcome.
Example of Just Deserts Bias: A small child is told not to touch a pot, which is hot. Yet curiosity
gets the better of her, and she touches the pot, and burns her fingers. Because the parent warned the
child, the parent believes her daughter got what she deserved.
But did the child really deserve harm for ignoring what she was told? No. The act of ignorance,
or not being able to see what was obvious to others, is in and of itself not proper justification for scorn,
or deriving pleasure, or satisfaction from someone being harmed or placed in a bad situation (aka
schadenfreude).
Humans are inherently flawed, and the expectation that they always make correct decisions is
unrealistic.
Just-world Hypothesis - A just-world hypothesis, or just-world fallacy is a cognitive bias. Someone

who has this bias believes that there is "cosmic justice" and that (with few exceptions) a person's
actions always bring fitting consequences.
Example: Little Jimmy John was trying to pop a wheelie with his bicycle, and fell back, and
broke his arm. His father believes that he got what he deserved for fooling around. "You reap
what you sow," he said to his son.
The Letter L
Law as Morality Bias - The thinking that what is law is also moral. Often this isn't the case.
Example: It used to be legal to own slaves. Law ≠ morality.
Literal Different Perceivement - Many people believe that others perceive things in the same manner as
they do, but often this is an incorrect assumption, because humans have different mental filters, and
different mental abilities.
Example: It is well known in the medical industry that people have different tolerances for pain.
Redheads are the most sensitive to pain, requiring more anesthesia than others of different
hair colour.
Local Preference - People tend to prefer what is local, and nearby. This preference applies to both the
physical world, and what is in the mind, or virtual. When trying to solve a problem, or perform a task
the solution that is closest to an individual is usually preferrable.
Good design is based on the idea of local preference. For example, a large box of Crayola
Crayons has a built-in crayon sharpener, which makes a tool for problem solving locally available.
Besides being economical, having a sharpener as a part of the box keeps the sharpener from
being lost, and it ensures that it is conveniently nearby.
Loser/Winner Investing Bias - When people invest in the stock market their strategy is to sell the
winners, and keep the losers. This is the opposite of what you should do. If you had a garden would
you keep the weeds, and pluck the flowers?
Loss Aversion - The pain of losing is far greater than the joy of winning.
Lost Aim Outlook - There are so many laws, rules, and regulations in society that we are apt to
forgetting why they were made in the first place. But we continue enforcing these rules on habit, and
we neglect to reexamine their purposes. This can create dilemmas in society, where people are unfairly
rebuked, or punished for not obeying rules that no longer have a reason to exist.
Example 1: The punishment for consuming illegal drugs causes more harm than the drugs
alone.
Example 2: A person is told they are rude if they don't take off their hat when indoors. But that
social rule doesn't make sense anymore. The rule of taking off your hat was created in a time
when women wore enormous hats that would block people's views. A modern hat like a baseball
cap does not have this problem.
Example 3: In more antiquated times most people did not have a dining table, or room dedicated
solely to eating. So, men would place a large board on top of two work benches to create a
table, and then they would put their meals onto it.
Consequently, if you put your elbows down on the surface it would make everything
wobble. Thus, they agreed that it would be rude to put your elbows on the table. Today that
doesn't matter, because almost everyone has a sturdy dining table, but some still believe it is
inappropriate to have elbows on a table whilst eating.
The Letter M
Masking (One's Personality) - To socially fit in people will choose to mask their personalities,
suppressing their urges, and hiding how they really feel at certain times.
Mind Immovable Bias - Though views about the mind are changing, still many people today believe
that the mind is quite reliable, and that decision making cannot be heavily affected by simple things
like hunger, or (lack of) sleep.
But this is untrue. The mind is extremely susceptible to changes. For example, it is well known
that judges are much more lenient right after breakfast, and lunch, meaning their hunger alters their
mood, and decision making abilities.
As for those who don't get enough sleep, i.e those who are sleep deprived, they are liable to
making far greater errors. Doctors, and airline pilots can make erroneous decisions that can literally kill
people. So, the lesson here is that one must recognize that their brains are not invulnerable, and one
ought to be self-aware of their mental condition(s).
Misguided Anger - Almost every human has anger inside of them, and every once in a while they need
to blow off this steam; however, doing so to the source of anger can have repercussions.
So, a (certain type of) person will get angry, but towards people who are weak, and/or appear to
be deserving of censure.
This enables a person to be mean, and play the bully, while escaping retaliation. This act can be
either intentional, or unintentional.
Example 1: Travis punches someone in the face, accusing him of racism. But Travis isn't really
that angry at this person, or racism. Travis is angry about the crappy state of his life, and he
needed to release his anger on someone to feel better.
Example 2: A man was angry at his wife, so he kicked her cat.

Money Fixes Bias - Most people have a tendency to think that money can fix most every issue, or
problem in their life, or the lives of others; however, many times money makes things worse, or it
doesn't help at all.
Example: Many believe that raising wages will improve worker performance. This is a
misconception. It will improve worker sastisfaction, but more money cannot make a bad worker
good.
In reality, raising wages does two things:

a) It helps a company to retain good employees. b) It gives a company a larger pool of
employees to choose from, meaning they can have skilled, qualified employees.
Moral Bending Bias - Most people believe that they are good. But the reality is humans are a mix of
good, and evil, mainly reacting to events, and often choosing what is best for themselves in spite of
moral tenents.
Meaning, a belief can be "bent" if it is advantageous. This is especially true in situations in
which one must make a decision for self-preservation. But how can a person hold a moral belief, and
then change it, and (in most cases) feel little to no remorse?
What people think of as morality is really a social contract in which each participant benefits if
they follow the rules.
There is a mutual agreement to removal of harm, and/or common good; however, if one chooses
to act out against this agreement, then normally there is retaliation.
This is what they call "social morality" which is different to "true morality." The principles of
true morality holds true in all situations, while social morality however is flexible.
Example of Social Morality: "I won't try to kill you, and you don't try to kill me... But if
you try to kill me, I will kill you, and I will justify my actions by calling it self-defense."
Example of True Morality: Someone who is under threat, but refuses to be violent, and chooses
not to harm anyone is considered a pacifist, and is truly moral. Jesus Christ is perhaps the most
famous pacifist. He let himself be nailed to some wood, even though he could have killed
everyone, and sent them straight to hell with his magical powers.
Example of Morality Bending: A man is having some financial struggles, and is still getting by,
but one day he decides to shoplift, and he steals from Walls-Mart. He is caught by security, and
when questioned, he gives the excuse that he is poor, and says that "Walls-Mart is a big
corporation, anyway. It wouldn't have hurt them. I wasn't stealing a huge amount. I'm still a
good person!"
Moral Licensing - If a person does something good, or they feel they are good enough as a person, they
will give themselves a "moral license" allowing themselves to morally deviate, and act improperly.
Example 1: A priest feels that he is a good person by worshipping God, so he then thinks it's
okay for him to look under women's skirts, because he is so devoted to the Lord.
Example 2: A young woman eats a healthy breakfast in the morning, and at lunch eats some
junk food on the reasoning that she's already done something good for herself.
Moral Shrugging Mentality - When someone does or chooses something immoral they will do a "moral
shrugging" brushing off their sins like it is no big deal. Their primary concern is how they are affected,
and they will dismiss those who criticize them.
Example 1: Bill Cosby was accused of raping several women, and when taken to court, he
showed little remorse, but complained about how his legacy would be tarnished.
Example 2: Those with a promiscuous mentality will tell you that there's nothing wrong with
having lots of sex with multiple partners, claiming it is not immoral; however, morality is an
integral part of human sexuality.
One's promsicuous behavior can not only cause physical harm, but emotional harm as
well. There are many cases in which harm clearly comes from the act of sexual intercourse.
There's infidelity, rape, pedophilia, heartbreak, and so on.
Example 3: An employer is interviewing a candidate, and brings up her criminal record. The
candidate shrugs, and replies, "That was in the past." But what exactly does this mean? Virtually
everything is in the past. Saying something was in the past is like saying, "It is what it is."
The Letter N
Negative Continuation Bias - When a person begins something considered wrong they are likely to
continue on, and carry through, instead of stopping. There is likely a distortion of reality in which they
use a mistake to justify the degeneration of their behavior. They think, consciously or subconsciously,
that the consequence for a particular transgression will not change when there is an increase in
deviation. Much like how one might think that the punishment for stealing $100 or $500 would be the
same. This causes an individual to do what is most egregious.
Also, repetition, and continuation of bad behaviour may be caused by a subconscious desire to
create something of normalcy, and therefore comfortable acceptance. But either "reasoning" is
detrimental.
Example: A man who's trying to lose weight becomes hungry, and goes into his fridge to look
for a healthy snack. But he sees a cake. He tries to resist, but takes a bite of the cake. He feels
guilty for a moment, but then thinks to himself, "Oh, well, I've already eaten a piece. May as
well have the whole thing." Then he eats the whole cake much to his regret 13 minutes later.
Negativity Bias - Humans are psychologically more affected by the negative than the positive.
Example: The media focus on negative news because it emotionally moves people more than
that which is positive.
Neglecting Probability - Humans have a tendency to ignore probability, and instead prefer black and
white answers in which the chances of something happening are either absolutely certain, or not at all.
Example: Many tourists who swim in the sea are afraid of sharks, but a car ride is far more
dangerous than any shark. Sharks kill around 10 people a year. On the other hand, cars kill over
1 million people annually, yet few have a great fear of the automobile industry.
Newness & Oldness Bias - There are two related biases here. One is a (mere) newness bias, and the
other is an oldness bias. Younger people tend to have a newness bias, being attracted to what seems
new, because it is exciting, and gives them a glimpse of the future.
Older folks, however, often prefer what is old, and what is established, because they see it as
reliable, and it is a reminder of their younger days.
Example of Newness Bias: Nancy doesn't want to wear her mom's jacket to school. She thinks
it's old fashioned. She'd rather have a brand new jacket, with fancy lights, and sleeves that can
tear off when it's hot outside.
Example of Oldness Bias: Marshall doesn't like digital music. He would rather listen to records,
because he believes they have a warmer sound.
Next Is Better Bias - Many are disposed to thinking that what is next, what will replace the old, will
most certainly be better -- but often this is untrue, because decline is always a possibility.
Example: The wildebeests in the savanna have a meeting, and make a plan to kill all the lions,
no longer wanting to be their food. Then on a Sunday morning they wage war against the lions.
It's a bloody war, but the wildebeests are victorious, killing all of the lions. Now there are no
more lions, and the wildebeests feel safe, and at ease. But the killing of the lions helps the
hyenas to thrive, and grow in numbers. The hyenas take the place of the lions, and they are far
more savage, and cruel, and hungry.
Normalcy Bias - Sometimes emergencies, or disasters happen (or are about to happen), and people
don't react appropriately, or they think that if they wait long enough it will go away. This is a normalcy
bias. In a civilized world men, and women often have this peculiar bias that prevents them from taking
the right course of action in the face of danger. Something is wrong, something has severely changed,
but their brain is stuck in normal mode.
Example: Reginald found himself sweating, and having trouble breathing, but instead of calling
an ambulance, he chose to sit down, and drink a cold glass of water, thinking everything would
be fine. However, his wife called emergency services, and then made him chew, and swallow an
Aspirin tablet. At the hospital it was discovered Reginald actually had a heart attack.
A tip for those who have a normalcy bias: Expect the unexpected, and don't downplay problems!
Recognize, and react to danger, because it could save your life, or the life of someone else.
Normalization of Deviation - The act of treating deviation as normal, and making it a habit much to the
detriment of self and/or others.
Example: The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster (January 28, 1986) happened in part because
of the normalization of deviation. The minds at NASA took the first step to normalizing
deviation, which then became a habit, and they began to accept errors, or what they called
"acceptable risk."
This then led to the mistaken launch of their shuttle on a day of unacceptably cold
weather, which caused an O-ring to malfuction, and leak fuel from a rocket booster. This
created an explosion, which sadly killed the entire seven-member crew.
Not-invented-here Syndrome - Companies, and organizations have a strong preference for their own
things, and are reluctant to accept outside products/services/ideas to aid them in achieving their goals.
Not Me But You Bias - If a person has this bias, they will reject an idea, and instead retort that a
different idea, but which is related in principle, be placed upon an apposite person, or group (that is
seen as opposing).
Example:
Girl: "There's a sexual harassment problem. The men on campus keep staring at the women."
Guy: "The women should think about dressing modestly."
Girl: "Women shouldn't have to dress modestly! Tell men to stop staring!"
The Letter O
Observational Selection Bias - Also known as cherry picking, observational selection bias is the bias
that has someone when trying to support a claim. They select data, and information that supports their
claim, but they ignore that which opposes, or refutes.
Occam's Razor - The observation that (usually) the simplest answer is the correct one.
Example: Young Tyrone meets a kid on his street named Ethan. Ethan is an unruly character,
who steals, vandalizes public property, and gets into fights. Tyrone wonders why he behaves
this way, and he thinks that perhaps Ethan is a victim of abuse, and he is lashing out at the world
because his life is unfair, and he is letting off steam, and expressing himself, albeit in a
destructive manner.
Later, Tyrone does some investigating, and finally finds out the truth -- Ethan is just a
selfish dumbass, because his parents spoil him.
Old People Bias - In many Asian cultures old people are revered, and thought to be wiser than young
people, and therefore valuable to society, and deserving of great respect. But the truth is they are just
people, and people at any age have flaws, or positive characteristics, and they are not uniform in
personality. Some old people are good; some are bad. Respect must be earned, and not based soley on
age.
Online Disinhibition Effect - People online are less inhibited, and more likely to say what they really
think. They are also inclined towards herd mentality, ignorance, a lack of self-awareness, a lack of
manners, and immoral behavior. This occurs because there is the veil of anonymity, which makes these
individuals feel safer.
But does this alone explain the toxic behavior found online? Some believe the internet
disproportionately represents those who are uncongenial, because the uncongenial flock to the internet,
since it is the only place that will (reluctantly) accept them, and it is there they do most of their
socialization.
If the internet did not exist they likely could not speak to other people on account of their
repulsive personalities.
Opus Experientia (Phenomenon) - "Opus Experientia" is a Latin phrase, which in English means
"Experience Needed." It is the name for an observation. It is observed that most humans need to
experience what others have gone through to understand them, and thought alone isn't enough.
Example: A woman tells her father that his kidney stones are no big deal, and that he is acting
like a baby. Later on, this woman gets her own kidney stones, and she then understands the pain
that her father went though.
Ostrich Effect - Ostriches don't really bury their heads in the sand to avoid danger, but the "ostrich
effect" is named after the myth that they do. The ostrict effect is about investors who ignore negative
financial information, because they are afraid of facing the truth.
But this also applies to others in other situations. Many people ignore things, because they're
afraid of hearing bad news. They think, and hope what's troubling them will go away on its own. In
serious matters, however, this is seldom true. Typically, ignorance makes one feel better in the short-
term but long-term there could be devastating consequences.
Example: Muhammad is feeling sick, but doesn't want to visit the doctor, because, "What if it's
something really bad?" But that is the main reason why Muhammad should go for a checkup,
but in his state of fear he has inverted logic, where the reason to do something has become the
reason to not do something.
Outcome Bias - When a person has an outcome bias, and they make a decision, they judge the decision
on the outcome rather than their state of mind, and the information they had when they had to come to
the decision. In other words, their view of the past is altered by the quality of the result.
So, if the outcome is negative they judge the decision bad. If the outcome is positive they judge
the decision good. However, a decision, and the decision making process cannot be judged solely on
the outcome.
Example: Norton, and Arianna both play the lottery. They both spend a ton of money buying
tickets for a game that offers a chance to win $100,000,000. Norton wins the second prize of
$250,000 and is really pleased with his decision. He says that he made a good decision.
But Arianna got absolutely nothing. She laments her poor decision, spending all that
money for nothing. However, Arianna made the same decision as Norton. Yet the outcome
affects her perception of the quality of her decision that she made in the past. The reality is both
made equal decisions.
Over-analysis Bias, Analysis Paralysis - When someone over-analyzes something to such a degree that
they become paralyzed, and ultimately do nothing.
Example: A man wants to start a business. Having loss aversion, he decides to do as much
research as he can, which he believes will reduce risk. But he becomes so overwhelmed in the
process that he becomes exhausted, and confused, and he ends up not starting a business.
Overconfidence - Though some people lack confidence a large percentage of the population are
unreasonably overconfident in their abilities, thinking that they know, and can do more than is true.
Example: Cranberry Jones thinks he can run faster than Usain Bolt. But Cranberry Jones is 5
feet tall, and weighs 300 pounds.
Oversimplification Bias (or Oversimplified Cause Fallacy) - Though simplicity is often preferred, and
suitable in many situations, there can be an oversimplification bias, and that bias makes people simplify
things which should not be simplified. They take something, like a problem, and assert a single cause
when the reality is it is much more complex.
Example: Many people will say that world hunger is caused by a lack of money, but it's far
more complex than that. Politics, violent conflict, laws, weather, soil conditions, drought,
etc, all play a role.
The Letter P
Participation Bias - The ability to participate in an activity creates a stronger bond, and affinity to that
very thing.
Example: Soccer/football is the most popular sport in the world, because almost everyone can
participate, and play. It is not an expensive, or overly complicated sport.
Passing the Buck Syndrome - When problems arise fingers will be pointed, and often individuals
responsible "pass the buck" blaming others, who may be innocent. However, when prosperity occurs
these same people are eager to take credit.
Example 1: The public blame politicians for the disappearance of manufacturing jobs in the
USA, but it is they as consumers who choose to buy cheap, second-rate products from Asia.
Example 2: The public routinely blame politicians for high taxes, and waste, but many ordinary
people will cause a great strain on resources, too, and yet take no responsibility.
Everyday degenerates will break the law. They will litter, vandalize, and abuse social
programs, but ignore the cost to themselves, and others, because they are selfish, and ignorant.
Think about people who deface, and graffiti public property... How stupid can a person
be? It is public property, meaning the maintenance, and fixing of it is paid for by the people.
Vandalizing public property is like keying your own car.
Personal Success Bias - If a man is successful he is likely to say it happened because of his hard work,
and intellect. On the other hand, if he fails he will blame outside forces, and others, but not so much
himself.
Example: Bradley has become a multi-millionaire from real estate, and he says it's all because
of his hard work, and intelligence. But later on he starts failing, and he blames the government's
poor economic policies.
Peter Pan Syndrome - Adults who act like children have Peter Pan Syndrome.
Example: Michael Jackson built Neverland Ranch (which had amusement park rides, and
attractions) so he could act like a child.
Physical Value Bias - People heavily evaluate the worth of things based on what is readily perceivable,
and physicalyl impressive. They tend to neglect the intangibles.
Example: Josephine wonders why her medicine is so expensive. "They're just these small, little
pills," she thinks. But she is not taking into account the years of research that was required to
discover the medicine.
Placebo Effect - People who take fake medicine (like sugar pills) often report feeling better afterward.
This is the placebo effect. The power of suggestion temporarily improves their health.
Pollyanna Principle - People tend to remember pleasant memories more accurately than unpleasant
memories. Unpleasant memories are prone to distortion.
Example: Russell remembers his first hug from a girl like it was yesterday, but if you ask him
about the time he went to war, his eyes glaze over, and his memory is a bit hazy.
Post-Purchase Rationalization - When someone purchases an unsatisfactory product, or service for

which there is no option for a refund, they will try to ignore its faults, and instead choose a positive
outlook, because they don't want to feel ripped off. Post-purchase rationalization is a type of choice-
supportive bias.
Example: Big Willy accidentally buys a t-shirt that is one size too large, but the store he bought
it from has a "no return" policy. Big Willy tells himself that, yes, the shirt doesn't fit properly,
but it is more comfortable, and also he might gain weight in the future, so it will fit later on.
Preference Falsification - If someone is asked about their preference for something, and they give an
answer that they think the person asking will like, this is preference falsification. The motivation for
doing this is either to please that person, or avoid criticism for their choice.
Example: During the 2016 presidential race Donald Trump was given an abysmally low chance
of winning. Some media outlets even gave Trump an 8% chance of winning, and others 0%.
However, this was dead wrong, and the reason is because of preference falsification. People did
not tell the truth about who they preferred, and kept it secret.
Present Bias - Humans value what they can have in the present far more than what is in the future.
Example: If offered $50 today, or $100 next year, the majority will take the $50.
Projection Bias - Also known as affective forecasting, this is a bias that has an individual believing the
preferences they have in the present will hold true in the future. In other words, a person does not take
into account that their mind will change later on.
Example: Taylor Smith is in love with Marty Gillan, and she believes they will be together
forever, and ever; so, finally they decide to get married. After a year of being married, Taylor is
getting sick of the slovenly Marty Gillan, and his inability to do the simplest of tasks around the
house. She had no idea Marty would be so incompetent. She hates him now.
Psychic Bias, Tabloid Bias - Those who use the services of a psychic, or those who read tabloids, are
inclined to remembering what a psychic or tabloid got right, as opposed to wrong, thus creating an
illusion that psychics/tabloids are accurate in their predictions, and information.
Psychological Projection - People are prone to taking their inner feelings, and thoughts, and projecting
them onto others. There is this mode of thinking where "my personality is your personality." Usually
this applies to negative personality traits.
Example: A man is being unfaithful to his wife. He thinks she is doing the same, too, but the
truth is she isn't. His assumptions are based on his own personality that he has projected onto
his spouse.
The Letter R
Racist Blindness - Many men, and women who claim not to be racist often have behaviours similar to
those they admonish, because they have a racist blindness bias. They are so confident in their self-
image that they believe they could never have racist behaviors. This is due to a lack of self-awareness,
and lack of objectivity.
Example: A lot of people make fun of Donald Trump for the color of his skin, saying that he is
orange -- but this is arguably racist behavior. Is it acceptable to make fun of someone, because
of the color of their skin? Yes, or no? A reasonable person would say no.
Rain Drop Bias - If something negative occurs, that is a result of many "contributors," individuals will
claim they are not responsible when in reality they are. This is the rain drop bias, which is derived from
the Douglas Adams phrase: "The single raindrop never feels responsible for the flood."
Example 1: A person is stuck in traffic, and complains about traffic as if they were separate
from it. But that person is traffic.
Example 2: There is a popular depiction of bullying that there is one, or a few bullies, who do
all the bullying to a person. However, often is the case that bullying comes from many people. A
large amount of people will bully a person, but bear no guilt for it, because they do not realize
that all their actions combined to produce great harm. If you hurt a person once it may be that
what you did has already happened a thousand times.
Reading Between the Lines Inclination - Many people try "reading between the lines" looking for more
than what is presented to them. Though many times there is nothing extra to be found, and what they
are doing then amounts to speculation, forming ideas about something by guessing, often concluding
the opposite of what is shown to them. Their thoughts are based not only on what is available, but also
what is not available.
Example: A headline says, "Mayor denies doing drugs." Readers get the idea that he is probably
doing drugs, the opposite of what he is claiming.
Recency Bias - People best remember, and emphasize recent events, and information. They have a
preference for what's newer.
Example: Yesterday's news is not as important as what is happening right now.
Reciprocity (The Norm of Reciprocity) - If you do someone a favor they are more likely to reciprocate,
doing you a favor in return.
Example: "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours."
Romantic Partner Bias - When two people are in a romantic relationship there is a degree of blindness,
and lack of objectivity about each other's worth. One tends to overestimate the value of their partner,
and may even believe that others (who aren't involved) see what they see.
Example:
Girl: "I need those concert tickets!"
Dude: "One per person."
Girl: "But it's for my boyfriend!"
Dude: "I'm sorry, I don't give a damn about your boyfriend. You're in love with him. Not me."
Girl: "Well, I..."
Dude: "NEXT! NEXT IN LINE, PLEASE!"
Repetition Value Bias - The brain can memorize a lot of information, but memorization is difficult
because the brain is naturally resistant to the act of memorization, because it is always on "survival
mode."
Meaning, the brain tries to preserve its energy as much as possible. In fact, the whole body does
this, and it is the reason why so many people are overweight. Humans have evolved to prioritize their
energy, so they have a better chance of surviving through famine, and times of misfortune.
Ergo, evolution (or mother nature) has given us brains which will only memorize what it thinks
is important, and what is important is mainly determined by emotional impact, and/or the amount of
times your mind has perceived something. The more times you perceive the more likely you are to
remember.
Example: Wayne needs to learn his lines for Romeo and Juliet. After reading his lines a hundred
times he knows all the words by heart.
Retro-oriented Thinking - Rather than looking forward, and creating solutions, and plans for what has
not yet happened, humans have a tendency to react, and respond to things that have already occured,
looking into the past to decide how to act in the present, and/or future.
Example: The mayor of a large city approves funding for the expansion of the police force,
adding more police officers to patrol the streets. Critics say it is foolish, and a waste of money,
because crime is at an all time low. However, the mayor is not in the wrong. He is thinking
about the future, while the critics are focused on the past. They are shortsighted, being retro-
oriented in their thinking.
The Letter S
Salience Bias (or Perceptual Salience) - People tend to focus on what is prominent, while ignoring what
is subtle, and more difficult to see. This behavior can create a false sense of what something is or isn't.
Example: School children are afraid of gun attacks, but they are more likely to be killed by an
asteroid than a gunman. The chance of dying from gunfire in a school is 1 in 3,329,412. The
probability of dying because of an asteroid is 1 in 200,000.
Scarcity Bias - Humans have a tendency to irrationally value what is scarce far more than what is
abundant.
Example: A person will pay far more money for gold than water of an equal weight. But the
truth is water is many, many times more valuable than gold. Without water you will die.
Selection Bias - In research it is imperative that data collected is neutral, and unbiased. But sometimes
there is a selection bias when doing studies. Academics trying to discover answers to a problem, or a
question, will accidentally choose participants that do not fairly represent a population, or group.
Example: Gertrude is a social "science" student, who wants to know what percent of the
population is politically "left." So, she talks to 100 people, 50% men, and 50% women. She
finds that 89% of people are left leaning. Ah, but there's a problem. Gertrude had selection
bias. She only interviewed people at her school, which is a historically liberal university. This
means her results are inaccurate, and do not reflect reality.
Selective Perception - When someone has selective perception they are prone to using a mental filter
which makes them only perceive what they want, whilst ignoring views in opposition.
Example: A man enters a talent show that is going to be shown on national TV. He goes up onto
stage, as a contestant, and sings a Taylor Swift song. After he is done, all three judges say that
he sings like crap. He is confused, and shocked, and angry. But how is it he didn't know about
his lack of talent? He had selective perception. Before the competition he only befriended, and
listened to those who said nice things to him.
Self-Esteem Bias - Naturally, people are oriented towards actions, and thoughts that build, or maintain
their self-esteem, sometimes even if it is irrational.
Example: Many professional fighters do not tap when they are being choked, because they do
not want to admit defeat, and they want to continue thinking highly of themselves, and "go out
on their shields." This is dangerous!
Self Measuring Stick Mentality - If an individual uses himself as a measuring stick for judging others,
he has a "self measuring stick mentality." But this can be erroneous, especially if he is aberrant.
Example: A father is disappointed in his son for not having made the basketball team like
he did when he was younger, but the father is much taller than his son.
Self-Selection Bias - When individuals select themselves to join a group for a study there is a self-
selection bias. Instead of being neutral they choose what they find appealing.
Example: A university is doing a study about happiness in students, but this study attracts those
who are depressed, and want to express their feelings. So, it looks like depression at their school
is worse than it really is.
Self-Serving Bias - People who have a self-serving bias perceive the world in a way that maintains, or
improves their self-esteem, even when it is unjustified. One notable behavior is that a person with a
self-serving bias will, if criticized for a failure, think it unfair, and blame something, or someone else --
but when they do well, they believe it was through their efforts alone.
Example: Becky failed her maths test, and blamed it on the teacher, who she claims didn't teach
well. But when she got 100% in history, she was proud, and said it was because of her hard
work, and intelligence.
Shopping Hungry Effect - When people shop while hungry they will buy more things. This includes
both food, and non-food items.
Specialness Bias - What is, and isn't special is often arbitrary. Though the general observation is that
the average man* will usually consider himself to be special in some way compared to others. Or if not
that he will think what is connected to him is special.
*Or average woman
Example 1: Taylor believes her lucky number is 13, but this is only because she was born on the
13th.
Example 2: Most drivers believe they are above average drivers.
Example 3: A study about academia found more than 90% of faculty members, at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, rated themselves as above-average in teaching.
(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/he.36919771703)
Example 4: People have a tendency to believe they are special, or better than others, and that
they deserve rewards, and gifts in life, but not the punishments.
Also, they deserve rewards, and gifts more than others, and others deserve
punishments more than them.
a) Barbara buys a lottery ticket, with her nephew, and she believes she deserves to win the grand
prize, because she's a good person. But then when she wins, she finds out she has to split the
prize with her nephew, and she doesn't think he deserves half of it. She wants all the money
for herself. She grumbles, and says she is going to get a lawyer.
b) Little Billy is grounded a week for stealing a chocolate bar. He thinks it's unfair. But when
his brother Willy steals a chocolate bar from him, he thinks Willy deserves to be grounded for
no less than two weeks.
Star Thrower Bias - "The Star Thrower" is story written by Loren Eiseley. In one version of the story, a
little girl is on the shore of an ocean, throwing starfish back into the waters, trying to save their lives. A
curious man sees this, and asks why she is bothering to do so.
"You cannot save them all," says the man.
The little girl replies, "Yes, but to each starfish I save it matters."
And that's pretty much the end of the story. But the Star Thrower bias is not about the little girl,
who is the "star thrower." It's about the man, who questions her. Many people, you see, are like this
man, and have a "star thrower bias" believing that small actions do not matter, and that a person has to
do big actions, and help many to make a difference in the world, but this isn't true.
Little things matter too, and doing what you can to help a single person is important. There is an
ancient Jewish saying that says: "He who saves one save the world entire." So it goes that what you do
for just one is very important. After all, a society is made of individuals.
Status Quo Bias - Change is hard. A status quo bias is a preference for the current state of affairs.
Example: "If it ain't broke don't fix it!"
Success Equals Quality Bias - A lot of people believe that success (especially in the form of money)
means something is good. However, this is only partially true. There are many facets to what makes
something good.
Example: Olga gets into an argument with her brother Sven, who is an avid fan of mumble rap.
She says that mumble rap is rubbish, but Sven strongly disagrees.
"If it's so bad," he says, "then how did Marty McMumbleMeister sell 10 million
albums? Do you think people are so stupid that they would pay good money for, as you said it,
rubbish?"
Olga replies, "The fact that Marty McMumbleFace sold millions of albums means
very little to me. People happily buy crap all the time. Look at the most popular hamburger
restaurant in the world. Do they make the best burgers? Hell no! Their success does not mean
they make great things, okay? They serve customers junk."
Supernormal Stimulus - Also known as superstimulus, supernormal stimulus is an exaggerated

stimulus, which is instinctually appealing.
Examples: Junk food, unnaturally large breasts, movies.
A story about supernormal stimulus:
In the 1950s, scientists Konrad Lorenz, and Nikolaas Tinbergen, studied supernormal stimulus in
animals. They found that birds were susceptible to supernormal stimulus. Tinbergen, and his students,
in one experiment, made fake, exaggerated versions of bird eggs, and placed them into their nests.
These eggs were larger, with big spots, and brighter colors, and to the human eye appeared
false, but it was discovered that the birds preferred the fake eggs to the real ones. The birds tended to,
and sat on top of the planted eggs.
Lorenz, and Tinbergen, for their research into animal behavior, went on to win a Nobel Prize in
the year 1973.
The Letter T
Team Sports Mentality - When a person thinks individually they can be smart, and rational. But if a
person joins a team they are prone to throwing out rationality for the sake of their teammates, making
decisions simply to win, and not looking at the bigger picture, and long-term effects of their
impropriety.
Though many believe they can resist, and stay independent-minded, the peer pressure exerted
from a group onto an individual can be overwhelming. The desire to fit in, and be liked, and accepted is
a huge factor in how someone behaves. But the team sports mentality isn't just about sports. It applies
elsewhere too, in the realm of politics, religion, school, work, etc.
And having a team sports mentality can skew one's perspective towards nearly anything. One
symptom of having a teams sports mentality is harshly judging someone for being on another "team,"
judging them based on their association rather than their individual characteristics.
But people are individuals, and it is far more rational to evaluate them based on who they are as
a single person rather than the team they're on.
Advice: Judge individuals individually.
Example: The Democrats hope that the Republican president fails. But why would you want the
president to fail? That would be bad for everyone. But the "Dems" are thinking about their team
first, and foremost.
Technology Superior Bias - Young people tend to believe that modern technology is reliable, and
superior to what is less complex, but in fact there are many things that technology cannot do.
Example: In the year 2018, a driver in California died in a car crash, using the autopilot feature
of his Tesla automobile. It was found the driver only had his hands off the wheel for a total of 6
seconds.
They're All the Same Mentality - Humans naturally lump people together into groups, and categories,
based on shared characteristics, and they acquire these narrow definitions, faulty judgments, and faulty
ideas about those they have not met, or known to a significant degree -- and this happens because it is a
mental shortcut, and is easier than thinking about people as individuals, and judging each person.
Unfortunately, this gives rise to behaviors like racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, et cetera.
Example: Much of the poor, and middle-class think rich people are all the same, and accuse
them all of being greedy, and evil, but many rich people like Bill Gates are great philanthropists
that donate their wealth to worthy causes.
Thoughtcrime Bias - In this day, and age, where privacy has been so eroded that it virtually doesn't
exist, you can get into serious trouble for speaking your mind. There is a growing vacuous ideology
that makes one believe that all thoughts expressed should be scrutinized, and if something "wrong" is
said, then there ought to be punishment for the individual.
A large amount of people have made mere thoughts into crimes, and so far there has been little
questioning of this practice, this bias for the criminalization of what we think. It has creeped its way
into all corners of our lives, and disguised itself as for the greater-good, but it is a destructive force.
When society does not allow for one to play with ideas, then you have a travesty of society.
To quote Aristotle: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without
accepting it."
Example: In the United Kingdom, citizens do not have freedom of speech. If you live in the
United Kingdom you can be arrested, and thrown into prison for saying or writing the "wrong"
thing. One famous political activist, Tommy Robinson, has been arrested, and jailed for his
harsh anti-religious views. Although many would not believe it could happen in America, it is
ever important to stay vigilant, and protect your freedoms.
Time Value Biases - Though we have a limited amount of time on Earth, many people are incapable of
properly judging the vaue of time, treating it arbitrarily, making assessments with little logic.
However, the general human tendency is for a person to greatly value their own time, while not
considering the time of others. But sometimes a person will act against themselves, and oddly
undervalue the precious time that they have.
To summarize: When it comes to time humans have a lack of consistency about its value.
a) Time Long Bias, Time Short Bias - As a general observation, biases about time come in two
forms, one pertaining to long length, and the other shortness. If something is to take a long time
(relatively speaking) an individual may feel it is not worth the wait, or time spent. And if
someone feels something has taken a short amount of time they may believe it is less valuable
than it really is. There is an arbitrary judgment, unless the person has sufficient knowledge that
informs him why something is taking a short, or long amount of time.
Example of Time Long Bias - A vegan says meat is bad for you, because it takes 3 days to
digest. Firstly, it doesn't take 3 days to digest (more like 4-6 hours). Second, so what if it does?
Moral issues aside, meat still has valuable protein, and nutrients.
Example of Time Short Bias - A person sits down in a restaurant, and gets their food much
quicker than they are used to. They are suspicious of the food, thinking it isn't of good quality,
and maybe it's not fresh. But this isn't the case. The restaurant is just well run.
The following are subitems to the previous general time value biases:
b) Self Time Value Ignorance - A woman goes to a store for a sale on a popular item. She spends
2 hours to make her purchase. So, she gets the item she'd wanted. She saves $20 on something
that was $30. But if she'd worked for two hours at her job, she would've made $35, meaning
she would have been able to afford the item at its regular price, and gained $5.
c) Other Time Value Ignorance - A man visits a dentist, and complains about a toothache. The
dentist fixes it in 10 minutes, and makes the pain go away. He gives the man a bill for $150. The
man complains, and says, "But it only took you 10 minutes, if that!"
The dentist replies, "And that's why it costs so much. A lesser dentist would take far
longer."
The man is still annoyed, and doesn't appreciate the dentist's quick, and efficient work.
But the dentist knows he saved his patient a lot of time, and trouble. The patient is being
ignorant, and is judging the value of the work on time expended, but not time saved, and
convenience.
d) Procrastination Bias - A girl attending high school needs to get her grades up to graduate. She
has a month to prepare for her final examinations, but instead of studying she keeps putting it
off. When the time comes to take her final examinations she fails, and then has to stay in high
school for an extra year -- meaning, procrastination is counterproductive.
e) Past is Past Mentality - When someone has done something bad, and another person mentions
it, if they have a "past is past mentality" they will morally shrug, and say that "the past is the
past" or "that was in the past" or some variation of that. They try to minimize their wrongdoing
by foolishly asserting the passing of time makes it okay.
But if the passing of time does make something okay, who determines the amount of
time that is required to pass to make something okay? Who can really know? It's arbitrary.
The Letter U
Unrealistic Standards Mentality - Many a people have an unrealistic standards mentality. That is to say
they set their standards so high that no one, or no thing can satisfy them. This behavior is usually seen
in younger individuals, but can afflict those who are older, too.
The reason someone has this way of thinking is that they do not want to be emotionally hurt.
They've created a mental wall to protect themselves.
Imagine a man meets an attractive woman, and he's interested in her. In the back of his mind,
his subconscious, he believes he doesn't have a chance to be with her. So, he creates this high standard
that has to be met. He has all these unrealistic demands that this woman has to fulfill, and if she can't he
rejects her.
What's he's doing is switching the roles. In society there is a "buyer-seller" dynamic. Normally,
the attractive person is the buyer, and the not so attractive person is the seller, who has to impress.
In our scenario, our man has imagined himself the buyer, and the attractive woman the seller,
and to him it's a buyer's market. So, since he knows he's going to be rejected, he makes it so the woman
is the one who fails to impress. She is the one who is not worthy of being "bought."
Of course, this is absolutely delusional, but many will adhere to this mentality to save
themselves from feeling bad.
The Letter V
Value-action Gap - The differences in one's stated principles, and the actions they actually take is a
value-action gap.
Example: A famous, blond, fat-headed actor constantly lectures people about air pollution, and
how bad it is. He genuinely seems to care, but at the same time he flies around the globe in
his private airplane, and spends plenty of time on his yacht, or one of his many mansions.
Victim-Predator Attraction - Victims of abuse tend to be abused for long periods of time, because they
are attracted to predators, and vice-versa.
Victims are attracted to predators because the behavior of predators is familiar to them, and
something they know very well. They are used to it, and believe that them being abused is normal.
When there are people who are nice to them they are distrustful, and stay away, since they don't
understand why anyone would want to be nice to them. For victims kindness is unexpected, and makes
them feel apprehensive.
Predators on the other hand demand servility, and seek those that they can bend to their will.
Thus they seek victims of abuse, prey that they can used to fulfill their desires, and wishes.
Violent Justice Preference - In many societies violence is an acceptable, and encouraged form of
justice. But violence is in most cases a hallmark of low intelligence, and/or ignorance.
Example: In the USA they still have the death penalty as punishment.
Voting Bias - Many people are extremely biased when they vote, but do not realize what is influencing
them.
The following is a basic list of the factors that persuade voters to vote for their particular
politicians:
a) Good Looks - Being tall, and handsome is a great benefit to someone who wants to get
elected. A politician's looks matter a great deal. They are literally more attractive. Even to
babies. Researchers from the University of Exeter discovered that babies spend more time
gazing at good looking people than ugly people, meaning that humans have an innate liking for
those who are handsome, and beautiful.
b) Voice Quality - Almost all politicians have strong, powerful voices. Being able to speak, and
project your voice is important. Often the quality of someone's voice is more important than
what they are actually saying.
c) Powerful Messages - This is an obvious one, but the messages that a politician says is crucial
in winning over the public. But the messages have to be messages that they want to hear.
Messages that are practical, but strong, and visual, and evoke emotions tend to do well.
To paraphrase Barack Obama: "Hope! Change! Hope, and change! Choose hope!"
d) Advertising - People don't like what's unfamiliar. So, if you're a politician, to get people to
like you, you have to become familiar to them. Show your face as much as possible, and don't
ignore anyone. Don't just visit the states that you like. Going to a place in person has a great
impact.
e) Survival - For the average person day to day survival is at the forefront of their mind. So,
what that really means is they are concerned about their money. This is why politicians
constantly talk about cutting taxes, and creating new jobs, and the economy. It's always
relevant. If you're a politician, and you can convince someone that you will help them survive,
and live better, you are golden.
The Letter W
Winning Preference - Some people only play to win, and their main objective is victory. Nothing else
matters. They will be wrong, and be okay with that so long as they feel they've won.
Wikipedia Bias - Wikipedia is a great website, but those who frequently use it believe it to be an
infallible, and unbiased source of information. This is not true. Wikipedia is biased, and full of
mistakes, though these are somewhat difficult to spot.
The Letter Y
You're Either With Us or Against Us Mentality - Similar to a "Team Sports Mentality" the "You're
Either With Us or Against Us Mentality" is the thinking that if one is not on your side, then they are
against you. When George W. Bush was president, post 9/11, he stated, "Every nation, in every region,
now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." This is an either-or
fallacy, ignoring the third option of neutrality.
You Are Not This, Therefore You Are the Opposite Mentality - Many people have the idea that if you
do not go along with what they think, then you are the opposite. Often groups will strategically label
themselves in such a way that what is the opposite is seen as negative.
Example: Many people call themselves "pro-choice." To them, if you are not pro-choice, then
you are anti-choice.
The Letter Z
Zero Risk Bias - If a person has a zero risk bias, when trying to avoid something, given two or more
options, they will choose a course of action that has zero, or near zero risk, as opposed to something
that percentage-wise is higher but in reality is more effective.
Example: Many people in the U.S.A. buy handguns for self-defense, because they are afraid of
criminals, and want to reduce their risk of being harmed to zero.
However, research strongly shows that gun ownership is linked to increased danger, and
self-harm. This includes suicide, accidents, and murder. It is actually more beneficial to not own
a gun, and live in a home without firearms.
But when people are given two options, in this case having a gun, or not having a gun,
they will be biased, choosing what (they believe) produces zero risk rather than that which is
more logical.
CHAPTER 37:
MEDIA SKULDUGGERY, MISINFORMATION, AND FAKE NEWS
We Live in a Confusing World
...Which is made even more confusing by the media. It seems there is just too much information, and
too little quality information. Our senses are bombarded with data, facts, and fake news, and we are
expected to figure it all out on our own. It's information overload, and those who cannot adapt are left
behind.
But it wasn't always like this. Approximately 400 years ago, the amount of information that the
average person absorbed in their life time was equivalent to a single issue of a New York Times
newspaper.
Today, it's estimated that the equivalent of 174 newspapers worth of information is transmitted
back, and forth to an individual in only one day.
Frustrating, isn't it? Especially when you consider how the advancements in technology have
not been able to keep up with the swell of information that continually grows.
So it goes that we need strategies to sort out all of this data that is thrown our way. In modern
times we need to know what we do not need to know.
In this chapter, we shall tackle this most dizzying problem, and hopefully help you navigate this
crazy world of information a little better.
Separating Truth from Lies in the Media: Media Bullshit
One of the biggest, if not biggest, sources of information in our lives is mainstream media. But often
mainstream media is seedy, unreliable, and of dubious quality.
Not only that, but they contribute to the disease of information overload. But we can reduce this
information overload by separating truth from lies, and forgetting the false rhetoric, and focusing on
only what is useful, and true.
To do this we must be able to properly examine information from the media. We must learn
their tricks, their faults, and their methods of persuasion that try to make us think their bullshit isn't
bullshit.
In no special order...
0. Intentional Misconstruing - Intentional misconstruing is the practice of taking information, and

purposefully manipulating it, so much so that convincing but false narratives, and falsehoods are
created. To do this successfully media companies employ numerous techniques that fool the general
public through subtle distortion of data, and information.
Example of Intentional Misconstruing: It is widely reported that women in the west earn 78% of what
men make, and this is not technically false, but it ignores the differences between men, and women,
hours worked, and occupations. When you compare "apples to apples" the gender pay gap is actually
closer to 2%.
1. Editing - Media companies will do heavy editing to create the story they want. They can show you
exactly what is required to make you believe something. They do this through information
manipulation, cutting out "the wrong things," inserting this, and that, placing one thing next to another,
weaving info together, like crafting a collage.
Example 1: A journalist is recording illegal immigrants crossing the border. It's mostly men. So,
he edits his footage, and mostly shows the families (fathers, mothers, and their children) to
garner sympathy from the public.
Example 2: A news company quietly edits one of their misinformed articles on their website,
hoping no one will notice.
2. Cherry Picking - Media companies, or news companies can create the narrative they desire through
cherry picking. They can collect information, and only display what will be the most appealing to their
audience. Thus their selection of information is biased.
3. Fear Mongering - News companies show what is scary, because what is scary sticks in people's
minds. It's natural for humans to pay attention to what makes them fearful. It's how we survived in the
past. Think about it. What do you pay more attention to? The old man with the walking cane on the
street, or the young man with the baseball bat in his hand? You pay attention to the young man -- what
is more dangerous.
4. Timing - Everything in the media is carefully timed. For example, the media has lots of information
about past events, ready to come out as soon as it is relevant. But is it relevant? Is something from 10,
20, or 30 years ago representative of what is happening today? Times change, as do people, but often
the media ignores that.
5. Repetition (Illusory Truth Effect) - The more you see something the more likely it is that it will be
absorbed into your mind, and accepted as right. The media (among others) know this, and will show
you things again, and again, trying to brainwash you.
6. Censorship, Memory-Holing - If there is information that people want to show you, there is also that
which they don't want to show to you. So, they will censor, suppress, delete, remove, or block
information that is undesirable (to them), or goes against the narrative they want to create.
They can either react to something, or be proactive. If someone goes on a news show, and starts
talking about things that the news people don't like, they'll cut them off. They go, "Oh, sorry. We lost
the feed." Or, "That's all the time we have for today." Then that's it.
Although that isn't the worst of it. There is memory-holing, a term from the novel 1984, which
is the practice of altering, or making disappear certain information, especially that which is
inconvenient, or embarrassing.
In the novel 1984, workers would put documents into a tube, which would then take it to a
furnace to be incinerated, a form of censorship much like book burning.
To quote George Orwell (author of 1984): "Who controls the past controls the future. Who
controls the present controls the past."
Example: It is very trendy today for corporations to remove people's voices by digitally erasing
them, and crippling their ability to make a living.
7. Updates, Redactions, and Deletion - Media companies want to look consistent, and they want to
uphold their authoritative, all-knowing image. Obviously, however, they are wrong a lot. So, many of
them will take the time to scrub out any mistakes they made in the past. They'll take their old
presentations, or news articles, and edit them, or worse delete them altogether.
If it's editing they'll call them updates, which is a trendy way of saying redactions. "Updates"
tend to be far more popular than complete deletions. Although both are common practices.
If a media company does not do an update (redaction), or deletion, because of ordinary
mistakes, then they'll do it for political reasons, or money, or as favors to powerful pals.
8. Actors, Imposters, and Fakes* - Many organizations, and rich people, use actors, imposters, and
fakes to fool people, and influence the public. They will send actors out to protests. Or have imposters
give false testimony. Or get fakes to like/dislike, and comment online; if not that they report things to
have them removed.
For example, the government of Israel pays university students to go on the internet, and post
pro-Israeli messages, while pretending that it is natural, and unbiased.
Another Example: "Operation Mockingbird." Beginning in the early 1950s, the CIA (Central
Intelligence Agency) tried manipulating the media, and news, using front organizations that
pretended to be student, and cultural groups.
*Alongside actors, imposters, and fakes, organizations can employ provocateurs, people who provoke,
and cause real trouble. Provocateurs can be used for many things. They can, for example, be placed in
the middle of a protest, and wreak havoc, causing vandalism, and violence, which could very well
derail the message of legitimate protest by making others think that the provocateurs are with the
people protesting, thus causing unfair disgust, and repulsion to those trying to cause positive change.
However, not all provocateurs (or actors, imposters, and fakes) are employed by others.
Sometimes they can act on their own, with their own motivations. For example, there is a picture
circulating around on the internet of an old lady wearing a pro Donald Trump t-shirt while doing a
Hitler salute. Information revealed about her showed she is a democratic Liberal, who endorsed Hillary
Clinton for president. Not only is she a provocateur but an imposter as well.
Another Example of Imposters/Fakes: Democrats pretending they're Republicans,

encouraging real Republicans to not vote.
9. Surveys, Polls - Surveys, and polls can be extremely misleading. The media, and other organizations
often use surveys, and polls to show things which aren't true. They may ask misleading questions, or
ask questions to individuals who are likely to give them the answers they desire, and then they'll
declare something like "9 in 10 people believe such, and such" when it is really an inaccurate
representation of society.
Do you really think 1,000 or 100 people can tell you what an entire country is thinking? But the
collection, and sharing of this type of information can influence future opinions, and thoughts. As you
may already know many people are subconsciously inclined towards conformity.
When people vote, for example, they are likely to vote for who they think will win, even if
another candidate is more qualified.
10. False Dilemma - The media like to create false dilemmas. That is to say, black and white situations,
where there are only two options. They do this to create drama, and tension, but the reality is usually
there are several options. Rarely will you only have two options.
This is also known as a false dichotomy. It can be used to "attack" an individual by forcing
(usually) only two options to choose from. For example, "Jocko is pro-life, therefore he must be
religious." Here it is presented as such that Jocko can only be pro-life and religious, or pro-choice and
not religious. But there may be something else, perhaps being pro-life, and not religious.
11. Polarization - Much like the devil, the media have a tendency for putting wedges between people,
dividing them into two so there is conflict. This division creates excitement. For example, making
politics "left vs right" is much more appealing than "left, vs right, vs center, vs left of center, vs right of
center."
12. False Balance - When the media tries to make two vastly different things appear comparable, as if
they have equal weight, this is what they call a false balance. The balance is fabricated, and only done
to entertain, and to make dramatic stories.
Example: "Evolution vs creationism." The first is grounded in science, and the other is a
creation of the imagination. Why do you need to compare them, and give them equal
prominence?
13. Camera Manipulation - One very easy way of fabricating a story is to use camera manipulation.
That is to say, manipulating a camera in such a way that it misleads, and shows something that is
newsworthy or more appealing but in opposition to truth.
Example: There is a picture circulating of Prince William, and in it, he appears to be giving
everyone the middle finger. But from the proper angle it shows he is really gesturing the #3.
14. Buy & Kill Strategy - This is a legal form of censorship. A large organization, like a media
company, or government, will buy the rights to something they don't want the public to see, and then
never release it. They buy something just to, in a manner of speaking, kill it.
Example 1: The National Enquirer bought the rights to a sultry story from a former
Playboy model only to bury it on behalf of Donald Trump.
Example 2: Reportedly, the government created a shell company called Tayen Lane
Publishing. Using this company to hide their identity they then bought the rights to the English
version of the book "Journalists for Hire: How the CIA Buys the News" by Udo Ulfkotte. But
instead of promoting, and normally publishing it, they chose to privately publish it. Privately
publishing something, which is known as privishing, is a way to meet contractual obligations,
whilst at the same time suppressing a book, letting it languish, and die.
Example 3: The DOD (Department of Defense) purchased large quantities of a book called
"Operation Dark Heart" and then destroyed them. Afterwards, they forced the author to redact,
and alter information for future publications of the title.
15. Murder - When someone knows something very disturbing that could rock the world an
organization will just have that person murdered to silence them. They'll make it look like a result of a
robbery, or an accident, or a suicide. If someone is murdered, and it's made to look like a suicide, they'll
say that the person was "suicided." Rumors have it that the Clintons suicided a lot of different people.
Example: Vince Foster.
16. Willful Ignorance, Apathy, Trivialization - If a media company, or people involved in the media,
don't want to accept a certain part of reality (because it goes against their desires), they will be willfully
ignorant, or so brief, and apathetic about it that it is treated as trivial.
Example: In a newspaper a story considered important by many is buried in the middle of

numerous pages, in small print, with few details.
17. Speculation - If a media, or news company doesn't know a lot about something, but they want to
talk about it anyway, they will speculate, creating more questions for the public than answers. They'll
dance around something, and amalgamate various bit of information, trying to make them seem
relevant.
Example: The Washington Post wrote an article under the headline "The mysterious
disappearance of the phrase ‘climate change’ from a CDC website." But if you read the article
(as of speaking) they say, "It’s unclear why the changes were made." Then why the news
article?
18. Conglomeration - If you want to control the narrative, if you want to control people's thoughts, how
do you do that? As a big company, buy the competition. Buy everyone out, and put them all under one
umbrella, so they all have to follow your rules, and feed the people your agenda-pushing tripe.
Example: As of speaking a mere 6 corporations own 90% of the media in America. These
corporations are: General Electric (GE), Newscorp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS.
19. Advertisement Conflicts - Media corporations have customers, and those customers are other
corporations that need to advertise their products and/or services. So, don't expect there to be no biases,
or favoritism, when you watch the news. The media have to avoid saying negative things about the
companies that support them.
Example: If Amazon.com is paying to have their commercials shown on the ABC network,
ABC employees won't show you a story about how Amazon.com abuses their employees.
20. Entertainment Values - Media corporations, and news companies have no obligations to make you
smart, and informed. Their primary goal is entertainment. This creates a whole lot of bullshit.
21. Stealing Someone's "Shine" - To get attention one can steal someone's "shine," i.e. they can use a
famous person's image, and/or name. If it isn't a person, it might be a couple, or group, or something
else that is famous, and has wide recognition.
Stealing someone's shine can be as easy as name-dropping, but this is sometimes considered
shitty, since what is involved in the name-dropping is usually trivial.
Example: A journalist asks a B-list actor, what she thinks of an A-list actor, who's been in the
news recently. This journalist really just wants to be able to put the A-list actor's name in the
title of his news article to be.
22. Clickbait (General): Misleading Information, Misleading Images, Misleading Language,

Misleading Statements, Misleading Headlines, Misleading Titles, Misleading Design - So called
"clickbait" is an umbrella term, encompassing a variety of social engineering techniques.
The media use "clickbait" to deceitfully generate interest. They use hyperbole, and
exaggerations to pique people's curiosity.
They will freely use misleading design, misleading headlines, misleading titles, and misleading
statements as "bait." They also heavily utilize misleading language, which causes more questions than
answers.
And they use misleading information, like misleading images, images that are not truly
representative of reality... Almost anything to draw people in.
Example 1 (Misleading Information): The term "misleading information" is an umbrella term. It

includes things like misleading words, pictures, audio, video, etc. Misleading information, for
example, can be found on food labels, where nutrition facts may show an unrealistic serving
size, trying to appear low in calories.
Example 2 (Misleading Images): You see a picture. You click on it, but find the image is
misleading. The image is irrelevant, trivial, fake, misrepresenting content, or giving some false
impression. Often websites attract people into viewing something by using an image of a pretty
girl; however, rarely is the pretty girl important to what you will see.
Example 3 (Misleading Language): News organizations today often try to present opinion as
fact. They use language which implies they are presenting fact, but it isn't fact.
Example 4 (Misleading Language): Misleading language is not just for members of the media.
Obviously, others can use it, too. A company might deny something, and say, "We will not be
doing that at this time." But that's misleading language, or ambiguous communication. At this
time? So, do they have plans for the future? Will they do it after a few weeks, months...years?
The answer doesn't give certainty, but the company's statement allows them to have a degree
of flexibility in their business.
Example 5 (Misleading Statements): Misleading statements, and dishonest statements, are

statements made in such a way that they fool people. Here is a misleading statement, "A man
became heart broken after being dumped." At first you think it's about love, but in reality he was
dumped out of a vehicle, after a seedy drug deal with a banker, and in his state of panic he had a
fatal heart attack.
Example 6 (Misleading Headlines/Titles): A website says that, "So, and so has done this
particular thing." You read the article, or watch the video, and find that you've been misled, and
they gave you a false impression. The title was nothing but clickbait. But the content is even
worse, amounting to nothing more than speculation, and rumors.
Example 7 (Misleading Design): Many websites will position their adverts near places that you
normally click, meaning they hope you accidentally click on their adverts.
Example 8 (Misleading Design): It is required to say now that the social engineering techniques
of misleading information, misleading design, misleading language, and misleading headlines
(i.e. titles) can be used in many situations, and by many people, not just the media.
A prominent example of misleading design is packaging for consumer products that lead
consumers into believing that they are getting more than they will really receive. If you look at
many wine bottles, you may notice that the bottom is extremely concave. This is called a punt.
This punt makes people think there is more than there really is.
In addition to the punt wine bottles are tall. Humans naturally think what is taller has
more volume.
Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, observed this in children in his experiments about
conservation. In an experiment about liquids a child would be shown two beakers. One beaker
would be short and wide, and the other tall and thin.
Piaget would take the blue liquid from the short and wide beaker, and pour it into the tall
and thin beaker. There would be no changes in the amount of liquid, but when questioned a
child would stupidly say that the tall and wide beaker contained more liquid than what was in
the short and wide beaker.
Example 9 (Using Design to Mislead): There is misleading design, and there is using design to
mislead. This practice is in fact gaming the system, taking advantage of the design of a system
that has holes in it. On YouTube, and other websites, for example, if a title is too long it will be
displayed shortened on the front-page.
So, what often happens is a video uploader will make a title to dishonestly pique one's
curiosity, using the given limitations to create clickbait.
- A title too long has only a certain part of it shown. The title shown to people at first says
"Woman finds unicorn" but the full title is "Woman finds unicorn t-shirt."
- Another title shown to people that has becomed shortened says "Evidence that aliens exist" but
the question mark's been left out, and it is really "Evidence that aliens exist?"
...
An Observation: Misleading information, misleading language, statements, headlines, etc, isn't just for
mere clickbait, i.e. generating interest, and getting clicks.
Sometimes a media company will be politically motivated, and will dishonestly get attention to
unfairly damage the reputation of things, or people that they want to dispose of.
Ergo, be skeptical when you watch, or read the news. They may have clandestine agendas, and
they may be trying to fool you.
23. Misleading Descriptors, Misleading Descriptions - When one needs to know about something they
read descriptors (words, and expressions for describing things), and descriptions. Unfortunately, both of
these can be used to mislead people. Media companies will often use misleading descriptors, and
misleading descriptions for "clickbait."
Example 1 (Misleading Descriptor): The title of a news article says, "China and America Start
Trade War." War is an odd descriptor to use, isn't it? Because it's not a war at all. It's a dispute.
Example 2 (Misleading Description): The description for a video says, "WATCH: A Florida
man thought he was breaking up a fight between his dog and another dog, but after separating
the two, he realized the other dog was a lion."
You click the video to watch it, and just see text of the story, and stock photos of lions,
and dogs. You thought you were going to see what actually happened. Nope!
24. Questions Instead of Statements* - News companies et al. like to create stories out of nothing (or
very little). They will take insignificant pieces of information, and then make a story out of it, with a
headline that asks a question rather than making a straightforward statement.
They might say something stupid like, "Does Barack Obama eat babies for breakfast?" The
question implies there's something to talk about, but there really isn't. Barack Obama does not eat
babies for breakfast.
*This is a type of clickbait, and though not always used for outright deceit, it is certainly used to draw
people into a story that they would probably otherwise not pay attention to. "Questions instead of
statements" are used to create curiosity.
25. Syntactic Ambiguity, Amphibology - A clickbait tactic, news companies use confusing language
(i.e. syntactic ambiguity, or amphibology) to get people's attention. They will make a headline or title
that can be interpreted in more than one way.
Example: The title to a video is "Trailer Park Millionaire." This can be interpreted in more than
one way. For most it is either about a millionaire living in a trailer park, or a millionaire that is
in the trailer park business. FYI, the video is about someone who became rich from owning,
and operating trailer parks.
26. Highlighting - You probably know all about this, but highlighting is a method media companies use
to bring attention to, well, whatever the hell they want. They'll play a video clip over, and over again,
and then talk around it to make "content." They'll ask questions, and give opinions, and go back, and
forth, and debate. They will gleefully make a mountain out of a mole hill. One, because it's cheap, and
two, it makes something seem important when it isn't.
Example: The president of America says that Canada is a shithole country. They'll talk about
this for an hour, and debate whether or not Canada is indeed a shithole country. Some say no,
some say maybe.
27. Out of Context - Media companies have a penchant for taking things out of context. Instead of
providing everything, so audiences will have a clear understanding of something, they choose to pluck
what most suits their need to entertain, or get attention.
Example:
Quote shown on the news: "I don't like blacks."
Full quote not shown on the news: "I don't like Blacks. They're not the best for printing photos."
(Blacks is a Canadian photo printing business.)
28. Putting Words Into People's Mouths - Journalists, and those in the media, often put words in other
people's mouths, giving an impression that something was said by somebody although it wasn't.
One way journalists do this is by taking what a person has said, and ignoring nuance,
reinterpreting the message to their liking.
Example:
Jordan: "We shouldn't force diversity."
Cathy (Journalist): "So, what you're saying is we should allow white supremacists to rule the
world?"
Jordan: "Um... No."
"Putting Words Into People's Mouths" is related to the Straw Man Fallacy. Through intentional
misinterpretation an opponent beats up on a straw man, which is light, of little value, and more
importantly not real, only a poor imitation of a man. Attacking a straw man is to attack something false.
29. Goading - Journalists are supposed to be neutral, but oftentimes they will make the news, instead of
observing it, by goading people, and getting reactions. They'll be aggressive, and shout, and ask rude
questions to get their interviewees to lash out, or make unforgettable mistakes.
Example:
Cathy: "Justin Trudeau, you claim to be a feminist, and that you care about women, but why did
you cheat on your wife?"
Justin: "Don't make me punch you in your throat, Cathy! I used to be a boxer!"
Cathy: "Please, you couldn't punch your way out of a wet paper bag."
Justin tries punching Cathy, but then she dodges his attack, and round house kicks him in the
head, knocking out the famous Canadian politician.
30. Putting Someone on the Spot - When you put someone on the spot, you demand an instantaneous
response from them about something particular, but doing so in a manner that causes awkwardness.
Interviewers like to put people on the spot. They will ask someone a question in order to cause them
embarrassment, showing their inferiority.
But putting someone on the spot isn't always used for maliciousness. One can ask questions of
someone, and put them on the spot to remove their facade that is hiding the truth.
31. Irrelevant Questions, Gotcha Questions - When an interviewer wants to humiliate someone they
will ask a question that the interviewee cannot properly answer, because the subject of the question is
not their expertise, the answer is naturally difficult to recall, or isn't relevant in proving their point, but
to the outside observer the question appears reasonable though it is not. This is by design.
Example: A Pox News anchor is debating the merits of universal healthcare with a college
student. The student seems to be winning the debate. The news anchor then puts the student on
the spot, and asks her how much money Canada spends on universal healthcare in a year.
The student doesn't have the exact numbers, but says per capita it's far cheaper than what
is available to Americans. The news anchor scoffs, and looks at her in a condescending manner,
and accuses her of not being properly prepared for the debate.
32. Lack of Fact Checking, Lack of Evidence, Lack of Proper Evidence - For whatever reason it is
extremely important for a news company to be the first, or get a story out as soon as possible. Because
of this they will skip fact checking, and the proper gathering of evidence, and just go with what they
have, and run a story. If it's wrong, then they do an inappreciable retraction, or redaction. But they
won't call it that -- nowadays they call these "updates" trying to maintain an image of infallibility.
33. Tone, Tone Shifting - The media is highly concerned with the tone of the messages they are sending
out. The right tone can make the difference between someone paying attention, and not giving a damn
whatsoever.
Comedians know this all too well, that "delivery" is key to getting people on your side. If
someone wants to change how something is perceived they can shift its tone.
Example 1: News presentations have dramatic music, and the news anchors will speak in a
serious manner to convey that the information they are sending you is important, and worth
watching, and/or listening to.
Example 2: Eminent scientist Tim Hunt was excoriated, and had his career ruined, because of a
light-hearted joke he made about women. The media shifted the tone of what he said, and
presented his words as serious though they weren't.
34. Spin - Spin is considered a form of propaganda. It is the biased translation of information, and ideas
to achieve deceitful goals that will mislead the public.
Spin can be done using one, or a combination, of these numerous techniques:
a) Amnesia - Pretending you don't remember.
Reporter: "Mr Simpson, did you touch Ashley's butt?"

Mr Simpson: "I don't recall."
b) Anonymous Authority (aka Weasel Words) - When the media use anonymous authority, or
weasel words, they make statements which sound specific, and authoritative, but are really
vague, and not so meaningful.
Example: "Experts say..." What experts? Who are these experts?
c) Apophasis - A cheeky rhetorical device in which a person says something, but at the same
say they would not say that very thing, or they assert it should not be said.
Example from one Donald Trump: Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old,"
when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?"
Example 2: "Ladies, be sure not to say that the boss is a complete buffoon. It would hurt his
feelings."
d) Avoiding Questions - Also known as evasion. You "sidestep" a question. You make it seem
like you've answered a question when you haven't.
Example 1:
Journalist: "Did you really steal all that money?"
Politician: "Why would I steal money? Stealing money is terrible."
(You'll notice the politician has not said "yes" or "no." He asks a question to the journalist, and
then says something that seems relevant, but actually isn't.)
Example 2:
Friend: "I went on a walk to cure MS! I feel so good!"
You: "How much money did you raise?"
Friend: "We raised $250,000! Woo!"
(Even though it seems like your question was answered it really wasn't. You asked your sneaky
friend how much he raised. You didn't ask what everyone combined raised. So, he actually
subtly avoided answering your question.)
e) Begging the Question - Is the name for a form of circular reasoning in which a person makes
an argument using phrasing that is circular, meaning the premise of their statement is used to
support itself. The beginning, and the end, much like in a hamster wheel are identical. So, it
being inconclusive, you have questions about it, like, "WTF?"
Example: "I know God is real because I have felt an energy in my body that one can only
describe as from God."
"I know God is real" is the premise. "I have felt an energy in my body that one can only
describe as from God" is a restatement of the premise. But the second part should not be that. It
should be something different. It should be providing evidence, and real support for the idea
that God is real.
f) Burying Bad News - Politicians commonly "bury" bad news by releasing it at particular
times. They will release bad news at the end of a workday, or just before the long weekend.
They will release bad news when they believe people are distracted by other things, and
therefore won't pay attention.
g) Cherry Picking - Selecting information, and ideas that support one's position, while ignoring
that which opposes.
Example: Individuals that are anti-gun will show all the information about why guns are bad,
but they ignore the benefits to gun-ownership.
h) Distinction Without a Difference - A logical fallacy in which an individual attempts to assert,

or show the difference(s) between two things, but in reality they are the same.
Example: A man is accused of lying, and he says, "I didn't lie. I merely stretched the truth."
i) Doublespeak - Deliberately misleading language to manipulate others. Doublespeak is as its

name suggests. There are two or more facets to a term or phrase.
Example: The military uses the term "casualties" instead of "deaths" because it is slightly less
horrific, being not as definite as saying "deaths."
j) Exaggeration - It is not a crime to exaggerate, so media companies exaggerate all the time.
Exaggerating can enhance communication, although it seems to be abused far too often.
k) Limited Hangout - A propaganda technique, and information control strategy to limit

"hangout" on negative news, and information. If an individual, or organization believes that
secrets they have will soon be revealed by others, they will try to control the narrative by
beating them to the punch. That is to say they will make a confession, or mea culpa* before
anyone else can expose them.
Though it seems strange, and counter-intuitive, speaking first can make one appear
honest, and more importantly gives greater control of the narrative. It is like having a first-
mover advantage.
*Mea culpa is a Latin phrase meaning "through my fault."
Example: In the year 2017, documentarian Morgan Spurlock publicly admitted to sexually
harassing a subordinate of his, partaking in infidelity, and rape. Though there were some
repercussions for his actions, relatively speaking, they were minimal.
l) Distancing Language - Is language used to help one "distance" themselves from something
unpleasant. Distancing language can deflect criticism, and accusations, though it does have a
wispy characteristic to it.
Example: A person might say something like "mistakes were made" in response to an
accusation...but what does that mean? What mistakes were made, and by who?
m) Non-apology Apology - Also known as a fauxpology. It's an apology that is insincere.
Example 1: "Yeah. I owe you an apology."
Example 2: "I'm sorry you were so offended."
n) Non-denial Denial - A question will be asked of someone, and they will give what at first
seems to be a clear answer. However, upon further examination it's found they have used sneaky
language, and in reality made a denial without making it appear so.
Example: A powerful politician is asked whether he will raise taxes. The powerful politician
replies, with a grin, and shakes his head, "Heh. I really don't think people would like that."
It seems like he is opposed to raising taxes, but from that answer we don't know that. He
has just stated an observation, and is not actually being clear. Maybe he will raise taxes.
o) Superficial Charm - Being charming is important, but many people aren't naturally charming,
-- so, they fake it. They do so by lying, being agreeable, forcing themselves to smile, and going
out of their way to show how great they are. And people who aren't paying close attention will
think those who are superficially charming are genuine, and sincere. But they aren't.
Example: Everyone in Hollywood.
35. Misdirection, Diversion - A tactic used to distract, to take people's attention away from truly
important issues, or that which could bring negative consequences to particular people (e.g. the rich,
and powerful).
Example: Celebrity news.
36. Information Pollution - Information pollution can be intentional, or unintentional. If it is intentional,

then it may be a way to bury, and make disappear what one wants to hide. By supplying related but
low-value information one can deter people from finding out the truth about something.
Example: Junk mail is a type of information pollution.
37. Lack of Transparency
a) Withholding/Hiding/Omitting/Obscuring Information - This is the opposite of information pollution.

News organizations (and certain individuals, and groups) will withhold, hide, omit, or obscure
information to create, and shape stories, and ideas, therefore misleading people.
Example: A radio host is accused of being "transphobic" and saying negative things against the
"transgendered community" but the news website reporting the story doesn't give a precise
quotation of his words. Instead everything is paraphrased, cherry picked, or reinterpreted. The
news website withholds relevant/important information, so that the reader won't reach an
"unwanted" conclusion.
Note: Withholding information can also be used in everyday social engineering. If you want to get
someone to do something undesirable you can withhold information that would make them refuse you.
For example, you get someone to agree to babysit your kids, but you don't tell them that your kids are
mentally retarded.
b) Destroying Information - This is one of the most evil deeds that anybody can do, but unfortunately it
happens. On May the 4th 1970, when the Kent State shootings took place, a student with a tape deck,
and microphone recorded the events unfolding. The recording on tape was later destroyed by the
Department of Justice.
c) Altering Information - A lack of transparency allows people, and companies to alter information.
They can alter information to make something look positive when in reality it is negative. But why
choose to alter something instead of destroying it? An alteration can be less conspicuous.
Example: A company doesn't like the amount of "dislikes" they have on a video, so they change
it, so there are a lot more "likes" than "dislikes."
38. Minimisation - Minimisation is the opposite of exaggeration. People may minimise when they want
to downplay something, faults of their own, or perhaps the value of what an opponent is presenting.
Minimisation is usually done through misleading language/misleading words.
Example 1: In the past, when heart disease, and obesity rates were rapidly rising, the sugar
industry insisted that the concerns over sugar being unhealthy were overblown. At the same
time they blamed fats for the decline in people's health.
Example 2: Democrats using misleading language/misleading words to minimise.

They don't say there was voter fraud. Instead they say "voting irregularities."
Though many don't regard the act of minimisation as attention-worthy it can in fact be life threatening.
When faced with dangerous situations people sometimes downplay the dangers, trying to
psychologically cope.
If for example you were an airline pilot, and your plane was in trouble, you would not want to
understate the dangers facing you. Sure, you'd want to stay calm, but not letting those helping you
know you're in real danger is a tremendous danger. Effective communication means being firm at the
right times, and being able to convey a sense of urgency. Do not minimise in a dangerous situation!
39. Scapegoating - Falsely blaming someone or something else for a problem or wrongdoing(s).
Example: In the media they often blame video games for youth violence. But most if not all
evidence shows that video games don't cause violent behavior.
The term scapegoating, or scapegoat is derived from the Biblical practice of ritually placing the sins of
people onto a goat, and then driving it away, so that symbolically their sins are gone.
40. Astroturfing - "Astroturf" is the brand name of an artificial grass, and the word "astroturfing" has
become a political term, describing the practice of fabricating support for an important matter, person,
and/or group. Of course, astroturfing requires disguising the sponsors, and trying to give the
appearance of a grassroots effort.
41. Gaming the System, Exploitation of Laws/Rules - Many people believe they have freedom of
speech, but this is far from true. Many countries have compelled speech laws, and restrictions on what
we can say. This even includes the USA, which by far has the best freedom of speech laws.
If someone wants to censor what someone is saying they can invoke certain laws/rules. They
can falsely flag, and report things -- and even have personae non gratae thrown into jail, and/or prison.
In less extreme cases an individual, or group, can simply abuse the system(s) of distribution.
They can for example abuse copyright laws. They can ignore the principles of fair use, and make false
claims about content, or information, saying it is theirs, and therefore must be removed, or deleted at
their request.
And if they are ignored they can choose to escalate the situation, and send threats from a lawyer,
or God forbid take someone to court to sue them.
Example 1: In the year 2013, an American teenager went on Facebook, and made a dark-
humored joke to "League of Legends" players. When they said he was insane, he replied, "Oh
yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their
still, beating hearts…" Then "lol" and "jk."
Afterwards, a dumbass person in Canada saw this, and they reported it to law
enforcement. A day later, Justin Carter was arrested for a third degree felony charge of making a
terroristic threat. He was thrown into jail, and kept there for 5 months. His bail was set at a
whopping $500,000.
Whilst in jail, Carter, who had no criminal record, was a target of abuse. He was
verbally abused, and beat up, and had to be placed into isolation.
Example 2: On a popular video website a man wants a video that is criticizing him removed.
So, he makes a claim that the video is his to have it removed.
Example 3: On a popular "social media" website a controversial subsection of the website is

shut down, because of claims of violating the website's rules of conduct, though in reality these
claims are false.
42. News That Is Not News - It has now become common practice to makes news out of things that
should not be news.
Example 1: Announcing that an announcement is going to happen in the future. "Nintendo is

soon to announce the date of their next meeting with Sony."
Example 2: Saying that someone is considering doing something. "John Smith is considering
legal action against Jane Doe." Considering things is common, and is not newsworthy. Action
not thoughts should be reported.
Example 3: Someone says, or does something mildly provocative. A news organization collects
a limited amount of reactions about the matter, and then pretends that a great amount of people
are angry, or upset about it.
You see this in a newspaper: "Black community up in arms about John Stossel's remarks
about hip hop!"
They have exaggerated, acting like the few opinions they collected represents the whole
"black community." But this is just faux outrage. Nobody's really as angry as they're saying, and
not in this amount.
Example 4: 24-hour news has led to a decline in journalistic integrity. Large news organizations
will take small bits of information, and stretch it out like taffy. Meaning a lot of their content is
just opinions. Opinions are fine, but not when you present opinion as fact.
43. Appeal to Emotion - A logical fallacy, also known as argumentum ad passiones, it is the misuse of
evoking emotions in place of logic, and reasoning.
Example: American journalist Nancy Grace when debating others uses appeal to emotion a
great deal in lieu of concrete evidence in order to support her arguments. Her manner of
speaking is over-dramatic, but for the average person is effective in creating sympathy.
44. Call to History - When people want to quickly illustrate points they will make use of history.
Example: When people are accused of being wrong, especially on a scientific matter, they will
bring up Galileo, and talk about how they're like Galileo, who was persecuted by the Catholic
church but later proven right. This is called the "Galileo Gambit."
45. Post Hoc Fallacy - "Event B happened shortly after Event A; therefore, Event A caused Event B."
Example: "Stock market drops after Donald Trump visits Wall Street."
That headline is trying to make readers think the stock market drop was caused by Donald
Trump. But the stock market drops all the time, going up, and down like a roller coaster. One
relatively insignificant event, like Trump visiting Wall Street, will not cause the whole market to
drop.
46. False Dramatization of Events - Today's news is entertainment, and to make news/stories
entertaining, news, and media companies will over-dramatize events, adding drama, where it should not
exist. They can do this in several ways.
Here we show three common methods for achieving this:
a) Misleading Images, Manipulated Images - There is a multitude of methods for manipulating,

and creating misleading images/imagery, whether still, or moving. Simple editing can do the
trick. They can make use of juxtaposition. They can show certain parts of an image. They can
crop something, or zoom in, or out, or stretch, or shrink, and distort any images to their liking.
For example, a photographer can make a small space look larger by using a wide-angle lens.
b) Manipulation of Sounds - In the documentary called "Blackfish" journalist John Stossel

found that much of the film was manipulated, and falsely made dramatic. In one scene, when it
was said that a whale was being taken away from her mother, crying sounds were added in.
c) Acting - In the year 2018, the Weather Channel's Mike Seidel, while reporting on Hurricane
Florence, was leaning his body, looking like he was being pushed back by the mighty winds.
But he was shown only to be acting when two people in the background casually walked by
without any problems whatsoever.
47. Staged Events, False Occurrences, False Flags, Misapplied Occurrences, Hoaxes - Organizations,
individuals, and groups will sometimes stage events/occurrences, and attempt to pass them off as
genuine in order to push a narrative, and/or some other goal(s). If not that they will use genuine events,
and occurrences, and intentionally blame them on the wrong person, or people.
Example 1 (Staged Events): The Central American migrant caravans, also called Viacrucis del
Migrante, or in English "Migrant's Way of the Cross" were organized by Pueblo Sin Fronteras
(i.e. People Without Borders) in the year 2017, and 2018.
Example 2 (False Occurrence, False Flag): The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred on August
the 4th, and 6th in the year 1964. It was an event that pushed the USA into fully entering the
Vietnam War. At the time it was believed North Vietnamese PT Boats had attacked U.S.
warships.
Today, this narrative is no longer accepted with the revealing of previously hidden
information. Many assert that the event was only staged to create a reason to go to war.
Example 3 (Misapplied Occurrence): A news company used old footage of a negative event that
happened during the Obama era, but strongly implied it occurred under Donald Trump's
presidency. Amid talks of migration, they showed years old video of Border Patrol agents
discarding drinking water meant for illegal immigrants, misleading viewers into believing this
was done with Trump's presidential blessing.
Example 4 (Hoax): During the midterm elections a man sent fake bombs to Democrats, and
posed as a Republican.
48. Physical Manipulation, Physical Distortion, Scene Manipulation - Organizations, individuals, and
groups with agendas, plans, or certain goals, sometimes do physical, and scene manipulation. They can
control perception of something by making it more dramatic, or appealing by doing things like
adjusting lighting, shifting around, and playing with objects, moving people to certain locations, etc.
Example 1: Anderson Cooper, reporting on a hurricane, which caused flooding, stood in a ditch
to give his audience an impression of high water everywhere.
Example 2: When food companies shoot commercials, they often won't use the food they are
selling. They might use motor oil instead of syrup, mashed potatoes for ice cream, or salt
rather than sugar, because it is more visually pleasing.
Example 3: Camermen will zoom in on small crowds to make them look bigger.
49. Non-concrete Language, Misleading Language - Media companies (and other organizations) like to
play with language, and often use imprecise or vague language, and misleading language to manipulate
people. They can do many things with the English language because of its girthy nature.
They can easily downplay something, or convincingly exaggerate. They can cause intense
curiosity. They can excite, or frighten, or arouse almost any emotion by choosing language that leads
someone into drawing an idea that may or may not be true.
All it takes is the right words. A news agency can easily use non-concrete language to fabricate
a narrative without being accused of lying (by most people).
Example 1: "Black community in uproar after man moonwalks over Michael Jackson's grave."
What does this mean? Black community? Is there a community of black people? What does it
mean to be in an uproar? Is there a precise definition? There isn't.
Example 2: "TV dwarf surprises everyone with announcement." First, you can't surprise
everyone. Second, the term surprise can mean a number of things. This headline is using non-
concrete language, trying to get people to click -- it's click-bait.
Example 3: A blanket term is non-concrete language. Today the term "hate speech" is
considered a blanket term. It can mean many things, and is non-specific. Yet it can be used to
tarnish someone's reputation.
Example 4: A tabloid says, "John Smith breaks silence on frivolous issue." The language leads
you into believing that John Smith was intentionally silent. But he wasn't. He just didn't have
any thoughts earlier.
50. Misleading Images, Manipulated Images - Unfortunately, in this day and age it is far too easy to
create misleading images through sly manipulation. Yes, technology can be used for good, but it is also
used to fool the public. Many a people will take to fabricating, and manipulating images to push their
goals, be it narratives, agendas, or otherwise.
Misleading images though come in a variety of forms, and can also be made in the "real world"
instead of on a computer. But the main thing to remember is a misleading image misleads people,
making them think something is what it is not.
Example 1: The thumbnail for a video titled "Worst Pizza Ever" shows a picture of a dripping,
messy pizza. You think that's how the pizza was made, but when you watch the video you see it
was not like that when served. It was the foul-mouthed chef who ripped it apart to look at it,
and then a member of his crew took a photo to make clickbait.
Example 2: In the Soviet Union era Stalin would have people erased from photos.
51. Implying, Suggesting, Hinting, and Insinuating (Non-concrete Language) - Since defamation, and
libel are considered a no-no, media companies will resort to implying, suggesting, hinting, and
insinuating. They will use non-concrete language to deliver messages that will mislead the public.
Example: Someone says, "Would I lie to you?" But they don't say, "I didn't lie." They are
avoiding lying, while trying to get you to draw a certain conclusion. If you think that person
isn't a liar that's on you... Right?
52. Allegedly, Supposedly, and Believe (Non-concrete Language) - In a lawsuit-happy country like
America, you have to be careful about what you say. If you're communicating to the public, and you
hear a rumor that you want to tell people about (and you hope they'll buy it as truth), you can use the
word "allegedly," which is the legally acceptable term to use. There's also the words "supposedly" and
"believe" but legally they are not on the same level as "allegedly."
Examples:
"Allegedly, Johnny Depp made love to a donkey."
"Supposedly, Elon Musk drinks the blood of virgins to stay young."
"Analysts believe that Taylor Swift is really a cat pretending to be human."
53. Ignoring Tone, Taking Things Literally - People make jokes. People aren't serious all the time. But
if a news agency hears a joke, or statement that they think will get the public's jimmies rustled, they
will ignore the tone of what was said, and take it literally, and stir up those who don't know better.
Comedians are often lambasted for telling jokes that the media presents as serious, or something
it really isn't.
Example: Comedian Ricky Gervais was accused of being "transphobic" for making a joke about
Bruce Jenner (also known as Caitlyn Jenner). But should a joke be construed as someone's
genuine feelings about something? Most reasonable people would say no.
54. Playing Both Sides - Media companies like to "play both sides" to craft the narratives they desire.
They do this by collecting, and passing information back and forth to different recipients in a
manipulative manner. By no coincidence there are mistranslations.
Example: A reporter tells Donald Trump that Barack Obama called him fat, and asks for his
thoughts. Donald Trump is furious, and starts calling Barack Obama names. But Barack Obama
never called Donald Trump fat. He really said, "Donald Trump is overweight."
55. Juxtapositioning - When you take a piece of information, and put it next to another (or others) to
create a connection, or relationship, leading people to certain ideas.
Example: Seeing the color black beside the color white might make you think of the phrase
"black and white," or light and dark, or concepts of good and evil, or even newspapers.
56. Black Propaganda - False information pretending to be from "Side A" when it is really from "Side
B" (i.e. the opposition).
Example: During the American Revolution, Ben Franklin created counterfeit newspapers, and
distributed them in the hopes that his articles would reprinted, and read by British citizens.
57. Buried Treasure Tactic - Media/news companies, or an unscrupulous person, sharing information
may use what is called a buried treasure tactic to take up your time. In a headline, or preview, they will
tell you about something interesting, and then make you get through a pile of dirt to get to the details,
and information that you really want to see (i.e. "treasure").
Example: You're watching TV for the news, and the news people give you a preview of what's
coming up on their show. They tell you that a famous building in your city has collapsed.
Interesting, no? But then you have to sit through 20 minutes of unrelated news stories to hear
the details about the collapse of your city's famous building. They made you wait, so they could
show you lots of annoying adverts.
58. Continue to Complete Tactic, or Click to Complete Tactic - This is one type of many types of
clickbait. It is a tactic that exploits natural human curiosity. A news/media company, or individual in
the media industry, will give partial information (in the form of a headline, title, description, image, or
preview) to a member of the public, which then raises questions, and requires them to proceed forward
to acquire answers, and a full grasp of what is being peddled to them.
Example: The title for a link to a video reads, "Tyler Swift gives crazy gift to best friend."
To find out what this "crazy gift" is you have to click, and continue on. Only then can you
complete this matter of information.
59. Vice Versa Tactic - The media, manipulating language, can take something positive, and make it
seem negative -- or take something negative, and make it positive, of course, to their liking.
Example: The media takes what the president is doing, something positive, and makes it
appear negative. The headline for a news-story states that "President Encourages Drug Use."
In reality, he has decriminalized drugs, so people can get rehabilitated.
60. Casting Doubt by Cherry Picking - In debate, and on the world stage, there is a constant struggle to
appear right, while making others look wrong. It is not unusual for an individual, or organization to cast
doubt upon the opposition by cherry picking.
They will present one or a few wrong things about the opposition, and use this cherry picked
evidence to discredit them, and their ideas.
Example: Many atheists push for the complete rejection of religion, pointing to their "silly
beliefs" like the belief in invisible gods. However, many religions, outside the paranormal
aspects, have truth, and valuable lessons in their books. But atheists cherry pick to cast doubt on
religions by showing others only what is wrong, and not what's right.
61. Quotation Marks - Since quotation marks can be used to take things out of context, and change the
meaning or intent of words, they can be utilized to mislead people. When reading individuals often
unintentionally ignore quotation marks, thus misinterpreting a headline, sentence, or given paragraph.
A Headline Reads: Famous Celebrity Taylor P. Swizzle Seen With 'Boyfriend'
The word boyfriend is in quotation marks, because they don't really know if this is true, but they
put that word there to get people to pay attention. But of course this is a misleading headline.
62. Use of Distorted Numbers (i.e. Misleading Numbers) - Typically, numbers are thought of as
concrete (which is why people use them) but distorted numbers can be used to manipulate public
thought.
Example: The media say something is on the rise – the amount of "hate groups" they state in
articles is up 90% compared to the year before. "The number of hate groups has increased 90%
since last year, growing from 50 to 95." But this might be a distorted, or misleading number.
There are many problems with this statement though seemingly simple. One, where did
they get their numbers from? Second, what is the specific definition of the term "hate group"?
Third, would it not be more accurate to instead state the increase in total amount of people in
these hate groups? Could not as little as three people make up a hate group?
What we have here isn't concrete information. It is only a piece of information, meant to
drive a particular narrative. For a number to have real value it must be supported with
relevant, and specific details. But as it is the media have a tendency to avoid this. They seem to
like using percentages, too, which are often rubbish. You know, 1 to 2 is a 100% increase!
63. Abuse of Statistics - Statistics are easily manipulated, and can be biased, and incorrect. Also,
technically, they are not fact, and one should be skeptical about statistics to a certain degree.
Example: A member of the media used a study to prove his point, but the statistics were not so
accurate because of truth inflation. Truth inflation is the use of collected data that is true, but the
extent of that truth is inflated, and its application to a broader reality is overstated.
64. False Grouping - Treating two or more different things in such a way so as to make them be thought
of as one, and the same. But false grouping (of course) is misleading, and dishonest.
Example: Feminists used to say that 1 in 4 women have been sexually harassed or raped.
However, this is misleading because sexual harassment, and rape are not the same thing. Yes,
both are grave problems in society, but there is a large gap between sexual harassment, and rape.
These two should not be lumped together.
65. Speaking on Behalf of Others - News organizations (and others) will communicate with people, and
often make someone, or a small group, representatives of everyone else similar to them. For example, if
they speak to a person who's a minority, this individual will be shown as speaking for all minorities...
Unless the narrative is not what is desired. But how can one, or a few members of a group, speak for all
others like them? They can't.
66. Name-dropping - The media, and others, like to name-drop; that is to say, they use the names of
famous people, or famous things to get attention.
Example: News company says so, and so famous person does something, but what they then
talk about is vapid. They "dropped" a famous name into their headline to get attention.
67. One-sided Stories - News, and media companies often obtain information only, or mostly from one
side. That is to say they create one-sided stories.
Example: There's a video from the year 2019 of a teenager harassing an elderly Native
American man. They interviewed the Native American man, but not the teenager. Turns out the
teenager wasn't harassing anyone.
68. Ignoring, and Snubbing - If large news, and media companies want something to go away, and have
(virtually) no one pay attention to it, they will ignore, and snub it, abstaining from journalism.
Example: Conservative problems, and concerns are routinely ignored by large media
companies.
69. Misleading Interviews - MSM (mainstream media) often interview people, and act in a
manipulative, and deceitful manner. They'll ask ridiculous questions, throw mental curve-balls, act
aggressive to get a reaction, and so on.
Or they'll edit a interview, and show only what they want. Or they'll interview someone who's
off, or a nutter, and then strongly imply that that person represents a whole group of people. For
example, they'll interview a KKK member, and mislead minorities into believing that all, or most white
people are racist.
70. Misrepresentation through Overrepresentation, and Underrepresentation - The media will make
things seem grander, or smaller than they really are through overrepresentation, and
underrepresentation.
Example: The media often report on crimes committed by "white people" against "black
people," but the reverse, black people attacking white people is far more common.
71. He Said, She Said - Who said what? Who said this, and who said that? Individuals, and members of
the media stir up drama, and controversy by doing the "he said, she said" dance. They pass along
information, and collect responses, and stir up trouble, and do what amounts to gossip, or the game of
broken telephone.
To create stories they put words into people's mouths, they paraphrase, they give out disjointed
information, and they will even allege that someone said something when they didn't.
Example: The media put out a story that Donald Trump used the term "shithole countries"
in a meeting, even though nobody could corroborate this, and there were no recordings of him
saying "shithole countries." Fake news, perhaps?
72. False Translation - Have you ever played the game of broken telephone? People often intentionally
mistranslate, and pass along false information. Media companies do it to get clicks, and attention.
Example: Celebrity B makes a speech. Celebrity A responds, saying, "What Celebrity B said in
her speech isn't true." The headlines read: Celebrity A calls Celebrity B a liar!
But those were not Celebrity A's words. This is a false translation.
73. Reverse Psychology, or Reversed Position - How do you shock, or surprise people, and get their
attention? Say the opposite/reverse of what they expect you to say, or write.
Example: The title for a video says: "The iPhone Z9 is awesome. Don't buy it." The brain
thinks, "What? If it's awesome, why do you say don't buy it? Let me see what this is about!"
74. Misattribution in Communication - They will make you think someone, or some people were
involved in something though it is not true. This action can be be intentional, or unintentional.
Example: The title for a video says, "4 in 10 Asian Women Don't Like Blond Men." This
title gives you the wrong impression. It makes you think this statement is from a formal survey,
maybe involving a thousand people, or so. However, when you watch the video it's literally
about ten women, who are on a TV show, which is about dating. So, the video title has misled
you, causing misattribution, making you think a large group was surveyed rather than a very
small one.
75. Linguistic Influencing - Misleading language can be a nuisance, and one can mislead with linguistic
influencing, using particular words to influence, and manipulate one's perception of adjacent written or
spoken communication.
Example: A headline reads: "Politician releases DNA test with strong evidence of Native
American ancestry." The term "strong evidence" influences the whole meaning of the headline,
and makes you think that "strong evidence" means a strong Native American ancestry.
However, the results of the DNA test showed the politician not even being 2% Native American.
There was only strong evidence for her being less than 2% Native American.
76. Artistic License - Individuals, groups, and organizations, when trying to pass along information,
typically a story, will give themselves an artistic license. An artistic license is not a real thing, but a
mentality allowing oneself to be deceptive, and dishonest for the sake of entertainment, and/or pushing
a particular narrative.
Example: Movie adverts will say a movie is "based on a true story" or "inspired by a true story."
This means almost nothing.
There is no legal or concrete definition to this. If a movie is based on, or inspired by, a
true story it does not mean it is factual. It usually means a movie is very loosely based on a real
occurrence.
And, yes, even documentarians will give themselves artistic licenses for documentaries.
Most popular movies, documentaries, and TV shows will not give you the full, true story.
77. Partial Information, Incomplete Information - Sometimes less is more, and those involved in the
media industry often (intentionally) give the public an insufficient amount information, so that they can
manipulate them, or get their attention. It can be extremely subtle, too. They may just leave out bits,
and pieces of information to craft the narrative they want, and many aren't aware of this manipulation.
Example: A headline says, "Judge Blocks Construction of XL Pipeline." Reading that one thinks
the whole project is blocked, but upon further inspection you find that only a secondary part of
the pipeline's construction is being blocked, and that the whole pipeline is mostly finished, and
already in use.
78. Unexpected Content - When adverts, headlines, titles, and the like do not accurately represent their
content, you will then receive/consume unexpected content. This may be intentional, but it is often
intentional.
Example: The title for a video says, "Man Goes Crazy!" What do you expect from this? You
expect to see footage of a guy going crazy, but then you watch the video, and it's just a guy
talking about a story he heard from a friend. How boring.
But had he written "I will recount a story I heard from a friend about a man going crazy"
would you click that? Probably not.
79. Controversy, Provocation, Shocking Content - If you run a news company, how do you get
attention? How do you get them to sit up, and pay attention? Create controversy, and do, or say things
to create provocation. Get the public abuzz. Shock them. Get them upset, and angry, and emotional
over stories, and various societal issues.
Note: What is shocking is what people are not used to. A gay couple kissing today? Pretty much no one
cares. But several decade ago? Shocking!
80. Propaganda and Fake News - A lot of media companies feed us "fake news." This is certain. But
why do they feed us "fake news"? What is it for? Much of it is believed to be propaganda. Many
stories, and information that we receive, as the public, is dishonest, and crafted to make us think in a
way that those in control, or seeking control, find desirable.
Example: After the Nazi Party's rise to power in 1933 they took control of the press in Germany
and began pushing out false information, propaganda, disguised as legitimate news to control
public discourse, thinking, and therefore decision-making.
81. Mischaracterizations - Individuals, and others, such as the media, will mischaracterize people by
attacking their characters (i.e. ad hominem), hurling false accusations, and/or the use of mockery.
Sometimes it happens the other way around, but that is much rarer.
Example: PewDiePie makes an offensive joke, and the media accuses him of being a Nazi.
82. Misinformation - False or inaccurate information, which is spread intentionally or unintentionally.

Also known as bullshit.
Example: "People swallow eight spiders a year while sleeping." This is misinformation!
83. Misleading Information - Misleading information is an umbrella term meaning information that is
misleading, giving false ideas, and notions. The media like to give out lots of misleading information!
84. Irrelevant Information - Media organizations, and members of the media, are constantly chasing
trends, and if something gains popularity, they will often follow it with irrelevant information,
information that seems related to something, but really isn't, and is immaterial to the issues, or affairs at
hand.
Example: An "African American" man, who was threatening a person, is shot by a police
officer. He survives, but the media start talking about race relations. Is that truly relevant? Or
was this simply just an occurrence between a police officer, and a civilian?
85. Double Down Mentality - When the media, or people, get something wrong they will often choose
the route of commitment, continuing their actions as a means of defense, or exploitation of a situation.
Example: ENBC's news article accuses a teenager of wrongdoing, but when they are shown to
be wrong, they then respond by trying to dig up dirt on the kid, trying to justify the harsh words
they provided earlier.
86. Opinions, and Hot Takes - The news should be factual, but you will get a lot of opinions, and hot
takes, being presented like fact. Hot takes are hasty responses, commentary, or if you will, opinions,
reacting to fresh events. Hot takes, since they are done quickly, typically lack depth, and accuracy.
87. False Narratives - False narratives are false stories, and its components, which give false ideas, and
fabricate a reality that is far from true. Though false narratives are sometimes made accidentally, they
are often deliberately created, and pushed out to manipulate how the public think, and behave.
Example: "Immigrants are stealing jobs from Americans." But technically, you can't steal a job.
88. 24-hour News Cycle Syndrome - The media often push out stories of poor quality. This can be
blamed on the 24-hour news cycle, which requires an organization to constantly supply information.
So, instead of getting detailed, accurate news, at only certain times of the day, you get it all the
time, and it's coming out of a chute, pouring out like brown slop.
With the 24-hour News Cycle you get:

- Fast-paced news.
- But a lack of details.
- A lack of proper details.
- A lack of depth.
- A lack of balance.
- A lack of fairness.
- A lack of fact checking.
- A lack of evidence/proper evidence.
- Inaccurate information.
- Incomplete information.
- Irrelevant information.
- Inconsistency.
- Scientific illiteracy.
- Unethical competition.
- Journalistic negligence.
- Dishonesty.
- Disingenuousness.
- Vagueness.
- Reductionism.
- Rumors.
- Speculation.
- Sensationalism.
- Misinformation.
- False narratives.
- A focus on entertainment.
- Hot takes.
- Opinion as news.
- Quantity over quality.
89. Censorship and Alteration of Communication, Censorship and Alteration of Communication with
Automation - Almost anything can be censored, or altered, and this is a big problem, but what's scary is
large organizations can automate this process.
Instead of hiring gobs of people to censor, and alter what is "undesirable" you have computers
automatically doing it, and changing content, and what people can, or cannot see.
Example: I submitted a review online for a product that I bought from a Chinese store, and gave
it 1 star. Someone, or something changed it to 5 stars without my permission.
***
As we come to the close of this chapter it needs to be stated that you must constantly be vigilant, and
skeptical of the media. Question them. Ponder their motives, and their goals. Find out who has control,
and ownership of the information you receive. And don't forget to wonder why.
And have patience. When you hear, or see something, have patience, suspend judgment, and
avoid jumping to conclusions. Wait for more information. The media prey on people who don't like
waiting.
Note: The stratagems, and techniques found in this chapter aren't only for the media. These are really
methods of social engineering, and can be used by individuals, too, of which includes politicians, and
those working for government -- or whoever, or whatever wants to manipulate others.
CHAPTER 38:
MINDSETS FOR CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE -
HOW TO DRAW
Why Should You Learn to Draw?
Drawing is a useful skill, and when you can draw, you gain another channel of communication.
Drawing a picture can be far more impactful, and effective than words alone. Plus, drawing skills will
touch many areas of your life. Drawing well can have a positive effect on things like writing, music,
math, and even socialization.
Now, the question is: How does one improve their ability to draw?
1. Have the Right Attitude
- You can do it! Drawing is something that anyone with hands can do.
- Drawing well takes practice, and patience. Don't be in a rush for results. Take your time.
- Your art doesn't have to be perfect to be considered good. Be okay with "mistakes." Mistakes can be
happy mistakes.
- Don't intellectualize what you're drawing. Let your mind be at ease, and relax. There are no negative
consequences that arise from drawing.
2. Previsualize*
Before beginning to draw something you want to previsualize. Look at what is before you, and then
close your eyes, and imagine it as a finished drawing. Examine this drawing in your mind. See the
details. Notice the lines, the curves, the colors (if any), and spaces.
*If you are drawing something completely from your imagination the same ideas apply. Close your
eyes, taking the time to create your drawing in your mind. Create the details, and then later
superimpose.
3. Superimpose
Take the image you've produced in your mind's eye, and using your imagination superimpose it onto
the blank space in front you which you will draw onto. Imagine all the lines are there, and use them as
a guide to drawing like you are tracing an image.
When you start forgetting what your drawing should look like, just close your eyes again to see
your image, and then go back to your art. You likely will have to do this several times, but that's okay.
This is the process.
4. Sketch
Especially if you're a beginning artist, you will not get your drawing right the first time. At the start you
will need to sketch, lightly drawing, and making visual estimations on paper. (A sketch can be seen as
an equivalent to a writer's outline.)
5. Erase, Erase, Erase
If you see something you don't like, erase it, and draw it again. Don't be afraid of erasing.
6. Practice
Drawing is a skill like any other, and requires practice. So, practice, and have patience. And don't forget
to put dates on your drawings, and build up a collection. When enough time has passed you can see
how you've progressed, and improved.
7. Draw Drawings
Drawing real life objects is difficult. In the beginning instead try drawing other people's drawings. It
will give you an idea of how art is crafted.
8. Use the Right Side of Your Brain More, Try Upside Down Drawing
To develop your artistic skills, try drawing images, and objects that are upside down. You will literally
gain a new perspective, and it will put your mind into a different mode.
Though it's probably pseudoscience many say drawing in this manner activates the right side of
your brain, and thus your ability to draw will improve. It sounds odd, but for most people it works
because it helps you to stop identifying the parts of an image, or object.
When beginning artists draw, and look at something, they usually have the habit of identifying
the individual parts, and pieces of the image/object they're studying.
For example, they'll look at a face, and go, "Okay, that's the nose. And that's an eye, and that's
an ear..." But doing this their mind brings up prexisting notions of what those things are, and it
influences their drawing.
Meaning, people will draw what they think something should be rather than what is actually
there. So, drawing an image/object which is upside down solves this problem.
But when drawing upside down images/objects be self-aware. Observe your mood, and mind,
and how your approach to drawing changes. Remember this, and get into this mode of thinking when
drawing normally.
9. Develop a Style
At the start you will be copying others, because copying is a great way of learning. But later on you
should try to develop your own art style. That's not to say you have to be completely original, but you
should have a way of drawing that you prefer. Maybe you like to draw your characters with completely
white eyes, or maybe you do your lines extra thick, maybe your art is inspired by manga, etc.
10. Have Fun
Don't belabor your art. No one (reasonable) is judging you. So, have fun, and enjoy yourself!
CHAPTER 39:
HOW TO WRITE FICTION
Why Write Fiction?
Being able to write fiction is a boon to your intelligence. When you can imagine, and create worlds,
and characters in your mind, you will improve in how you communicate, and how you absorb
information.
Even if you don't want to be a writer you should try writing. Writing is a gift from the gods, and
it has shaped the course of humanity. Yes, it seems a daunting task, but it has tremendous benefits.
HOW TO WRITE WELL: 53 ESSENTIAL TIPS
1. Other than grammar rules, there are no rules for writing!

Writing is creative. You cannot write fiction well by following rules to a tee. You have to break
rules, and sometimes make some of your own. I’m not saying that you should go bonkers, but
any good story is going to be a little deviant.
2. Constantly promote yourself, and share your writing. Be shameless in the marketing
department. Use the power of the internet.
A big problem for writers is that they’re shy, and introverted. They have a problem speaking up,
and letting their voices be heard. Many are too meek. This is not a good trait to have for your
writing career. You have to speak up, and sometimes be a loud mouth. That’s not to say that you
are required to be arrogant, and rude, but you should believe in the value of your writing, and
dish it out like it’s delicious, even if sometimes it isn’t. Many a great artists go unrecognized,
and die penniless, because they were too modest. Don’t be one of them. If you put in a great
deal of effort into something, even if it’s not to everyone’s liking, you should try to share it.
Especially in the information age, with the internet, there is no excuse. Don’t delay your self-
promoting. Get on “social media” and spread the word about…your word.
3. You need to develop thick skin. But hang in there, because finding success in art is often
about finding the right audience.
Unfortunately, people can be terrible for no reason. Not that this is always a bad thing in regards
to your writing, because sometimes they will tell you a truth that will kick you up the ass to
make you move forward. But in many, many cases what they say will be stupid as hell. This is
just something you’ll have to accept. And you’ll have to accept that even the greatest writers are
rejected, and passed off, and shunned. Almost no one in the industry of writing is successful
right off the bat. Think of someone like a J.K. Rowling. She was rejected a dozen times. Now, is
that a lot? No, but it proves that twelve people weren’t smart enough to see her talent. So, to
develop a thick skin, you have to keep in mind that one, or a few people’s opinions aren’t
gospel. A lot of times finding success is simply finding the right audience.
4. Don’t work for others for free.
Unless it’s for yourself, a friend, family member, or someone you know, and trust. Because
writing for free for others, especially strangers, is a waste of time. They promise you “exposure”
but who the hell are they? You won’t get anything from them, except hot air. Just forget it.
Don’t write for free. People will try to use you, and then they won’t appreciate your effort when
you do help them out. No freebies!
5. Know what you’re writing about. Be informed.
Writers often say “write what you know” but this isn’t very good advice. A lot of great fiction
comes (nearly) entirely from the imagination. Take for example, J.R.R. Tolkien. Did he know
about Hobbits beforehand when he planned on writing his books? I doubt it. But here’s the
thing: He knew what he was writing. He did his homework, and research, and was meticulous,
spending plenty of time, crafting his world, and making sure absolutely everything was right.
You have to do the same, too. It’s not to say that you are required to swamp yourself in
information, but if you write a novel you have to have accuracy, and a degree of realism, and
detail to your stories. You can’t just write about something in complete ignorance. Imagine if
you were a marine biologist, and you were reading a book that kept calling dolphins fish. You’d
be angry. When you write be informed.
6. Have good grammar!
I cannot stress this enough! Have a proper grasp of grammar, and spelling. Don’t be sloppy.
Mind you P’s, and Q’s, and put every comma, semi-colon, and period in the right place. If you
want to be a writer you have to have a strong grasp of the grammatical rules that make up the
English language, or whatever language it is that you speak. This is a must. No ways around it.
7. Read books, and read them a lot.
It’s astounding how lazy, and ignorant some people can be. They want to write, but they don’t
want to read. That’s insane. Absolutely insane. Imagine if you wanted to be a movie director,
but you didn’t watch movies. That would make no sense whatsoever. So, how can you write
without reading? Learn the art, and craft through reading. Of course, if you’ve made it this far
into my article, I’m guessing you don’t have much of a problem with reading.
8. Practice writing with regularity.
If there are people who don’t read that want to be writers, then there are aspiring writers that
don’t write. Listen. You have to write. How can you be a writer, and not write? There’s no such
thing as a writer that doesn’t write. Now, that’s not to say you have to write all the time, and
that’s not to say you have to make every story a masterpiece, but you do have to set aside
quality time for writing. It could be during the early morning, or at night, or the weekends —
you just have to write. Don’t avoid it. Don’t procrastinate.
9. Find your own process.
When pursuing writing, you must discover yourself, and find out what works for you. Because
what is good for one might not be good for another (i.e. you).
10. Persist, and be patient. Be realistic.
I say this with unwavering confidence that writing is the most difficult art form there is. That
said, you have to be persistent, and have patience. Results will not come quickly, and if you
think you can speed ahead, jumping the line, you are wrong. You have to realize how difficult
(and exhilarating) writing is, and that it takes time, and blood, and sweat, and tears. So, don’t
feel bad if everything’s coming along slowly for you. Writing is intricate as much as it is
confusing. You have to be realistic, and not be too hard on yourself. If you are unrealistic, you
may expect immediate success, and if that doesn't happen, you're liable to giving up. Don’t
sabotage yourself like that. The best novelists are notoriously patient. Ray Bradbury, for
example, wrote his first novel when he was 30. It was Fahrenheit 451, and he knocked it out of
the park, but he began writing at the age of 12.
11. Write for yourself, and no one else.
Although it sounds somewhat narcissistic the most important person when writing is you. It is
(usually) a solo art, and should be a representation of who you are, and what you believe in. If
you start trying to cater to a nebulous audience, then you will be disappointed. If you write for
other people something bad will happen. You will spends ages on something that you hope
others will like, and then they probably won’t. Then at the end of it you’ll have something that
not even you enjoy reading. So, keep in mind you are your audience.
12. Use multiple platforms, and stores to sell your goods.
This is especially important for those pursuing self-publishing. Do not, I repeat, do not rely on
just one company. Put your novels, and books, and short stories on as many platforms as
possible. Don’t let a single company have a monopoly on your art, because when corporations
get too powerful, they will, and do screw you over.
13. Back up your files.
I cannot stress this enough. Everything you write back it the hell up. Put it on an external hard-
disk drive, put it on a USB stick, put it on a friend or family member’s computer, upload it
online . In summary, make duplicates, put them in multiple places, and on multiple websites.
14. Know your worth.
Don’t underestimate the worth of your work. Sure, many people frequently overestimate the
worth of their work, but many writers do the opposite. Do not sell yourself short. After the
shedding of enough blood, and sweat, and self-reflection, you ought to have confidence in your
writing, and realize its true value.
15. Don’t pay for writing advice.
It’s a little ironic of me to say this, but I really do not think anyone should be buying books on
writing advice. No book about writing is a silver bullet. Don't believe the sales pitch. Good
writing advice can be obtained for free.
16. To become a master you must first be a fool (to quote Jordan Peterson).
Writing is work. It is hard work. Don’t be under the delusion that you will sit down, breeze
through it, and crush it on the first, second, or hundredth try. What you produce in the beginning
to put it lightly will suck, but it’s all part of the learning process. You have to get through it to
progress. Anything worthwhile requires practice, and there are growing pains, and it takes time.
With few exceptions you will not be very good at first, but that’s okay, because most people that
write go through this.
17. Editing is as much a part of writing as writing itself.
When you write something it’s not going to be exactly what you want. You have to edit, and
add, and take out. Editing can be mentally arduous, but it’s something you have to do. Don’t
skip it. In modern publishing, you are your own editor. You don’t just write something, and then
they hire you an editor, who will clean up your writing. You have to do the heavy lifting.
18. Try writing a little faster. It doesn’t always have to be perfect.
A lot of writers seem to have writing-paralysis, because they want perfection. Yes, you should
spend a certain amount of time on your writing, to make it of a certain quality, but if your
pursuit in crafting a story is so intense that you’re barely getting anything done you have to
change your thought process. Instead of seeking perfection throw caution to the wind, and write
whatever comes to your mind without looking back. Just keep going. Force yourself to carry on,
and go forward. Favor productivity over perfection. Don’t get self-conscious about your
writing. No one should judge you for trying, and if they do, why do you care about their
opinions?
19. Try out different genres.
You might be attracted to one genre in writing, but it is a good idea to try writing in different
genres. If you’re a romance writer, try your hand in horror, or do comedy, or drama, or whatever
looks interesting. Because tackling different genres will get your artistic juices flowing, and
give you new ideas, and stimulate creativity. Also, it can be fortuitous if your writing
experiments lead you to something in which you excel. So, don’t neglect trying to write a
variety of things. Even successful authors try genres that they are not known for. Stephen King
for example wrote both “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Hearts of Atlantis.” If you grew up
in the 1990s you might recall Goosebumps author, R.L. Stine. Stine did not begin in horror.
Nope. He did comedies at first, and then tried out his hand in the horror genre. Suppose he
hadn’t tried out something new, where might he be today? One can only guess.
20. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Write short stories first.
If you are a beginner you are probably eager, and enthusiastic, and you want to make the next
great American novel. Whoa! Hold on there. Not so fast. Before trying to tackle a project as big
as a novel (typically at least 60,000 words) instead practice writing by writing short stories.
Sure, short stories tend to be under-appreciated, but they can be valuable in helping you
improve your writing. Imagine that you wrote one short story a week , Ray Bradbury style ,
you'd have 52 stories after a year. And at least one of them is going to be good, and that’s
something you can be proud of—not to mention, you will be a better writer.
21. Seek feedback, but don’t take everything to heart.
It can be important receiving feedback for your stories, especially in the beginning, but
feedback can often be shallow (surprise, critique takes intelligence), and it can steer you in the
wrong direction. You cannot, and should not incorporate, or alter every part of your story based
on what others are saying. You gotta go with your gut sometimes, and just go ahead with your
plans...unless several people criticize the same thing(s). If one person says your ending is no
good, maybe, maybe not. But if ten people are groaning about it you might have to do a rewrite.
22. Don’t lecture people in your writing.
Lecturing people, and speaking straight to them is often clunky, and cringe-worthy. You must
speak to your audience by imparting lessons to them in the form of symbolism, the actions of
your characters, and the events that take place in your story. Readers do not want to be lectured.
They are there for a particular reason, which is enjoying a story, not a speech, or lecture. Inform
your readers by entertaining them.
23. Remember that fiction is entertainment.
The death of a novel is in its boringness. Try not to bore your readers. Self-indulgence, and
delusions will be the end of you as a writer. So, what is entertaining? Find out by putting
yourself in the reader’s shoes. Don’t think of what you wrote from a writer’s perspective. Don’t
analyze it that way. You must feel it as a reader. How does it make you feel?
24. Put away what you wrote, wait, and review it later on.
In the pursuit of writing you will get wrapped up in your own world. So, how do you
objectively analyze what you have done? When you are finished your story, put it away, and
ignore it. Let your mind clear out. Give it a week, or few weeks, and then go back to it when
you’re fresh. You’ll then be able to see the mistakes in your writing, and correct any errors.
25. Be economical with your words. Only write what is needed.
Avoid purple prose. Don’t use too many adjectives. Try saying what something really is instead
of using comparisons, and telling the reader it was like this, or that. Sometimes a cigar is just a
cigar.
26. Your writing must evoke emotions.
The whole point of writing is to evoke emotions. Your story when read should provide an
emotional roller-coaster. Your readers should feel thrilled, and surprised. They should feel joy,
and sadness. Because you are not just telling a series of events. You are taking your readers, and
transporting them into the life of someone else, so that they can experience what that person is
going through. Take for example, Roald Dahl’s book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When
you read it you immediately feel for Charlie, don't you? You see the poverty that he’s in, and his
innocence, and his youthful desires. You hope that he succeeds, and finds happiness.
27. Love and passion is in every good story.
Love in particular is kind of a big deal, but keep in mind it doesn’t have to be romantic love. It
could be love for a parent, grandparent, best friend, or even dog. As for passion, this is what I
would say is the love of non-living things. Look at Indiana Jones. He had a love for artifacts,
which I presume belonged in a museum. Either way, you have to have one or the other. Without
love, and passion, what do you have? Someone, or something that’s not a human-being. So,
figure out what your character loves, and what their passions are. Also, what do they want from
this love that they seek, or may have?
28. Kill your characters right. Give their deaths meaning.
Death is one of the greatest cliches in writing that will never go away, and that’s just dandy, but
often it is done incorrectly. No, you can’t just kill someone off. You have to think about what
death is. It’s a loss. A real, deep, cutting loss. You have to portray it like that. Your deaths must
have meaning. Don’t think that superficially killing a character will make the reader emotional.
You have to explain the significance through your story. Why is this death so gut-wrenching?
What was the value of that person? Acquaint us with the character that is to die. Make us like
him like a good friend…and then you can pull the trigger. Take for example Disney’s “ The
Lion King.” [Spoiler Alert!] When Mufasa died we instantly became heart-broken. But why?
Because we knew him. He was the father to Simba. He was a warm, loving individual, who
only wanted to care for, and raise his son. And we the audience witnessed him die in the most
tragic way possible. We witnessed him trying to save Simba, struggling, and dying in one last
heroic act. And then we watched Simba going up to his father, and innocently nudging him,
hoping that he was alive. But he wasn't, and Simba felt responsible for his father’s needless
death.
29. Know what your characters want out of life.
In order to make a fully fleshed out, three dimensional character you have to give them hopes,
and dreams, and desires, and goals. What do they want out of life? What do they lust after?
What is their deep, pulsating desire that’s stuck inside of them? Do they hope for adventure? Do
they want to save the world? Do they want to find love? Or maybe they’re a villain, and want
power, and control over the world. Either way, every character has to have a desire, and goal,
even if it’s simplistic, and even if you don’t say it but know it in your head. Remember, goals,
and desires make a person human.
30. Beat up your characters. Treat them like dirt.
A lot of writers become enamored with their characters. They treat them delicately, and give
them overly strong attributes, and deus ex machina moments, so that they can avoid coming into
too much harm. No! This is bad. What makes life interesting is hardships, and challenges. You
have to put your characters through hell. If you don’t, then you will bore your readers. Take
your characters, and push them to the brink. In writing tragedy is your friend. Make you heroes
suffer.
31. An imperfect character is perfect. Give your hero flaws, and weaknesses.
Although this is obvious to most some writers make characters that are just dazzling, and
perfect. This isn’t what you should be doing. Every character must be realistic, and have flaws.
Flaws make us human. Some are far more flawed than others, but flaws nonetheless are within
us all. Even someone as great as Superman has flaws, and weaknesses. Besides Kryptonite,
Superman is overly sympathetic, and kind. He has a messiah-like personality, meaning he will
do good, even in the face of dire consequences. This is most evident in the way he treats Lex
Luthor. Lex Luthor is a super villain that has literally tried to kill Superman, and destroy the
world, yet Superman doesn’t stop him in the easiest way possible — which is to kill him.
Superman chooses not do it, even though Luthor’s existence constantly puts the planet in peril.
Superman’s flaw is that he is too nice. He’s an actual nice guy. *Cough* *Loser!*
32. Characters should grow, and/or change.
In some instances having a stubborn character that never changes can be amusing; however, in
most cases you want your characters to grow, or change as time goes on. Seldom do humans
stay the same, especially when they are young, or going through impactful events. In Harry
Potter, for example, Hermione Granger begins as a shy, bookish girl, but as she grows up, and
matures, she becomes more daring, and begins relying more on her knowledge from experience
rather than what she read at the library. In addition to this, she physically changes. She starts out
as a plain but cute girl, and then becomes attractive to the opposite sex. But Hermione doesn’t
become a totally different person. Fundamentally, her core personality is the same, and her
changes in personality are a natural fit. When you are making a likeable character this is
important. You should change your character, but do not do away with what makes them
likeable. Hermione is known for famous intellect, and this never changes whatsoever. She
always stays smart, but the way in which she uses her intelligence is what changes.
33. Unless you are intentionally bucking the trend, don’t make your character an A-hole.
If you want your reader to like your story you have to make your characters likeable. Even if
they are deeply flawed there must be something there that we admire. Almost no one wants to
spend time with an asshole. Even the anti-social, murderous Rick Sanchez, from Rick and
Morty, has kind qualities, which is him caring for the safety, and well being of his family. I
know writers like to play with cliches, and make their heroes different than traditional heroes,
but you have to realize when you’ve gone the wrong way. Realize the differences between
interesting and irritating, cocky and arrogant, brave and stupid, and desperate and selfish.
Consider, drawing a line for the furthest that your main character will go. What is something
that they will never do? Take Batman for example. He does not kill people, and he does not use
guns. Sure, that’s sort of silly considering what he’s up against, but that is what makes him the
most successful hero in a bat costume. Despite his brutality, he is an admirable person.
34. Give your reader a good surprise.
Surprises are a great addition to a story, and easy to do. Anyone can be surprised. But can they
be surprised correctly? How do you make a good surprise? How do you make a surprise that a
reader accepts? If your reader does not accept your surprise, then it isn’t a surprise at all. You
have to legitimize your surprise. You have to plan for it. You have to leave clues, and hints like a
crumb trail, leading up to what you want to suddenly spring on your reader. Going back to
Harry Potter for example, we can look at the character Professor Lupin. Well, it’s a good
surprise that he’s a werewolf, right? If you had been paying attention, you’d know that his name
means “resembling a wolf” and not catching that would firmly be on you. Because when J.K.
Rowling surprises her readers she doesn’t just drop something in. She leaves clues, and makes
the reader go, “Ah, I should’ve known!” And that is a good surprise, one that you should have
known, but you didn’t.
35. You don’t have to be completely original.
In any art there is the pursuit of originality. Some try to be so completely original that they are
absolutely absurd. But good writing doesn’t always mean you are completely original. Humans,
all humans, especially artists are influenced by their environment, and what they read, taste, and
hear. So, don’t spend all your time examining your writing, trying to toss out anything that isn’t
completely your own. Nothing will be completely your own. Anything that could have been
written, has already been written. This is why they say “writing is just rewriting.” That means as
far as fiction goes your job as a writer is to make a story your own, make it something with your
personality, and point of a view. For example, we all know there are plenty of romance stories
out there in the world — but is it yours? What twist can you put on it? How can you make it just
a little bit different? How do you take ownership of the storytelling?
36. Sometimes cliches are okay. Play with them.
Cliches can be pretty annoying sometimes, yet they can help you in writing. Take cliches, and
play with them. Flip the script, or surprise the reader by making him or her think that one thing
is going to happen, and then it turns out to be another. Use trite ideas to your advantage. Twist,
and turn them. Change them up. Be a deviant.
37. Think of the ending of your novel, or story before jumping into everything.
I used to have trouble writing, until I got into the habit of this. When I’m creating a new story, I
think of the general idea, and the ending in advance of beginning. I focus on the beginning,
because it gives me an idea of where I should head. If you know the ending you know the
direction you must head in.
38. It’s okay to put yourself in your novel.
Often you hear experienced writers say, “Don’t put yourself into your stories!” I disagree. I
think that you can put yourself into a story, and that’s fine. Writing is close to the heart, and
that’s how it’ll always be. Plus, lots of prominent authors do this, even if they won’t admit it.
Stephen King is notorious for writing about writers, and placing his characters in the state of
Maine. J.K. Rowling has also admitted that Hermione Granger is based on her from when she
was younger, and that’s great. You shouldn’t be so far removed from your writing that you never
put yourself into it. You have to put yourself into your writing at least to a certain degree. Just
don’t overdo it (like anything else).
39. Read your story out loud, especially the dialogue.
You need to hear how your writing sounds to the ear. Read it out loud, and especially focus on
the dialogue. What’s the rhythm like? Does it sound natural? Do people really talk like what
you’re hearing? Would you, and your friends speak that way? If no, then change it until it
sounds right.
40. Learn about story structure, and use it.
Sometimes I don’t follow story structures, but I believe the constraints they provide can lead to
positive results. Kurt Vonnegut once lectured about the shapes of stories of which he described
eight different types: “Man in Hole,” “Boy Meets Girl,” “From Bad to Worse,” “Which Way Is
Up?” “Creation Story,” “Old Testament,” “New Testament,” and “Cinderella.” They are all
fairly simplistic, but elucidate how stories are structured, and how humans deal with life. But
the most popular story structure is probably the Hero’s Journey or Monomyth, which was first
described by Joseph Campbell. Campbell is said to have inspired George Lucas, and helped
shape the Star Wars franchise, as well as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. The Hero’s Journey is
made up of 17 stages that fall under three categories: Departure, Initiation, and Return. These all
encompass leading a reluctant hero away from his ordinary life, and into a strange world, filled
with danger, adventure, glory, and personal growth.
Story Structure Details
Vonnegut's Shape of Stories:
a) Man in Hole - A man (or woman) gets into some type of trouble, like falling into a hole, and
then he gets out of it.
Example: "Little Red Riding Hood."
b) Boy Meets Girl - A boy meets a girl, or acquires something really awesome, and then he
loses it, and goes on a journey to get it back, and then he gets to keep it forever.
Example: The story of "Aladdin."
c) From Bad to Worse - Things start out bad, and then just decline, and decline, and the ending
is sad.
Example: "1984."
d) Which Way Is Up? - The story is a lot like real life, and it's ambiguous. You don't really know
what's going to happen.
Example: "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."
e) Creation Story - Not a common story shape in the west, but popular in other cultures. A
creation story is about, well, creation. A seed grows into a tree, and that type of thing.
Example: From the Bible: "God creates the world in 6 days, and rests on day 7."
f) Old Testament - Man receives gifts from a god, or gods, and then for wrongdoings is tossed
out of paradise, and then suffers great hardships.
Example: The story of "Adam & Eve."
g) New Testament - Man receives gifts from a god, or gods, and then for wrongdoings is tossed
out of paradise, and then suffers great hardships. But through these hardships, and trials, and
tribulations, the man finds bliss, and triumphs over adversity.
Example: "Jesus Christ comes to earth, and has a pretty cool time. Then he gains popularity, and
has groupies. But the people turn against him, and they nail him to the letter T. Then he is
tortured, and he magically comes back to life. It's a miracle. He opens up the gates to heaven,
and forgives mankind for being douches."
h) Cinderella Story - An unfortunate girl (or guy) gets a lucky break, and her life improves, and
reaches a peak. Then everything goes bad, and falls off a cliff. But through some effort the girl
gets back onto her feet, and achieves bliss again. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Example: "Cinderella."
Campbell's Monomyth (using the story of "Wizard Teddy"):
Separation
a) Call to Adventure - A hero who is living a mundane, or miserable life is called to adventure.
"Young Teddy lives a mundane life with his aunt, and uncle. One day, he receives an invitation
to attend magic school."
b) Refusal of Call - Naturally, the hero wants to go, but is afraid, and hesitant. Or something is
in his way.
"Teddy wants to go, but his aunt, and uncle say no. He has to go to a Montessori school. They
then rip up his invitation, and hit him on the head with a yard stick."
c) Supernatural Aid - Someone, or something extraordinary helps the hero begin his journey.
Barriers, which usually have an element of danger or mystery, are vanquished.
"As Teddy, and his aunt, and uncle are returning home, an orangutan on a flying broomstick
appears. The orangutan screams, and throws a bag full of magic school invitations at Teddy's
aunt, and uncle, and then disappears. Teddy takes an invitation, and puts it in his pocket."
d) Crossing the First Threshold - The hero crosses over into the other world that takes him away
from the ordinary world.
"Teddy sneaks out his bedroom window, and visits the local train station. Following the
instructions on his magic school invitation, taking a leap of faith, he runs towards a wall, and
goes through it."
Initiation
e) Belly of Whale - The hero finds himself in the belly of the whale. He has little choice in what
he can do, and is surrounded by the other world that he has entered into. He has to accept what
lies ahead.
"Teddy finds himself in magic school, and has to make a choice. He can go back home, or stay
in magic school for the year until summer. Reluctantly, Teddy decides to stay, and using a quill,
signs an agreement in blood."
f) Road of Trials - The meat of a story. The hero faces numerous challenges, tests, and
hardships in trying to achieve his goals.
"Teddy finds it difficult at magic school. He has no friends, and is academically doing poorly.
During his time at Bogwarts, he gets into a wizard duel with the local bully, and loses, then he
fights off a giant centipede, and finds out that one of the professors is really a dragon pretending
to be a human, and this man-dragon wants to open up a portal to hell. Teddy tries to tell
everyone, but no one believes him, not even that orangutan he met."
g) Meeting with the Goddess - The hero meets with a deity, goddess, or ethereal figure that
offers guidance, and help, helping the hero to persevere in his journey. The goddess gives the
hero an insight, or perspective that he never had before. She gives him a blessing.
"While exploring the grounds of his magic school, Teddy enters a room with a mirror called
the Mirror of Desire. He looks into it, and sees his dead mother. His mother, who used to
be a top student at Bogwarts, tells him to keep his chin up, and hang in there. She blesses his
heart."
h) Temptation - No hero is perfect. On his journey the hero will encounter temptation. This may
be the temptation to give up, or worse.
"Teddy becomes a writer for the school newspaper, and writes an article about how one of the
professors is an evil dragon, pretending to be a human. The students at Bogwarts read it, and
they all make fun of Teddy, making him a social pariah. Teddy becomes angry, and
disenchanted. While he's in his dorm room, he gets onto a magical broom, and starts flying
away, which is against the rules. But then thinking about all the cool spells he won't learn, he
turns around at the last minute, and returns to school."
i) Atonement with the Father - All heroes make mistakes. There are burdens whether real or
imagined that a hero has to deal with. Here the hero must seek guidance, and forgiveness for
wrongdoings from a father, or father figure. They then come to a mutual understanding, and the
hero is better off for facing his father. This is a time of emotional growth, and maturation.
"Mr Mumbledoor, the head of the school, finds out that Teddy tried to leave school. Teddy
apologizes. Mr Mumbledoor is angry at Teddy, but Teddy explains why he was trying to go
home. He tells him about the professor, who is a dragon, and all that jazz. Mr Mumbledoor tells
Teddy that he knows all about the dragon professor, and he is formulating a plan to stop him,
and is keeping it a secret, so no one becomes panicked. Teddy agrees this is a good idea."
j) Apostasis - We witness the hero face a real loss, a tragedy that cannot be undone -- the death
of someone extremely important. This can be a major character, or the hero himself.
"Teddy is sneaking around, looking for snacks. While trying to steal a bag of crisps, he hears a
noise, and he goes into hiding. He sees the professor that is the dragon confront Mr
Mumbledoor in his office. The two get into a wizard duel, with their magic wands, and they
shoot balls of magic at each other. A magic ball hits Mr Mumbledoor in the groin. The dragon
professor then goes to finish off Mr Mumbledoor. Mr Mumbledoor says, "If you strike me
down, I will become even stronger than before." Teddy watches Mr Mumbledoor get killed. The
dragon professor takes Mr Mumbledoor's wand, which is the ultimate wand."
k) The Ultimate Boon - The hero faces his greatest enemy, or life obstacle in an intense
confrontation. With great effort, and maybe a bit of luck, he defeats his enemy, and
triumphs. Success.
"The next day, the dragon professor calls everyone to a meeting, and he begins opening up a
portal to hell. Everyone is powerless to stop him. But Teddy attacks the dragon professor with a
swift drop kick, and stops the portal to hell from opening up. When the dragon professor is on
the ground, groaning in pain, the orangutan appears, and shoots him in the heart with a gun. The
ordeal is over. Teddy takes back Mr Mumbledoor's wand, and is given the duty of protecting it."
l) Refusal of Return - The hero has found his place in life. He feels confident, and strong. He
wants to stay where he is, and proudly wear his laurels. He doesn't want to return to the ordinary
world.
"Teddy becomes popular at school, and becomes friends with two kids named Donald, and
Anne. Finally, he starts enjoying himself. Now Teddy doesn't want to go home. He wants to stay
at magic school forever, and ever."
Return
m) Magic Flight - The hero finds that his journey is not yet over. Through magic flight, or some
other fantastic vehicle, he has to return to the ordinary world, or elsewhere, which puts him
back into a perilous situation. A threat has come back to exact revenge.
"School being over, Teddy uses his flying broom so he can go home. But while flying he
encounters the dragon professor, who is alive, and well. The dragon professor explains that he
was brought back to life by the school bully. Teddy is astonished. The dragon professor then
transforms into a dragon, and chases after him. Teddy tries escaping."
n) Rescue from Without - The hero in battling his old enemy again requires the help of friends,
and/or allies. He alone cannot win. Together they face the ultimate evil, and through great
effort, even greater than before, they find victory.
"Teddy's friends, Donald, and Anne, discover that Teddy is in trouble. They call to Teddy,
and tell him that they must use their magic rings. So they do so, and with their powers
combined they summon Captain Planetoid. Captain Planetoid appears, and he karate kicks the
dragon professor in the face. The dragon professor is knocked out, and he falls to the ground
below, and explodes into a bloody mess. Teddy thanks Donald, Anne, and Captain Planetoid for
their help. Captain Planetoid tells Teddy that he should go home, and rest."
o) Crossing the Return Threshold - The hero makes the journey home.
"Teddy says goodbye to everyone. On his flying broom, he descends to earth, and goes home."
p) Master of Two Worlds - The hero's triumph in the world he visited has given him great
confidence, and respect at home. He is treated like he should be, and he is now a master of both
worlds.
"Teddy has returned home to his aunt, and uncle. They apologize for having treated him so
poorly, and they agree that he can go back to magic school next year, if he wants."
q) Freedom to Live - The hero's greatest burdens are gone, and he is no longer held back by his
enemies, or society. He has the freedom to live how he wants, to pursue happiness, and to have
a better life.
"Teddy doesn't have to sneak around anymore. He embraces his wizard life. He decorates his
room with wizard-themed decorations, and joins a magic club. The members there get into
arguments about things like who would win in a fight: Gandalf, or the Alpha-Bits Wizard.
Teddy is happy, and he looks forward to when he can go back to magic school. He has some
unfinished business."
A note about the monomyth: The monomyth is a general idea. Lots of stories can be said that
they follow the monomyth, even if it's not exactly the same.
41. Mostly Show; Sometimes Tell.

You often hear this piece of advice from writers: “Show, don’t tell.” But I disagree. Any
successful writer will do a combination. Most of the time, yes, you want to show. You want to
have an active voice, and describe all the juicy details, but occasionally you'll need to write
passively, and "tell" to summarize events to get to the action. For example: “Evanna was
exhausted from having worked all day long on her feet. She collapsed on her couch, and passed
out.” Admittedly, this isn’t anything fancy, but superior to going through Evanna’s whole work
day just to get her to her couch. The passive voice has told us what’s happened in a tidy
summary. If you are having trouble with this explanation, let me further explain the difference
in showing, and telling. For example: “Taylor was angry.” That’s telling. A passive voice is
used. The sentence is not visually-descriptive. Opposing this, you have the active voice, or
showing. “Taylor’s face turned red, and her icy blue-eyes narrowed. She stomped her foot, and
yelled.” It’s better, isn’t it? It’s because I've painted, and showed you a picture. Remember that
is what you have to do when you are writing -- paint a picture for your readers. But keep in
mind you don't always have to "show."
42. Keep the swearing to a minimum or don’t have it at all.
Not gonna lie. I swear a lot, but for some reason swearing jumps out on the page. If I were you,
I would avoid it altogether, or save it only for crucial scenes in which it is required to convey an
emotion.
43. You have no privacy. Watch out for the internet creeps.
This seems like an odd thing to place in here, but as a writer, especially one who spends time
online, you can be vulnerable. This took me a long time to learn, but you have to assume that
everything you’re doing is in the public eye. The internet is not 100% safe. Technology as much
as people can fail you. Don’t be naive, and think that humans will always act proper. There are
lots of disgusting men out there who will cyber-stalk you, and harass you if you do anything
“wrong.” That’s not to say you shouldn’t be online, but keep in mind privacy is limited.
Anything you do can be thrown back in your face. Don’t let the internet creeps have anything to
use against you.
44. Don’t pay to be published.
Look out for vanity presses. They pretend to be legitimate publishers, and then ask you for
money to get you published. You shouldn’t have to pay anything to be published.
45. Many literary agents, and managers really don’t know what they’re doing.
So many agents, and managers try to act like they have some spectacular skills in judging talent,
but a lot of them are clueless. Art is extremely subjective. You could put a masterpiece in front
of ten of them, and probably nine, or more would pass on it. Do you know about Madeleine
L’Engle’s “Wrinkle in Time”? A pretty good novel, right? Well, it was rejected 26 times before
being published, meaning, 96.29% of the people that read it had no idea what it was worth.
46. Many writers (and normal people) aren’t creative. Creativity is a skill that has to be
fostered, and developed. You aren't creative just because you are creating.
A lot of people can write well, but their stories remain dull, and boring…because they’ve
focused too much on the grammatical details, and technical aspects of writing. One needs to
realize that the ability to be creative is a skill all on its own that must be learned, and
encouraged to grow. You must take time out of your day, or night, and day dream, and think up
new ideas, and new thoughts.
47. Ask “what if” questions.
How does one be creative in writing? The answer to this is: You must ask yourself questions.
Let’s say you’re walking down a street, and you’re all alone, what would you do? For most
they’d not be thinking about much, or they’d be distracting themselves with some sort of
electronic device — but as a writer you could start imagining, and asking yourself questions like:
“What if someone robbed me?” “What if I broke my leg?” “What if aliens landed in front of
me, and said take me to your leader? What would I do?” Hey, maybe if aliens aren’t your thing
you could wonder about time traveling, vikings, or dinosaurs. Whatever it is don’t limit
yourself. Ask yourself lots of strange questions, because they can really open the door to new
ideas, and new stories.
48. Know what suspense is.
It isn’t just a mood. It’s laying the foundation for tension, and anticipation. The reason I’m
explaining it here is because for writers there’s confusion about what it is. Suspense mentally
suspends the reader. Imagine a scenario where a man is hanging off a cliff, and his partner has
to go off to find some rope. Or perhaps there’s a bomb in a room that is counting down, and the
hero has to disable it in "10… 9… 8… 7… 6... 5..."
49. Don’t worry too much about writer’s block.
Sometimes your brain just gets tired. Have patience, and it will pass. Go do something else. Eat,
shower, watch TV, whatever you want. Creatively speaking, when you try to force results they
seldom come. For me, writing is kind of like a roller coaster -- it has its ups, and downs.
Sometimes I’ll write 10,000 words in a day, and then later on only a single paragraph. So,
there’s no guarantee of productivity in writing, but that’s fine. Ideas will naturally come to you
as time passes by.
50. Stay organized. Do outlines.
When I was younger, I used to forego outlines. Now I do them all the time. Once, I had an
outline for a novel that was 68 pages. Not that I think you should make yours that long, but
outlines certainly help you craft a story, and stay on track. When you create an outline be sure to
include information on all your characters, with basic information, and the events that will take
place. Do not make it too complex — unless that’s your thing.
51. Your stories should be about something greater than the experiences of the characters
alone. Your stories should have meaning.
If you think about any well written book, and analyze it, you will quickly realize something —
there are messages, and there’s meaning, because a good novel isn’t just entertainment. It’s
about more than that. It’s saying something of value, and importance. When you read George
Orwell’s 1984 it’s not about some eejit mucking about, and living in crappier version of
England. It’s about censorship, the dishonesty of war, and corrupt government.
52. Read “Pixar’s Rules of Storytelling.”
I don’t agree with all of the rules, because after all they are creating mainstream movies for
Disney, but here are the ones that I think are useful (paraphrased):
- A character should be admired for trying their best more than succeeding. To quote sports-
writer Grantland Rice: "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."
- Often what you find fun as a writer is not fun to a reader. So, don't be too self-indulgent. Think
through the perspective of the reader. What is fun or exciting to them?
- Don't make life easy for your characters, especially your main character. Think. What are your
main character's strengths, and what is he comfortable with? Challenge him with the complete
opposite. If he is good at fighting dragons, then make him tame the dragons. If he is good at
business, then make him run a charity. If he is a champion at competitive eating, then make him
go on a strict diet. And so on, and so forth.
- Don't just think about what would happen next in your story. Think about what wouldn't
happen, too. It will spark your imagination.
- When imagining to create your story give yourself numerous options. Think about multiple
things that could happen, and avoid choosing the most obvious one(s). When your character is
facing something have at least half a dozen possibilities, and select what is the freshest, and
most original.
- Your characters should have opinions, and ideas about the world. They should have their own
minds. Making them passive, and agreeable might seem nice to you as a writer, but to an
audience it is boring as hell.
- Though you may create extraordinary situations when you write, humans remain human, and
to have readers suspend their disbelief, you have to make characters genuine, and have them
honestly react. Imagine, if you were in your character's shoes what would be your natural
reaction in a situation? What would you think to do?
- Using coincidences to get characters into trouble is acceptable -- but coincidences to get them
out of trouble is (usually) bad.
53. Stay healthy.
Booze, and drugs, and eating like crap don’t improve your writing. Don’t get this fantasy in
your head about writers that they need chaos to creatively thrive. Writing is a thinking man’s
game. Your head needs to be clear, and your body ought to be healthy. So, take care of yourself.
Hunter S. Thompson is an interesting person but not someone to emulate!
CHAPTER 40:
GENERAL TIPS & ADVICE FOR CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE
Anyone Can Be Creative!
Creativity is a skill like any other skill that can be learned -- but it is a skill.
General Tips & Advice for Creative Intelligence
1. Slow Down - Most people these days are in a rush to do anything, and everything, but to be creative
you have to do the opposite. You need to take time out of your day, and breathe, and slow down, and
have quietness to think.
2. You Can't Force Creativity - Forcing creativity is like forcing yourself to relax when you are stressed
out. It is very hard to do. If you want to be creative, stay calm, and let the ideas come to you.
3. Creativity Can Happen by Accident - To reiterate don't force creativity. A lot of creativity, or results
that appear creative, happen by accident. For example, the Statue of Liberty's iconic color was
unintentional. Originally, it was a color of copper, but then it formed a patina, and now when people
think of the Statue of Liberty they imagine it green, and that is the way they like it.
4. You're More Creative When Your Eyes are Closed - It's simple. Close your eyes, and shutout the
world. It will help you to better imagine.
5. Be Open-minded - A lot of people think themselves open-minded, but the truth is most of them
aren't. Being open-minded is difficult. It requires you to be uncomfortable at times, and it requires you
to not reject what most people would reject. But if you consciously tell yourself to be open-minded,
and you make a real effort to be open-minded, it will become second nature to you, and that is very
good for creativity.
6. Brainstorm - No man is an island. If you're stuck for ideas go to other people for help. Have a
discussion with them, and brainstorm, throwing out ideas, opinions, and thoughts. Anything you all can
think of. Remember, do not pass judgement. Open up your mind, and have everyone pour out what they
have on their minds. No suggestion should be considered stupid, or foolish. Make it a real brainstorm.
Let your meeting of minds excite you, and inspire you, and get you going.
7. Have Intellectual Empathy - Look to others that you admire, and put yourself in their shoes. Even if
it will be inaccurate think about how they think. Role-play, and pretend that you're them. As a different
person, what would you do? What decisions would you make? How would you behave? How would
you feel? How would you see the world?
8. Expand Your Knowledge - Knowledge creates creativity. The more you learn, the more you think,
and the more you think, the more you come up with fresh, new, original ideas. But don't just increase
your knowledge in one area. Learn about lots of different things.
It's like if you wanna be well read, you don't just read fantasy books. You read about history,
you read non-fiction, science fiction, romance, murder mysteries, horror, etc. For to broaden your mind
you must acquire a variety of knowledge.
9. Borrow Ideas, and Make Them Your Own - Some people think that being creative means you have to
be 100% original. But the truth is you cannot be 100% original, unless you are a genius, or you were
raised in a bubble with zero influences from the outside world.
Sad, some might think, but it's fine, and acceptable that something you create, or think up is not
completely of your own.
In fact, many artists borrow all the time, and are unashamed. They gladly take inspiration from
elsewhere. But keep in mind borrowing is not the same as stealing. Stealing is copying. Borrowing is
taking something, and making it your own, transforming it into something that seems brand new.
Author Blake Crouch provides a good example of this. His "Wayward Pines" book trilogy drew
inspiration from the TV show "Twin Peaks."
And M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" movie got its plot twist from "The Tale of the
Dream Girl" an episode of a spooky, Canadian, TV show called "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"
Even Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights of all time, was influenced by Aesop's
Fables, and the Bible.
Now, can you think of a time when something influenced you, and inspired a creation?
10. Cross-Pollination - Cross-pollination for creativity is taking an idea from one place, and
transferring it, combining it with something else to make something fresh, and new.
For example, when Henry Ford was alive, he visited the "Swift & Company's Meat Packing
House" and there he noticed how the workers were all in a line, each cutting up specific parts of meat
as it was carried down to them.
What they had was an assembly line. Henry Ford took this idea, and brought it to the car
industry to increase efficiency. Thereafter, Mr Ford became an industrial titan, transforming the entire
world with his vehicles.
11. Substitutions - When trying to be creative you can make use of substitutions. It's similar to cross-
pollination, but instead of doing something akin to adding, you take away, and replace.
Example: Imagine that you own a bakery, and you want to create a new item to attract new
customers. How could you do that? You could make something completely brand new, or you
could take something you know, and think how to modify it. Perhaps you could take your
famous cake recipe, and substitute one ingredient for another? So, you come to a decision, and
create a new cake by having applesauce take the place of eggs. Then you have an eggless cake,
and in our story it's a hit!
12. Ask Unusual Questions - When faced with problems involving creativity one of the first things you
should do is ask yourself questions...unusual questions. It doesn't have to make sense either. The
questions can literally be anything, and that's just fine.
Asking yourself questions, especially that which are unusual, opens up your mind, and makes
you think of problems, and challenges in new ways.
So ask yourself, "What if...?" "What if this?" "What if that?" "What would happen?" Ask
yourself questions that make you imagine, and think of the possibilities.
Example: You're a writer, and you're trying to come up with a new story. You're in a grocery
store, and you decide to starting asking yourself some questions...unusual questions.
"What if this store was suddenly attacked by dinosaurs?" you say to yourself. "Or what
about zombies? Or ninjas? How would people react? How would they survive?"
Though these questions are silly they can help you in being more creative. Questions
stimulate the mind.
13. Flip the Script, Think in Opposites - In corrupt Hollywood "flipping the script" means taking a
story idea, and in a manner of speaking, turning it upside down. Example, a director receives a
screenplay for a story about a prince rescuing a princess. But he doesn't like it, because he says the idea
is too cliche.
He then decides to "flip the script," and he changes it, and makes the princess rescue the prince.
Now we have something refreshing, and marketable.
But flipping the script, and thinking in opposites doesn't just apply to stories. You can think in
opposites for just about anything else. Music, paintings, drawings, dancing, photography, you name it.
14. Use Limitations for Creativity - Most people think that creativity thrives when no limitations exist,
but this is not always true. In many situations limitations can help one to be more creative.
Gunpei Yokoi, a video game pioneer, who invented Nintendo's Game Boy, had an influential
philosophy called "Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology."
In other words, Nintendo uses older, cheaper, and more reliable technology rather than what is
expensive, and cutting-edge. But they use it in a creative manner to create new products. This
restriction forces them to stretch their imagination, and gain new perspectives.
Example: Imagine you're a painter, and you want to create a new painting. How do you do it?
How do you be fresh, and original? Use limitations. Perhaps you limit the amount of colors
you can use. So, you use four colors only: pink, white, bright green, and sky blue. Then you do
your painting. Wow! You've created something that looks unique!
15. Take Inspiration from Fantasy & Dreams - One cannot be inspired by reality alone. A good artist
will be inspired by fantasy, and dreams just as well. Even people who aren't artists can take inspiration
from fantasies, and dreams.
Scientists, engineers, and inventors are often inspired by science-fiction. And writers, and
creators of stories will happily use their dreams as a basis for creating imaginary worlds, and tales to
match.
Example: Author Stephenie Meyer got the idea for her novel "Twilight" from a dream.
16. Throw Everything at the Wall, and See What Sticks - If you have a problem, think of everything
you can for it, and then dump out the contents of your brain. Take it all, and throw it at a wall, and see
what sticks. Not literally, of course, but when you want to be creative you cannot hold back, and you
must release your thoughts.
This is much like brainstorming, but you are alone, so you can completely avoid judgement, and
that can be freeing. Get out a notepad, and write down all your ideas. Look at them. See what you like,
and what you don't like. See if you can combine them. Then use your ideas, and find out what works.
If writing is not required or desired for what you are doing, then attack your problem as you
please, but do so in many different ways. Try as many methods as you can to achieve your goal(s). Be
experimental. Not including what threatens your life don't think that anything is too stupid. Don't let
your self-consciousness hold you back.
Example: When a photographer takes photos she does not take a few photos of the same
subject. She will take many photos, trying many angles, lighting conditions, and filters. After
all is said, and done, only the best of her photography is presented to the world. And then she
finds out what people like, or dislike.
17. Break the Rules - Society makes plenty of rules, but rules, whether real or implied, can hold back
creativity. To be more creative take the rules, and consciously break them, and push boundaries. You
cannot treat everything as sacred. Worship, and absolute obedience is mental stagnation.
Of course, we do not encourage the breaking of rules that create danger, or acts of immorality,
rather we want you to break rules that stop you from fully expressing yourself, and expanding your
mind. In other words, you don't have to color inside the lines.
CHAPTER 41:
MINDSETS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE -
THE BIG 5 PERSONALITY TRAITS
Emotional Intelligence Is Real Intelligence
When people think about those who are intelligent, they typically imagine them being skilled in math,
science, languages, history, and so on. But a lot of what makes people intelligent is their emotional
foundation, or their emotional intelligence.
This is because strong emotional intelligence enables one to pursue learning, and higher
thinking. Yes, there have been geniuses in history who have done well with volatile, and overly
emotional personalities, but they are in the minority. Most people require emotional stability to succeed
in life.
But how do you achieve this? How do you have higher emotional intelligence? The key is being
self-aware. Self-awareness is what helps one to develop their mind, and be emotionally mature.
So, to do so, you must first learn about what makes a human human. What are their
characteristics? What is their makeup? What drives them? What makes them tick? According to
numerous psychologists there are five big personality traits that humans have.
They are: Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. (The
acronym for which is OCEAN.)
Openness
People that have a high degree of openness in their personality are:

- Creative
- Open to trying new things, and having new experiences
- Willing to experiment
People that have a low degree of openness are:

- More attracted to what is already established
- More reserved, and cautious, preferring stability over risk-taking
- Resistant to new ideas
Conscientiousness
People that have a high degree of conscientiousness are:

- Well organized
- Goal oriented
- Detail oriented
People that have a low degree of conscientiousness are:

- Unattracted to structure, and rigidness
- Prone to procrastiation
- Prone to not following the rules
- Often messy, and disorganized
Extraversion
People that have a high degree of extraversion are:

- Social, and enjoy the company of others
- Energized, and excited by being with people
- Able to make friends, and maintain relationships
People that have a low degree of extaversion are:

- Introverted, and enjoy solitude
- Not comfortable with attention, and large groups of people
- Not likely to enjoy small talk
- More careful when they speak or write
Agreeableness
People that have a high degree of agreeableness are:

- Caring, and care what others think
- Friendly
- Likely to socially conform
People that have a low degree of agreeableness are:

- Self-focused
- Not so interested in what others are doing
- Blunt, and straightforward
- Not likely to socially conform
Neuroticism
People that have a high degree of neuroticism are:

- Prone to getting stressed out
- Prone to becoming upset when things don't go as expected
- Often anxious, and worried about the world
- Sometimes capricious
People that have a low degree of neuroticism are:

- Emotionally stable
- Resilient
- Usually relaxed
- Not prone to depression
***
As you can see, there are traits which are positive, and negative. The question is, "How do you reduce
the negative traits?"
After this introductory section, we will be exploring strategies to help you with this, so you can
improve your personality. Please, continue on.
CHAPTER 42:
MINDSETS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE -
AMELIORATING "THE BIG 5"
If you've read the previous chapter you should know that the big 5 personality traits of a person are
OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
To improve your personality, to improve your psychological, and emotional intelligence, (if
you're like most people) you will need to be more open, more conscientious, more extraverted, more
agreeable, and a lot less neurotic.
In this section of our book we will bestow you strategies to achieve this. We begin with
openness...
Openness
As we grow older we become more close-minded, and less open. But being open, generally speaking, is
a good quality to have.
So, the question is: "How do you become more open?" First, we have to look at the reasons why
we become less open.
One, we become hardened by failure. Two, we often don't appreciate ourselves, and instead wait
for others to show us their appreciation.
To remedy this we have two pieces of advice:
a) Know What Failure Really Is - Failure is a part of the process. It is an indelible part of life. You must
go through failure to succeed. There is a saying that goes: "To become a master you must first play the
fool."
Of course failure is not to be admired, but what is to be admired is the effort, and the trying to
achieve a goal. If you, in the pursuit of something, truly try your best, and along the way you fail, you
have every right to hold your head up high.
All too often people focus on the reward (e.g. money) for doing something instead of looking at
their efforts, and the lessons they learned from their journey. Focusing on the reward is not wrong, but
in most cases it is not conducive to satisfactory success.
A reward, like money, cannot replace passion, and the motivation that comes from caring. When
you die people aren't going to remember all the money you made for yourself. They will remember
how much you tried, and persisted, and how kind of a person you were while you were trying. They'll
look at how you "played the game."
So, on these words, one learns that what a person fixates on is not what others fixate on, and
that fixating on the wrong things, like failure, is a bad idea. Constantly thinking of failure, and thinking
there is no recovery or improvement after failure is foolish, especially since it closes the many doors
that are open to you when you have an open mind, and a mindset to take the "bumps on the road" in
stride.
Be okay with failure. So long as you're not actually hurting anyone failure is the spice of life. It
isn't this humongous, red-eyed monster that you think it is. Do not fear it. Accept the idea of failure,
and realize it has benefits. It makes you grow, and it helps you learn.
When you accept that failure is an acceptable part of life you will become more open. Whether
you fail with the opposite sex, or money, or education, or sports, or whatever it is you're trying to do,
you can recover with enough tenacity. Don't let fear scare you, because failure is temporary. Don't let it
paralyze you. Embrace being less afraid. Embrace being more curious, and daring, taking calculated
risks to increase the richness of your life. Be open.
b) Stop and Smell Your Roses - Openness comes from positivity. To be positive you need to "stop and
smell your roses." That is to say you must appreciate what you have done in your life, and what you've
achieved. Even the worst person has something that they can be pleased with, or proud of.
So, think about the good things you've done. It doesn't matter if it seems small, you can be
pleased with, or proud of anything you want, and that's perfectly fine. Did you get to work on time?
Did you take out the garbage? Did you give your mother a hug? Did you paint a painting? Did you
learn a new word today?
That's all good. All of these are roses that you should smell (i.e. appreciate).
Conscientiousness
You probably already know this, but a lot of people don't have a great amount of conscientiousness...
This might even include you. But don't worry you can increase your conscientiousness.
Here's how:
a) Have Self-awareness - Do you know about introverts? And extroverts? Estimations say that 70% of
people are extroverted, while only 30% are introverted. This means that the majority of people on Earth
are extroverted, and are not inclined towards introspection.
But looking inward, and reflecting on your character is important. Self-awareness improves
you. It makes you a better person. You cannot improve yourself if you are always looking through a
window. You must look into the mirror, too. Do self-examination.
Ask yourself questions like: "Who am I?" "Why am I the way I am?" "Why do I do what I do?"
"Why am I doing what I am doing?" "What are the real reasons behind my actions?" "Why do I think
the way I think?" "Am I a good person?" "Could I be better?" "How could I be better?" "What do I
mean to others?" "If I met someone just like myself, would I be friends with him (or her)?" "What do I
want out of life?" "What motivates me?" "Do I have a good personality?" "Do I have a bad
personality?" "What are my flaws?" "What are my strengths?" "Have I made a positive impact on the
world?"
Take some time out of your day, and think about the answers to these questions. And come up
with your own questions, too. Look back on your life. How has it all been? What has shaped you?
What has made you you?
b) Step Outside Yourself - In life we often get stuck in one perspective. We constantly see things
through our own eyes, and literally, and mentally we stay in a first person view. But if you want to be
conscientious you have to "step outside yourself."
Imagine that you are an outsider, looking at yourself. What would you think? Or alternatively,
imagine there are two people: Yourself, and someone, who is exactly like you that needs your help.
What is your opinion of this person, who is exactly like you? What do you think this person
needs to do right now? What advice would you give to this person? What would you say to this person?
If you were a manager, managing this person, how would you manage him, or her in their daily life?
The answers you come up with is advice you should take yourself.
c) Be Observant In Your Everyday Life - Many people only become observant when they are urged to
do so, or in times that they believe are special. They go through life with blurry vision, mentally
speaking, and only put on their "glasses" for certain situations.
But there is a benefit to being observant every day. It can make you socially adept. It can help
you avoid bad things, or bring you success in the many different areas of your life.
So, for the everyday, tell yourself to be observant, and notice details in what others ignore, or
think of as merely ordinary.
When you look at things, ask yourself why it's like that, or what the purpose of its parts, and
pieces are. Observe. Discover new information. Learn, and grow through observations of life, the world
around you, and, yes, yourself.
Extraversion
If you're extroverted like most people you probably won't need to read this. But since you're reading
this book, you might be an introvert. Being an introvert is great, but because of the word we live in one
must also be extroverted, and we must socialize, and interact with others -- even if we don't want to.
First, and foremost to become more extroverted you have to be able to properly socialize.
Naturally, if you can properly socialize, you will enjoy your time more with others, and that will
expand your extraversion.
To properly socialize you must:
a) Actively Listen, and Contribute - Let the other person have their say. Don't interrupt. Talking over
someone is rude, and annoying. Don't think that you have to constantly talk to have a good
conversation. Listening goes a long way.
But don't just listen, actively listen. Meaning, you really pay attention, and absorb what
someone is saying. Then ask questions, and give appropriate feedback. Too often people have
monologues that they pretend is dialogue -- which is not how communication should be!
b) Have Your Own Opinions - Yes, listening is great, but every now, and again, you have to add to the
conversation. Yes, you matter, too! So, have your own opinions, and ideas to share.
c) Avoid Certain Topics in a Conversation - Unless the other person brings it up, avoid talking about
sexuality, religion, money, politics, death, and other controversial, or sensitive topics.
d) Don't be Judgmental - Don't give people advice, unless they ask for it, and don't point out people's
flaws, and mistakes. If they say or do something incorrect, unless it's a matter of life and death, let it
go. You are not obligated to change them, or their views. There's no serious harm in someone being just
a little wrong.
e) Learn the Phrase "I Don't Know" and Use It - You don't have to know everything, and you don't have
to have an answer to everything. If you don't know something just say so. Saying "I don't know" is
better than trying to give someone a bullshit answer.
Example:
Ronald: "Hey, Donnie. What's the speed of light?"
Donald: "Sorry. I don't have an answer for that right now, but I'll find out, and let you know
as soon as possible."
Ronald: "Thank yeh very much."
f) Use Polite Language - Please, thank you, and you're welcome go a long way when talking to others.
g) Try to Not Swear - These days most people are okay with swearing, but many are not. Better to
avoid it, especially when talking to someone you are not close to.
h) Don't Be a Blow Hard - Be humble. Bragging about yourself is unwelcome.
i) Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep - This is very annoying. If you can't do something, then just
say so. False promises are worse than saying you can't. But if you made a promise that you genuinely
thought you could keep, but for whatever reason can't, then let the person you made a promise to know
what is going on asap, and apologize, and make amends.
j) Lower or Discard Your Expectations When Socializing - Socializing is not debating, and it isn't
always for intellectual discussion. So, if you are talking to others, and thinking of standing up on your
soapbox, you probably should get off it, because you will annoy many men, and women.
Instead socialize to have fun, and make connections with people. Get rid of your high
expectations of people while socializing, or alternatively completely eliminate your expectations. It will
make things much more pleasant.
k) Realize and Accept that People Have Different Personalities - And you can't change them. People are
just inclined towards thinking certain ways, and you'd be a fool to try undoing it. Sure, personality can
be nurtured, but a lot of personality is from nature.
Men, for example, on average are less agreeable, and less sympathetic than women. Women are
better than men in caring for others -- and it is because of nature. Sure, certain personality traits can be
modified, or altered, but rarely can they be completely eliminated.
l) Be Patient - Listen, wait for your turn to speak, and avoid interrupting people. Don't rush
conversations. Relax.
m) Don't Jump to Conclusions - Wait to hear everything a person has to say, then form your opinions.
n) Have Empathy - Try imagining what it's like to be the person you're talking to. Doing so will give
you a better understanding of this person, and therefore a better conversation.
o) Practice Reciprocity - When dealing with, and interacting with people don't be completely selfish. If
someone does something for you at the least you ought to return the act, favor, or gesture. Although
you don't have to wait for someone to do something first. You can initiate the reciprocity.
p) Be Aware of Your Body Language - Don't be stiff. Look relaxed, but also look like you're paying
attention. Make appropriate eye-contact, nod, and smile at the right moments.
q) Be Aware of Personal Space - Don't violate someone's personal space. Don't stand too close to
someone, and of course don't stand too far away either. Keep in mind that the distance that is
appropriate is mainly based on culture. For example, in some cultures it's okay to be very close, and
others it is considered rude.
r) Be Careful About Touching - In some cultures touching when socializing is extremely inappropriate
(e.g. Japan), but others they will kiss you on the cheek (e.g. France). If you are a traveler learn about
what touching is, and isn't appropriate for where you are.
s) Don't Be Self-Conscious - All those flaws, and problems you think you have are not noticeable.
People are not as attentive as you think. They are rather self-absorbed.
t) Enjoy Yourself - Socializing should be fun! Enjoy yourself! Be friendly. Smile. Don't treat a
conversation like a business meeting.
Agreeableness
Some people need to be more agreeable, while others should be less agreeable. But if you are a person
that needs to be more agreeable, and not so much of a curmudgeon, this section of our book will help
you out.
We believe that a lack of agreeableness comes from having a negative attitude. Therefore, to be
more agreeable you must be less negative. Being less negative will be conducive to agreeableness, and
for many a better personality, and better social interactions.
Advice/Tips for Being Less Negative:
a) Let Go of Your Expectations - Unfortunately, it's a fact of life that many, many people are ignorant,
and egoistic, and inconsiderate. So, why have all these expectations of them? When you have
expectations of people, and they fail to do what you expected, you are setting yourself up for anger, and
disagreeability.
Instead of having expectations have hope. Hope that people (including yourself) do what is
right. Because hoping is positive, and different than expecting. When you hope you have a different
heart.
b) Let Go of Bitterness, and Hostility - Sometimes people wrong us, and understandably we get upset.
But then we hold onto these negative memories, and later on we remember them, and that causes anger,
and bitterness. But when you do this you are only punishing yourself. Let go of the bitterness, hostility,
and negative emotions that come from negative memories. Let go of the past.
That person you are angry at has probably changed, and they are not that P.O.S. they once were.
But even if they are you have to realize that not everyone can be as good as you. Maybe that person
you are judging for a wrongdoing has had a bad life. Maybe they didn't grow up with love, and warmth
as a child, or they were poor, and uneducated, or perhaps bullied, and abused...or worse everything
combined.
So now, having this understanding, one should try to let go of their anger, bitterness, and
hostility.
c) Don't Argue, Let People Be Wrong - Arguments happen when at least two people think the other
person is wrong about something. But don't get entangled in this. Avoid arguments. Don't argue. If you
think someone is wrong let them be wrong. If they're an idiot, and they want to be ignorant, who cares?
That's their problem.
Unless somebody's life is at risk just forget about it. Arguments do not lead to anything good.
Even if you think you've won an argument, you haven't won anything. What did you win? Nothing.
You only made somebody angry.
Neuroticism
If you are highly neurotic, and you want to improve your personality, then obviously you have to be
less neurotic. Being less neurotic will improve your mood, and emotional stability. To do so, you have
to learn how to think positively.
Yes, we are told to be positive ad nauseam, but having a positive attitude reduces neuroticism,
which is extremely beneficial to the human psyche.
Advice/Tips for Being More Positive (to Reduce Your Neuroticism):
a) Believe - Sometimes some of us feel so downtrodden, and distressed that we forget that our hurts,
and pains should not be an everyday part of life. We get into this super cynical mode of thinking that
refuses to believe things can be different.
But to be less neurotic, to be emotionally stable, and of better mental health, you have to believe
that change is possible. Believe you can be more positive, and that it isn't just hooey. It's not hooey.
b) Vent - Let your feelings out. When you feel angry, or sad, or unhappy, express yourself. There will
be times when you need to vent directly to a person, but for the most part you'll have to vent
anonymously (because of social consequences).
So, have a journal, or diary, or some artform that you can use to say what is really on your mind.
And don't suppress yourself. Don't hold back. Really vent.
c) Analyze - Take the time to think about who you are, and what makes you tick. Interview yourself.
Imagine you're an interviewer, trying to find out about someone -- but this someone is you. Playing
both roles, what questions would you ask as an interviewer? As the interviewee, what would your
answers be?
Explore. Discover, and uncover your feelings, and inner-thoughts. Get a grasp of who you are as
a humanbeing. What has shaped you in your life? What is it that makes you tick? What makes you you?
Find out about both your negative, and positive qualities.
Feel proud (but not too proud) about your positive qualities, and then think about what you can
do about the negative ones. But remember to see yourself as objectively as possible. This is happening
in your mind. You do not have to fear anyone judging you. Take down that protective facade, and
remove all pretenses to know who you really are.
d) Talk to Yourself - Is it just crazy people that talk to themselves? No. Many people (that are happy,
and successful) talk to themselves. They do it to manage their lives, and to think clearer, and achieve
goals.
The question is: What should you say to yourself when you're being neurotic, when you're
upset, when you're having stress, anxiety, worry, or everything, all in one? Keep on reading. The next
section, will help you with this.
Thoughts and Mindsets for Reducing Your Neuroticism:
a) Have a Mentor - Think about someone who has a personality that you admire, and appreciate. When
you are in a tumultuous state of mind think about what they would do if they were in your situation,
and then try doing that. See with their eyes.
Example: I like Mr Rogers, so sometimes when I'm flustered, I think, "What would Mr Rogers
do?" or "What would Mr Rogers think?"
b) Listen to Classical Music - Classical music can calm the mind, and you can listen to it for free on the
radio.
c) Leave Your Baggage Behind - As you know we as humans have so much baggage, and so many
painful memories accumulated by the time we are fully grown up, but they rarely if ever do us any
good.
So, in life, you must recognize your baggage, and consciously place it down. Don't let baggage
(painful memories from the past) determine how you feel about your life, and what is going to be in
your future.
When you encounter a difficult situation that brings out your neuroticism, ask yourself, "Is this
really what it seems, or is it the 'baggage' that I am carrying around?"
If you know it is your baggage, then you must acknowledge your reaction to whatever's in front
of you is (at least to a degree) irrational, and must be let go.
d) Don't Let the Past Drag You Down - Neurotics tend to focus on negative parts of the past, and their
past mistakes fill them with regret, embarrassment, guilt, and/or shame.
Sometimes they even get emotional about what could have been, and what could have happened
in the past. Maybe you have done this yourself. You're driving on the road, and then a car cuts you off.
You stomp on the brakes, and explode with anger.
This is neurotic behavior. You should be relieved instead; after all, you just avoided getting into
a devastating car accident. Isn't that something positive? But those who are very neurotic will latch
onto things that didn't even happen. They let their past drag them down that much.
But don't let the past drag you down. Know, and accept that the past (that is negative) does not
have to be your future, and you have no obligations to take it with you. Leave it behind. You can make
the future, whether near or far, what you want with the right amount of time, and effort.
e) Imagine and Pretend for Positivity - There is a well known saying that goes "fake it till you make it."
This is actually career advice, but the idea works for the reduction of neuroticism, too. If you are faced
with a difficult situation, a situation that makes you mentally distressed, you can "fake it."
That is to say you can pretend to be positive in a negative situation, using your imagination, and
really lift your mood. Just imagine you are positive. Imagine happiness, positivity, and joy in your
times of distress.
And don't dismiss it. Don't think it's too silly to do, or that it doesn't matter. Try it. Put it
forward. Use the power of your mind to place your mind in a positive mood.
Think of your happy moments, and joyous moments from the past. That feeling you get that --
remember it, and bring it up whenever you are feeling down. Pretend, and imagine you are going
through a positive moment. It may just get rid of your negative state of mind.
f) Force Positivity Through, Use Positive Images - When you catch yourself thinking something
negative that is causing you mental discomfort force positivity onto yourself.
Be firm with yourself. Tell yourself: "No, don't think negative things. Think positive. You have
to think positive. Be positive. Think positive. Positivity is what you need."
If there are negative pictures, and images in your mind, replace them with positive pictures, and
positive images to alleviate the negativity.
This is a little silly, but let's imagine you saw a scary movie earlier, and there's this brutal scene
that's stuck in your head, which is of someone being attacked with a sharp object. Okay, you hate that,
so what should you do?
Replace these negative images with positive images. Take that movie scene, and take away the
person being hurt, and put a block of ice there instead. Now the bad guy is attacking a block of ice, and
making bits of ice.
Of course this is a bit odd, if humorous, but the idea is you want to alter, or push out negative
images, and replace them with what is positive. Try it out, see what you can come up with.
g) Don't Be a Beast of Burden - You know what will make you neurotic? Taking on other people's
problems, and worrying about things that are not really your own.
Sometimes you have to be apathetic, and instead of stressing yourself out, say to yourself,
"That's their problem. Not mine." And, "I am not responsible for other people's problems."
Then let it be. Or if you don't want to be so detached, you can tell yourself that if something bad
happens, it's not your fault. "It's not my fault."
That is to say: Don't unfairly think yourself blameworthy for the calamity arising from problems
that are not really yours.
For example: Let's say you have a child. You take your child to school every day. You pay for a
tutor to help him with homework. You help him with his school projects. But then you get his report
card, and find he's failing several classes. Is that your fault? That's not your fault. Don't take the blame.
h) Ignorance is Bliss - This is hard for neurotics to accept, but (sometimes) ignoring things is a good
strategy for being able to emotionally cope with all this bullshit in the world. Sometimes the best
advice is: "Just don't think about it!"
Of course, there are times when you have to "face the music" because a problem is serious, and
requires attention, but in the majority of cases, yes, you can just ignore it.
For example, there are people who deliberately don't watch the news, because it's stressful, and
negative. Sure, they are technically being willfully ignorant, but this ignorance brings them bliss, or at
least makes them less stressed out, and that's a good thing.
i) Invalidate Your Worries/Stress - So, you're worried or stressed out about something that may happen
in the future. It's rattling around in your head, and giving you an emotional headache.
So, you need to ask yourself, "Will worrying about this improve my situation?" or "Will
thinking about this actually help me?"
What is your answer? Thinking rationally your answer is probably "no."
From there you can continue to reduce your stress, and worries. Tell yourself that, "There's no
use in worrying, and getting stressed out. It won't help me. Forget about it. It's not going to change my
situation."
Furthermore, "What is the use of worrying? What does worrying do? It doesn't do anything. It's
pointless. Stop worrying. Deal with it when the time comes."
j) Alleviate Guilt Through Action - People screw up, and many of us (especially neurotics) get these
deep, guilty feelings that nag, and nag us.
The best thing to do in these situations is to take action. If you feel you've done something bad,
then think of the universe like a scale. You have to balance it out, and put more weight to one side (i.e.
the good side).
So, rectify the situation. Apologize to that person you hurt, even if lots of time has gone by, and
make amends. If you cannot get into contact with this person, then just do something good for someone
else, and improve your karma.
There is a saying that goes, "The best way to fight evil in the world is by doing good." So, if
you've done some bad in your life, then fight it by doing some good.
k) Be Less Controlling - Humans like having control, because in our minds control means security, and
to a degree power. But should we try to control everything that we desire to control? No. We have to let
go of some control -- or a lot of control.
Remember: You are only human, and can only do so much. Some things you control, because
you must, and others you can't, or shouldn't, and you should release them from your grip. Let it go.
Those who try to control everything (usually) end up controlling nothing.
The Serenity Prayer:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."
l) Be Present, Embrace Mindfulness - If you're someone that gets stressed out a lot it might be because
you don't live in the present; instead you live in the future. More specifically, you take the problems of
the future (whether imagined or real), and think about them today as if they're imminent.
For example, if you have a test for something next week, your stress levels would be like you're
taking the test right now, and your mind is away from the present, living in the future, with future
problems.
But don't treat the future, and its possible problems like it's now. Sure, thinking about your
future is a good idea once in a while, but it's not for the everyday. You should not constantly look into,
and live the future as much as you should not ceaselessly dwell on the past.
Place yourself into the present. Don't let the scariness of the future weigh down on your
shoulders. Don't carry that around. Let life's problems come to you, and deal with them then, and there.
And if there's a chance it could go wrong, then be okay with that.
This is life. Bad things happen. Things that we hate land directly in our laps. But in most cases
you can recover, and be totally okay. So, if you're worried about something that might happen, just
relax, and accept it. Accept it, and know that you can overcome what problems come your way.
"If it happens it happens." What will the worrying, and dread, and emotional discomfort do for
you? Nothing.
On the flip side, there's thinking, and dwelling on the past. It's very common for people
(especially neurotic people) to do this. They will look back on their past mistakes, and bad things that
happened, and get emotional about it like it's really happening.
This is unproductive behavior. Sure, sometimes you gotta go through emotional pain to develop
as a human being, but constantly regretting things, and getting upset about the past is ruinous. It causes
paralysis, and emotional turbulence.
Constantly thinking about the past is no better than constantly thinking about the future. One
needs to allow themselves to be present-minded, and to think about what's right in front of them, not
what's far behind, and not what's so far away that you have to squint to see it.
Be present.
Note: Of course, this isn't perfect advice for people who seem to only live in the moment, but neurotics
have a tendency to not live in the moment. They often dwell on the past, and think about their future,
seldom being fully in the present. But it is important for an individual to enjoy, and live in the present.
m) Rethink Life's Problems, and Troubles - Instead of thinking about problems as problems, think
about them as challenges. Challenges that must be vanquished. Perhaps imagine them as monsters that
must be slayed. You are the hero, and you must go on an adventure to slay all of these monsters.
Or see the positive in the negative. See the silver lining in the clouds. For example, let's say that
it's raining outside, and that is bumming you out.
Instead try thinking about it in a different way. See the positive aspect. Think to yourself that,
"The rain is good. The trees, and plants outside will grow, and that's good for the environment."
In other words "count your blessings."
n) Think, What's the Worst that Could Happen? - You're facing a situation right now, or there will be
something you have to face in the future. And it's filling you with dread, or discomfort -- but do you
really need to be filled with this dread, or discomfort?
Ask yourself, "Is there a chance I will die? Is there a chance I will be seriously injured? Is there
a chance I'll go bankrupt, and lose everything?"
If the answer are no, then what are you worrying about? You know that you can survive
anything that's not that. Remind yourself of your strength.
Tell yourself, "I can do this. I'm strong. I'm a survivor."
o) You Are Under No Obligation to Think of Negative Things - If something brings you discomfort,
distress, or displeasure, you don't have to think about it. Forget about it. You owe it no place in your
mind.
Tell yourself, "Don't think about it. Don't think negative. Think positive. Think positive. Think
positive."
p) Don't Be Paranoid - Neurotics have a tendency to get angry at people, because they think that they're
malicious, or out to get them. For example, they'll get furious about someone who cuts them off while
driving, but in most cases it isn't intentional -- it's just ignorance.
And that's how people are. They are far more ignorant, and stupid than they are evil, or
malicious. So, instead of thinking people are out to get you, realize they are simply benighted.
q) Don't Regret Little Things - If there's anything that defines a neurotic it's worrying about, and
regretting little things -- small mistakes that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
For example, let's say you're in an elevator with a co-worker, and you accidentally let out a big,
smelly fart. Is this embarrassing? Only if you allow it to be. The reality is the release of your gas is
inconsequential, and it's something that your co-worker will eventually forget.
Sure, to you it's embarrassing, but to your co-worker it is not an event that is worth
remembering. People are just too wrapped up in themselves.
r) Mistakes Happen All The Time, Shit Happens, That's Life - It must be reiterated. Don't obsess, and
fixate on all of your mistakes, and all the shit that happens in your life. Life is challenging, and
difficult, and it's not your fault. It's not your fault that mistakes happen. They're mistakes, meaning they
aren't done deliberately.
As long as you are committed to being a good person you are doing the right thing. If you've
made a mistake that can't reasonably be corrected, or some shit has happened, you have to accept it,
and not let it bother you.
Tell yourself, "It's done. It's gone. I can't change the past. Worrying, and stressing out about it
won't make anything better. I have to continue on with my life, and move past it."
s) Your Social Anxiety is Irrational - Not to belittle your problems, but the truth of the matter is your
social anxiety is irrational. But this is a good thing, because it means your worries are unnecessary.
You're worrying over nothing.
Listen, unless you're a famous celebrity, no one is paying attention to you, and judging you
when you're out, and about. Everyone is minding their own business. They are paying attention to you
as much as you're paying attention to them.
Anyway, even if someone is paying attention to you, and judging you for something -- so what?
That person is a stranger, and you're probably never going to see him, or her again. Except if you did
something heinous, or extremely offensive, they will certainly forget about you. After enough time your
slate will be clean again.
t) You Can Do It - You don't need permission from others to have faith in yourself. Don't let others tell
you that you can't. Be positive, and confident. When in doubt tell yourself: "I can do it." (Or "I can do
this.")
Also: Keep in mind that whatever problem you have in life (with few exceptions) someone
somewhere has the solution. All you have to do is find it, and use it.
u) Be Flexible, Don't Always Chase After Perfection - As a human you have expectations, wishes,
desires, and goals. But unfortunately you can't always get what you want. You can't have everything
perfect. Things often don't go exactly how you want, and change is inevitable; so, you must be flexible,
and compromise when necessary. Do not be overly stubborn. Adapt to your situation.
v) Nullify Your Negative Feelings by Questioning Them - When you start having negative feelings, and
negative thoughts, step back, and ask yourself, "Why am I thinking what I am thinking? Am I being
reasonable? Why? Why not?"
Find the truth of the matter. You may find that the truth is a boon rather than a burden. Knowing
you were not being objective, and you were over-reacting will likely change your mood.
w) Look Forward to Things - People who are positive, and content in life look forward to things. And
the things they look forward to aren't always big. They can be small things. Like eating pizza for lunch,
or watching a sports event, or relaxing on the weekend. So, think about things that you can look
forward to, and feel happy about it.
x) Do Your Best - Though we all have similarities to one another we are also all different. Hence, in the
pursuit of betterment you should not constantly compare yourself to others.
Instead you ought to have your own standards, and compete with yourself. You must do your
best. Your best is not someone else's best. It's your best. Do what you can do, and make do with what
you have.
Example: A man 5 feet tall cannot jump as high as someone who is 6 feet tall, but the man of 5
feet can with enough exercise jump higher than he did a month ago.
y) Change Your Language - One difference between "positive people" and "negative people" is the
language they use. A positive person will use words that are more positive, and a negative person will,
well, use words that are more negative.
Words whether we are aware of it or not have an impact on our minds. What words you use can
influence your mood, and attitude. If you are neurotic, and find yourself being negative, change your
language, and replace negative words with words that are more positive.
Examples:
- Instead of saying you "angry" say you are "annoyed."
- Instead of saying you are "sad" say you are "feeling blue."
- Instead of saying you are "afraid" say you are feeling "apprehensive."
- Instead of saying you are "worried" about something say you are "concerned about
something."
- Instead of saying you have "anxiety" say you get "butterflies in your stomach."
- And so on...
z-1) Stop Giving a Damn - Not that apathy is recommended for every situation, but sometimes you just
have to say, "I don't give a damn!"
Example: You want to ask a girl to dance, but you're shy, and thinking, "What if she says no?"
Well, just stop giving a damn about that. Tell yourself, "I don't give a damn!" Then go up to her,
and ask her to dance. Whatever the answer is it will be better than having done nothing.
z-2) Realize What's Important (and What's Not Important) - Neurotic people have a tendency to fixate
on certain things that don't deserve their attention, and this can cause frustration. But one must realize
what's important, and what's not important, and what you have to let go of. If you're stressing out over
something, look at it, and think to yourself, "Is this truly important?"
If the answer is no, then just forget about it. Imagine you hear a song on the radio, and you don't
know the name of the song, and then you go on the internet, and still can't find out what the name is.
You really want to know the name!
No. Forget about it. It's stressing you out. Don't let it stay in your head. Get it out, and move
along. The effort to solve your "problem" is not worth it.
In summary, don't stress yourself out over things that aren't really important. But know what is
important, and what isn't important. A lot of things you treat as important aren't truly important. And
what isn't truly important isn't worth your time, and thus must be discarded from your mind, and your
life.
***
Bonus) We Are Living in a Simulation - It sounds kinda crazy, but some scientists believe we are living
in a simulation, meaning we are existing in something that is like a video game. We might be someone,
or something's entertainment.
Is that a scary thought? For some, yes, for others, no. Because believing we are in a simulation
can be mentally freeing. It explains the chaos of life, and that can take away the confusion of life.
Suddenly, you realize what you're struggling, and fighting for doesn't matter as much as you
think, and that you don't need to struggle, and fight so much anymore. You are then brought some
peace of mind.
You let whatever happens happen, because what is the point of trying to battle what is far
greater than you? You see your place in life, and that you are under no obligation to be Sisyphus
pushing against the boulder. Leave the boulder alone.
Why get worked up over a simulation?
CHAPTER 43:
MORE MINDSETS FOR LOGICAL INTELLIGENCE:
ENHANCING THE LEARNING PROCESS - ATTITUDE
(PART 1 OF 3)
In this section we will be discussing the learning process, and how one can enhance it. There will be
three parts consisting of advice about one's "attitude," "management," and "approach." We begin with
attitude.
Attitude
To be able to properly learn you must first have the right attitude. Attitude is key in learning. If you do
not have the right attitude it will show in your results.
a) Believe - If you don't believe in yourself, how can you succeed in learning? You must believe in
yourself, and have confidence, because belief is what makes you take action, and persist, until you
reach your goal.
Sure, you might be reading this, and thinking that you're not like those other people, and you
can never be as smart as them -- but that's not true. You are focusing too much on the differences.
Focus on the main similarity, which is your brain.
Is your brain different than that of smart people? Knowledge-wise, yes, because of differences
in education, but physically it is virtually the same.
Meaning, whatever they can do you can do, too. If you want to become a doctor you can. If you
want to become a lawyer you can. If you want to be a scientist, teacher, engineer, or inventor, you can.
You just have to believe in yourself, persist, and do the hard work that is required.
Take for example, William Kamkwamba (born on August the 5th 1987), a man from Malawi,
who when he was a teenager was so poor that he could not afford to go to school. His parents were
farmers, and a drought had caused a famine.
So, to acquire an education, William Kamkwamba visited the local library, and read books
about electronics, and engineering. Taking this knowledge, as a 14 year old, he built a working wind
turbine, using parts and pieces from a junkyard, and generated electricity to power his home. He
thought, "If others can do it, so can I."
But before completing the construction of his wind turbine, Kamkwamba was ridiculed, and
discouraged. People laughed at him, and thought he was crazy.
However, in the end, through hard work, self-belief, and persistence, he succeeded. He then
gained international attention, and went on to travel around the world, speaking to people who wanted
to hear his remarkable story. Not only that he acquired an education from Dartmouth College, and
became a renowned author, and African educator.
b) Master the Basics - When attempting to learn anything you must first master the basics. The basics is
your foundation, and you need a strong foundation to build a(n intellectual) structure. Do not cut
corners, and do not skip steps in trying to learn the basics.
Do it thoroughly. Once you've mastered the basics everything else will be easier. And this rule
applies to anything that you're trying to learn. This isn't just for academics. For example, you can apply
this mentality to sports.
If you want to run you must first master walking. If you want to swim you must first master
floating. If you want to box you must first master the jab. If you want to skate backward, you must first
be able to skate forward, and so on.
c) Be Patient - Anything worth pursuing takes time!
d) Be Persistent - If you are a normal person any time you try doing something there will be
difficulties. But you have to stick to it, and be persistent in order to succeed. Don't give up right away
when you come upon difficulties. Sure, okay, there are times when you have to move on, and leave
something behind, because it is too taxing on you, but the truth is most people give up too quickly.
Don't let those bumps on the road stop you.
Remember, we are living in a modern world. There is a wealth of information available to you
at your fingertips. If there is a problem, someone probably has the solution. You just have to find it,
then use it.
e) Be Humble - Arrogance is not an admirable trait, nor does it make things easier on you. Humility,
and humbleness is important in learning.
f) Be Okay with Failure - Naturally, everyone wants to succeed, but they forget that failure is a part of
success, and is an indelible part of life. Failure though it is frustrating can be beneficial. Through
proper examination failure can impart lessons that will help you become better.
g) Have Intellectual Empathy, Have a Mentor or Role Model - When trying to learn something, look to
the experts, and professionals, and try to emulate them. Think about how they think. Ask yourself what
they would do in your situation, and what steps they would take to solve a problem, or overcome a
challenge.
h) Don't Be Afraid of Copying Others - In the beginning of your pursuits copying others is an excellent
method for learning. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Copy, and try to duplicate what is before
you. Though it won't be precisely the same that's okay. You are trying to acquire a mindset more than
the perfect completion of a specific task.
For example, if you're starting out as a new artist the process of copying someone else's
drawings will teach you how to move your pencil, and also you will notice patterns that you can copy,
and use for yourself. Eventually, with enough practice, you'll be able to do art as well as the artist you
are copying.
This is because of the nature of the human mind. We are "hard wired" to learn through mimicry.
It's natural to learn through copying.
i) Follow Your Nature - When you pursue learning it's best that you use learning methods that are
suited for you. Not someone else -- you!
Though adapting is important, you can still make the conscious choice to learn in a manner that
feels comfortable, and natural.
For example, if you need to read a book, and there are two versions available, print, and audio,
you should choose to use the one that is easier for you to "digest."
Now, it's not to say you should always choose the easier route, but when two things are
identical, in quality, and value, you ought to go with what is appealing to you, not what clashes against
your personality.
j) Be a Lifelong Learner - Every day is an opportunity to learn. Enjoy learning, and learn for life.
There's always something new to learn.
k) Learn from Others - Even though this seems obvious, some people are too independent-minded, and
avoid solutions, and ideas from others. But don't do that! Learn from others. Learning from others is a
shortcut. Why reinvent the wheel?
CHAPTER 44:
ENHANCING THE LEARNING PROCESS - MANAGEMENT
(PART 2 OF 3)
There are many a people who are intelligent but disorganized, and this greatly hampers their ability to
succeed; for to succeed one must be able to correctly manage themselves. Yes, management is not the
most exciting topic, but it is imporant. Continue on reading for tips, and advice on the art of
management.
a) Manage Yourself Objectively, Use a Third-Person Perspective - To properly manage yourself you
need an objective perspective. Fortunately, there are many ways to gain an objective perspective.
One way you can manage yourself objectively is to take yourself out of your first-person view.
Instead take a third-person view. Imagine you were outside of your body, looking at yourself, and you
were a coach.
What would you tell yourself to do? What advice would you give to yourself? Where would you
want yourself to head in life? What problems would you need to fix?
Answer these questions. Look at, and instruct yourself as someone else (i.e. an outsider).
b) Delegate - Delegation is getting someone else to do something for you that you need done. Though
the ordinary person cannot hire an employee to lend a hand, you can use other people as a resource to
help you manage yourself, and your life.
When you have a problem that you need to be solved ask yourself if there's someone you know
who knows more about it than you; if so, politely ask them for help. A friend, family member, or
neighbour you know well is more likely to assist you than you think.
c) Be Goal Oriented - To have success in life you must have a vision, a clear goal in your mind that can
be attained. Therefore, you must inquire, and ask yourself questions: "What exactly is my grand goal?"
"Is my goal realistic?" "How long will my goal take to reach?" "Do I presently have the resources
required to reach my goal?" "If not, how can I acquire these resources?" "Is my pursuit truly worthy of
my time?" "Where do I begin?" "What will I do after I reach my goal?" "Can others help me?"
To find the answers to these questions you have to do research. Find information that is relevant
to your goal. Be informed. Don't just guess, and don't hesitate to go beyond what we've presented here.
You may find that you have more questions that need to be answered.
In summary: Get a good idea of what it is that you want.
d) Do More Research - Unfortunately, research is never ending. No matter what you're doing we're
living in the information age, and you will continually have to absorb information. But that's okay. The
right information is beneficial.
Get a notebook, and write down what's important, and interesting to you, so you can use it in the
future. Have fun with it, and be a collector of facts, and info. That's not to say you should become
obsessive compulsive, and record everything you come across, but make a little book, or document of
useful, or potentially useful information. It may come handy when you don't expect it.
e) Backup Your Files, Documents, and Work (Make Duplicates) - In pursuing your goals, backup your
files, documents, and work; make many duplicates of them. Because technology much like the rest of
the world can be very unreliable, and you don't want to lose any of your work, or important
information.
Have your files, documents, and work on external storage, or online, in multiple places (at least
three is recommended). If you want to be more old fashioned, then ink, and paper works just as well.
f) Consider Modifying Your Goal(s) Based on Research - Using your research, examine your goal, or
goals, and try to look at it from all angles.
Ask yourself, "Should this really be my goal?" You may want to modify your goal based on
your research. Your research may show that your goal is unrealistic, and requires modification, or
tweaking to be feasible. Make it feasible (but at the same time believe in yourself, and don't aim low).
g) Don't Modify Your Goals Based on Advice from Ignoramuses - If you talk to someone, and they
have no experience in what you are trying to do, don't take their advice, and don't modify your goals
based on what they say.
Only take advice from those who really know what they're talking about. It's silly to take advice
from random people, who have no knowledge, experience, or training in what you're interested in.
For example, you wouldn't take medical advice from a chiropractor, would you? Of course not!
That would be silly!
h) Read Other People's Stories, Find Out How Other People Achieved What You Want to Achieve -
Unless you're at the cutting-edge of something, others have already done what you are trying to do.
That means they have stories to tell, and lessons you can learn.
So, see what others have done. Use their stories, and lessons to guide you in the pursuit of your
goals.
***
Basic Planning & Organization:
i) Break Down Your Grand Goal into Small(er) Goals - Your grand goal, even if you have a very clear
vision for it, will be too vague to properly pursue. This is why you have to take your grand goal, and
break it down into smaller goals, or if you will, small steps.
You cannot just say you want to do something big, and then do it. You have to break it down,
and deconstruct it, and have small goals (i.e. small steps) that you can actually follow day to day.
You must do your research, and think about how you can make your "grand goal" into
something manageable, using many small goals. Do not dismiss the small goals. Small goals are easier
to understand, and are far less intimidating.
Here we have a simplified example of turning a grand goal into smaller goals:
Let's say you want to write a novel. After you do some research, you find out a typical novel for
adults is about 90,000 words long. You make it your goal to write a 90,000 word book. Okay -- how do
you do that?
You break it down. You know writing 90,000 words in one go (obviously) is too much. How
much can you write per day? You sit down, and try to write. Because of your busy, stressful life it
seems you can only do around 500 words a day.
Doing 500 words a day, how fast can you complete your novel? 90,000 divided by 500 = 180.
Meaning, it will take you about 180 days to finish your novel. If you use the weekends to take breaks,
then this means 36 weeks of writing till completion, or 9 months.
You accept that this is an acceptable amount of time, and decide writing 500 words a day, not
including weekends, is how you'll complete your novel. Every time after you complete writing 500
words, you put a red "X" mark on your calendar, showing you've completed your "small goal" for the
day. When you have 180 of them you'll be done the first draft of your novel. You're on your way!
TL;DR - Create daily goals.
Tip: If you are having trouble breaking down your grand goal into smaller goals, consider making your
smaller goals time-based. So, for example, if your goal is to become scientifically literate, and you're
not exactly sure how to do that, you can make a daily goal of reading/studying scientific literature an
hour per day.
j) Make an Outline - In writing an author typically creates an outline. You may remember it from
school. An outline is an object of planning that is used to create stories. It is a list of events that should
happen in a story, which keeps the author on the write right track.
You too can make an outline for your grand goal. The outline will give a rough idea of what
path you have to follow. It will be made up of many small(er) goals. Depending on the complexity of
your grand goal this outline may be long, or short, and can include notes, and pertinent snippets of
information.
Example of a simple outline:
- Goal: Be able to speak French in two to three years. (This is the grand goal.)
- Knowing 3,000 of the most common French words will give me a basic understanding of the
language, enough that I can read a newspaper. (Research.)
- Buy books, and audio CDs for learning French. (Ensure resources are in place.)
- Break down grand goal into smaller goals.
- To learn 3000 words, all I have to do is learn less than 10 words a day.
- Learn 10 new French words each day. (This is the grand goal made into smaller goals.)
- Every time I learn 10 new French words, I will put an "X" on my calendar. One "X" for each
day that I achieve my word goal. (Tracking progress.)
k) Track Your Progress - Tracking your progress is the third part in basic planning. As you may have
noticed we previously mentioned using a calendar, and crossing off the days with an "X" as a means to
indicate the fulfillment of daily goals.
But this is only one of many ways in which one can track their progress. You can also do things
like creating, and marking a checklist, or scratching off items on a list. However, what is best is up to
you, and you ought to choose what you are most comfortable with. Just be sure to make a habit of
tracking your progress.
l) Test Yourself - If you are studying something test yourself. Make your own quizzes, and tests, or use
what is available from someone else. See how well you do, and try to improve if need be.
m) Ensure Resources Are in Place - This might seem obvious to some, but before you dive into your
work make sure that you have everything you need to pursue your goals. If you don't have all your
resources in place (books, educational materials, etc) that will ruin your momentum, and that's not what
you want.
n) Use Multiple Sources of Information - Don't just rely on one source of information, or one medium
of information. Use multiple sources of information. Look at them each, and compare, and make notes.
Make comparisons. Fit the pieces together like you would for a jigsaw puzzle.
Because you want to get different perspectives, and different views on what you are studying.
This will broaden, and sharpen your mind. Relying on only one thing can be detrimental.
For example, if you try learning a new language with only print books, you will not be able to
follow along in a real conversation. However, if you only use audio books, you won't have a good
understanding of grammar. Use multiple sources of information, and multiple mediums. There's so
many to choose from.
o) Make a Schedule (Time Management) - You don't have an unlimited amount of time in your life
(obviously), yet you have so many damned things to do. That's why you need to have a schedule.
Maybe you'll do "X" on Tuesday, "Y" on Wednesday, and "Z" on Saturday, and Sunday.
But it's not exactly that simple. There's something important you have to remember, which is
you need to schedule in time for rest. You can't be firing on all cylinders every day, and every week.
You need a break.
Make the break any day of the week you want, but you have to have it in there. Don't forget
even God needed his day of rest.
***
p) Work on Lulls - There will be times in your week when you're just waiting around, and not doing
much of anything -- this is when you should be working towards your goal(s)!
Let's say you want to read a particular book. You can read this book when you're waiting in a
line at a store, or when you're waiting in a doctor's office. If you have the audio version of your book
you can listen to it while in traffic. You get the idea. Do something when you're doing nothing.
q) Readjust, Fine-tune - In being busy, people often forget to take pause, and actually look at what
they're doing, seeing if it's still worth pursuing, and if they're on the right path. In going after your
goals, you need to stop for a moment, and examine your progress. What's wrong? What's right? Do you
need to make changes? Do you need to readjust your plan? Readjust your plan as required. Fine-tune it.
Example:
Change of Quantity - Sometimes what is required for a plan to work is simply a change of
quantity. Like in medicine changing the quantity of something in a plan affects efficacy. When
pursuing something, to effectively achieve your goals, you may only need to do more, or less of
an activity (or activities).
r) Be Patient; Accept Moderate, Steady Progress - In pursuing your goal(s) you have to be patient,
because for most people success doesn't happen overnight (or what seems overnight), and you succeed
by chipping away at something, doing it bit by bit in a steady but determined manner.
Imagine that you don't know how to ride a bicycle, and you want to ride a bicycle. How does
this happen? Do you just get on your bike, and go? No. You start out as a baby first. You begin on your
back, and then you learn to crawl, and then stand, and eventually walk.
Once you can walk, you get older, and your walking improves. Soon you are running at top
speed. Now you can crawl, walk, and run as much as you please. Only then do you learn to ride a
bicycle. Such is life. We learn, and succeed gradually.
CHAPTER 45:
ENHANCING THE LEARNING PROCESS - MISCELLANEOUS MINDSETS
(PART 3 OF 3)
There are many ways to learn, and in this chapter we will teach you different approaches to learning
(i.e. mindsets) that will enhance your ability to acquire an education.
a) Active Learning, Not Passive Learning - When you're learning you have to be active not passive.
You have to be engaged, and absorbed into what you're doing. Don't multi-task. Don't think that you
can just look at, or hear something, and it will go into your brain. It won't. You have to focus, and pay
attention, and have a clear aim.
If you're listening to an audio book you can't just hear the audio book -- you have to listen. You
have to take the concepts, and information into your brain, and think about it. If you really want to
learn, you can't have your audio book playing, while your mind drifts off, thinking about other things.
To learn you must be conscious.
b) Get Hands On - There is no equal substitution for getting hands on, and getting experience. Doing
something yourself will bring you the best results. Let's say you want to learn about baking... Can you
just watch videos, or read books, and then master it? No, you must do it. You must get hands on, and
get flour on your face.
c) Specific Learning - There's this pervasive idea that someone can do one thing, and it can transfer,
and apply elsewhere. In most cases this is not true. If you learn about one thing, and get good at that,
you will be good at just that.
For example, if you're good at doing puzzles, that means you'll be good at doing puzzles, and
this ability will not extend, or improve other parts of your life.
It's like in exercise. If you want to have a big chest, you do chest exercises. You do push-ups,
and pull-ups, and bench press. You don't do extra squats You do exercises that stress, and focus on your
chest.
So, to be competent at something, you have to focus on that something, and train for that, and
do specific learning. There are very few if any skills you can learn that will decidedly improve other
parts of your intellect.
d) Experiment With Your Learning - You're not everyone, and not everyone is you. This is why you
have to experiment with your learning, and see what works for you. Sure, we can give you loads of
advice here, but will it suit you?
Maybe, we don't know. Only you can know. Try out different learning methods, and see what
helps you the most.
e) Adapt Using Substitutions, Swapping - You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you'll have
to make do with what you have available. You'll have to adapt to your situation, and fill in the gaps
with something you're not used to.
However, this is not always a bad thing. With the right creativity you may find a
substitution/substitute better than the original. Imagine you're learning about art, and you're trying to
make a Christmas tree, but you've run out of the color green. Could you use a different color? What
about red, pink, or yellow?
Any one of those would bring about an interesting result. But what if you do have green? Well,
you could still do some swapping, and create something unique. How about switching around green,
and brown? The top of the tree is brown, and the bottom is green? Can you see it?
Pretty silly, right? But in the process of learning, you don't always have to do everything
exactly, and you can adapt to situations, or intentionally change how you approach something,
(mentally or literally) putting one thing where the other "should be."
f) Make Notes - There's so much information out there. Take notes! Write things down, even if you
don't know whether you will use it in the future. Get a notebook, or journal, or pad of paper, and write
down facts, tidbits of information, ideas, and things of interest. You won't regret it.
g) What To Do If You Can't Remember Something - All too frequently, we forget things we want to
remember, and we remember what we want to forget. That's how the mind is. It's fickle. But at least we
have some tips to help you out with first one.
1. If you can't remember something, remember where it came from - Think about where that
thing you need to know came from. Who's the person that gave you your information? Or what
is that website, book, or other resource you used? Go to it, and find what you seek.
2. Use your browser bookmarks, and web history - Get into the habit of bookmarking
websites of interest to you. If you forget something, you can think where your info came from,
and then, with the aid of bookmarks, easily visit the website holding the information you
require. In the case you've neglected bookmarking, then search your history.
3. Think about what it is connected to - Okay. There's some piece of information that you've
all but forgotten that you need to know about. Think about what this piece of info is
connected to. What are the words, concepts, ideas, etc, associated with it? Punch these into a
search engine, and try to find a website, or other source of information (like a book) to help you
get your memory back.
For example, let's say you want to get some information about "albedo." But you've
forgotten this term. But in your mind you know there are some words connected to it... Okay,
"reflection" you think, and "ice." You type in "reflection of ice" or "ice reflection" into a search
engine. You go down the page, and ah-ha, there it is, an encyclopedia article about "albedo."
4. Go through the alphabet to jog your memory - Knowing the first letter of something can be
enough to jog your memory. Imagine that you met a man named "Danny." You remember the
face but not the name. So, in your mind, you focus on Danny's face, and go, "A, B, C, D..." You
stop on "D" because it seems right, and then you think about Danny's name, which is Danny.
This can work because, according to the cue dependent theory of forgetting, many memories are
forgotten but not gone, and only need to be retrieved, and retrieval can occur for a specific
memory when the right "cue" is given. In this case, a letter would be a cue.
5. Ask a human - As they say "two heads are better than one." When you can't remember
something, you can ask a fellow human being about it. Or two human beings, or three human
beings, or more, if need be. The more humans you ask the more likely you will get a proper
answer.
h) Reach Into the Past (Use What You Already Know) - When faced with a problem, think about what
you already know from before. Does the past offer solutions for what is challenging you now? Can you
apply the past to the present?
Yes, it seems odd that there could be some useful information buried in your mind, but the mind
is like an onion, with many layers. If you peel back the layers, you find more layers (of information).
For example, you're learning about home repairs, because you want to be a handyman. One
problem you have is you need to fix a broken refrigerator handle.
You use various adhesives, but none of them seem to stick, or work. You sit down, and think
about possible solutions, reaching into the memories of your mind. You remember that your dad once
fixed the tail light of your car with super glue gel.
So, you go out, and buy some super glue gel, and use it on the fridge handle. Success! It works.
Now you know that you can use super glue gel to fix broken fridge handles.
i) Backtrack, Double-check - When trying to progress in anything make it a habit to check up on

yourself, and see whether you're on the right track. Make adjustments as necessary. Don't be afraid of
modifying your plan, and goals to the situation that is facing you. Review your steps, see what you've
missed, and what you need to add, or rearrange. Life is constantly full of change, and you have to
change as well.
j) Thought Experiments, Using Your Imagination - One of the most powerful forces in the universe is
the human imagination. The human imagination can creates universes, and even things that do not
exist. So, use your imagination to explore ideas, and let it lead you down a path of solutions.
Close your eyes, and visualize, and imagine the possibilities. An experiment in the mind can
yield real-world results.
Albert Einstein for example would often do thought experiments. Einstein's most famous
thought experiment was imagining the chasing of a beam of light (called "chasing a beam of light"),
which helped him develop the theory of special relativity.
But thought experiments, and using imagination, isn't just for people of Einstein's intellect.
Many athletes visualize, and imagine playing sports to improve, and beat opponents. They close their
eyes, and paint pictures in their mind, thinking about what they will do, and how they will react, and
counter their opponents.
k) Be Calm, Close Your Eyes to Think - As you've suspected stress reduces your ability to properly
think. When learning you must tell yourself to be calm, and composed. Let go of the tension in your
muscles. Take relaxed breaths, and close your eyes, and with your closed eyes begin to think.
l) Quick Thinking and Slow Thinking - It is said that there are two types/modes of thinking: Quick
thinking, and slow thinking. Quick thinking is reflexive, instinctive, and actions come about in a fast
manner. People have a tendency to prefer quick thinking, because it is not "resource-intensive."
But slow thinking, on the other hand, is methodical, careful, and deliberate. When you use
"slow think" you are pondering, trying to properly mentally digest what is before you.
To benefit from these modes of thinking, you have to use the right mode of thinking at the right
time. Sometimes when you are using slow thinking you need to use quick thinking, or when you are
using quick thinking you need to use slow thinking.
For example, in sports, athletes are used to quick thinking, making decisions within split
seconds, and training fast. But there is a benefit to slow thinking, and slow actions, because they help
you to perform efficiently.
In martial arts there is a saying: "Slow means smooth, and smooth means fast." So, if you are a
striker, instead of striking fast all the time, try doing it smoothly, and slowly, focusing on your
movements, and perfecting the motion of your arms, and legs. When you perfect all that, you can then
increase your speed, and then you may find you are striking faster than ever before.
Conversely, there is the habit of thinking slow when you should be thinking fast. For example,
most people slowly read books, but that is not always the best way to read. When reading varying your
tempo helps you get through a book in a more efficient manner.
Because not every portion of a book will be important, or require full attention, you can go
faster on what is filler, or not crucial to your understanding of the entire text. If you were reading a
book about the arts, and there was a section about Shakespeare, and you are well-versed on his life,
why would you need to take your time, and absorb everything there is that is available about him?
No, you should go faster, and move onto the next section. This will benefit you the most.
However, the question is: How do you know when to use fast thinking, and slow thinking?
That is to be decided with testing, specifically A/B testing. If your mode of thinking is at first
fast, then you should try going slow, and then use which is best for your situation, or you can do it in
the vice-versa, or vary your behavior as need be. Do some intellectual experimentation.
m) Change Your Environment - When you are trying to study, or accomplish a task, your environment
matters. If you are not feeling productive, try going somewhere new. A new environment could help
you work better.
n) Mix It Up - If you do something again, and again, straight in a row, and don't break up the monotany,
you are liable to become bored, stressed, and less efficient. So, you need to mix it up. Do Task A at one
time, and Task B at another, and Task C later on; rotate, doing different things.
Let's say you're in school, studying for math, don't just study math for hours on end, put history
in between there, or art, or whatever else you need to know about. Don't give yourself mental
exhaustion by sticking to the same subject for what seems forever.
Although this is not a strict rule, because there is an exception to this. Since many subjects are
vast enough that there is much to explore within them, you can break monotony simply by studying, or
pursuing the different areas.
In writing, for example, you have different types of writing. If you are practicing writing, you
can write a short story, and then do a poem, or write in your diary or journal to break up the monotony,
and it can all be about the same thing, or different things, depending on how much you want to break
up the monotony. Do it how you like, but the important thing here is to have variety.
o) Do What's Easy First - For whatever reason it's hard for humans to get the ball rolling, and sustain
momentum, which is why when faced with tasks to do, you should tackle the easier things first, and the
harder stuff later on. This will keep your energy up, and keep you motivated.
p) Use Red Flags - Facing a problem, a person will typically seek the answer/solution straight away,
but in difficult situations that mode of thinking may not be enough.
So then try thinking in the reverse. Think: "What isn't the answer?" Eliminate what is incorrect
to mentally steer yourself in the right direction, i.e. use the process of elimination.
On tests, this is what top students do. When they don't know the answer to a question, they
eliminate what is likely to be wrong, and then select what remains.
This type of thinking can also be seen in criminal investigation. When detectives step onto a
crime scene they think about what isn't right, what doesn't fit, what doesn't belong, and what is wrong,
and this then leads them to the perp.
What they have done is used red flags. Though red flags are usually seen as something bad
these red flags can give you guidance, even in normal everyday situations.
q) Talk to Yourself - Talking to yourself isn't just for nutters. It can help you think, or memorize a
variety of things. Try it out! Think out loud, going back, and forth, like you are two people. If you want
to quickly memorize something, say it aloud to yourself, repeating it as many times as required.
r) Rest - Don't be a lazy bastard, but do give yourself breaks, taking time off from pursuing what you
are pursuing. Let your mind chill out, and replenish yourself, then get back to it.
You might be skeptical about this, but do you remember the spacing effect? You learn more
when you spread out your studying over time with rest. Because your mind is like the muscles in your
body. If you lift weights, you become sore, and then you require periods of rest to grow stronger. The
brain is not much different.
s) Teach to Learn - Memorizing something is one thing, but understanding it is another. To understand
something try teaching to learn. Take the perspective of a teacher, and pretend that you must teach what
you yourself are trying to learn.
Think about it as if you are teaching a new student, and then through this process discover what
is important, and essential to your subject.
Playing the role of a teacher, you can see things from different angles, and you can obtain new
insights, and intuitively gain wisdom.
Tip: Typically, people understand new things/new information using old information. So, to teach them,
you have to have an understanding of what they already know. Use that to formulate ideas for teaching.
For example, let's say you want someone to understand the speed of a spaceship. You find out that they
like to watch car races; so, you tell them that a spaceship travels at a speed nearly 80 times faster than a
race car. This gives them an understandable concept of its speed.
t) Chalkboarding - When learning, write down, and sketch (as if on a chalkboard) what is on your
mind. Create visuals, symbols, and representations of what you are trying to understand.
In other words, think on your chalkboard (i.e. your piece of paper) to bring clarity to your mind.
And if you wish, use chalkboarding to teach. As mentioned earlier teaching can also be a method of
learning.
Here is an example illustrating how the chalkboarding method works: Imagine, you are trying to
teach your child about multiplication. How do you teach what "5 x 4" equals? You can draw 4 boxes,
and place 5 balls in each of them. Then together you count the balls, and see how "5 x 4 = 20."
u) Play to Learn - Why do children seem to learn better than adults? One reason is children play to
learn. But adults try to learn in a plain, straight forward manner, and naturally seem to not enjoy the
process.
However, play, besides being fun, can engage the mind better, and make information stick to
your brain.
Example: You can play educational video games, or board games to learn about something.
v) It's Okay to Be Lazy Sometimes - Being lazy isn't good, actually, but sometimes taking the easier
route (i.e. lazy route) is preferable, and beneficial, especially in learning.
If what is considered a bit lazy can get you a result faster, why not? If you can go to someone
for help, why not? If you can do it easier, and avoid some pain, why not?
For example, if you have a book to read -- why not use an audiobook? Or a video? Or
CliffsNotes? Or even books for children (which would explain things in a simplified manner)?
What's wrong with any these? Absolutely nothing, so long as you properly absorb the
information that you need to know about.
w) Use Technology But Do Not Be Over-reliant On It - Using your brain is a good thing! Yes,
technology is great (most of the time), but do not be over-reliant on it. Don't think that it will always be
there for you, or that it is always beneficial.
Technology can be pernicious to the mind. Over-using it causes atrophication of your ability to
think. Instead of reaching for technology when you have a problem, try doing it yourself.
For example, if you have a math problem, don't take out your calculator right away. Try
calculating it yourself. Use your brain.
x) Learning, and Unlearning - The process of learning isn't just learning, and acquiring. The process of
learning includes unlearning, and discarding. This is why you must keep an open mind, and mentally
be flexible.
Your attitude must allow for a degree of change, specifically, taking what is wrong, or has
become useless, and replacing it with what is better, and correct. Much like a sculptor you have to chip
away at the excess, and what is unnecessary.
Of course, this is easier said than done, because of the human inclination towards cognitive
inertia. Cognitive inertia is a behavior of the mind to stubbornly cling to ideas, and beliefs once they
have formed.
You will see this with religion, and politics. Once someone adopts a religious set of beliefs, or
political ideologies it is remarkably difficult to "undo." People have a natural tendency to retain their
ideas, and beliefs, so much so that when their ideas/beliefs are "attacked" and proven wrong, they will
stick to them even more than before.
However, in this modern world, where adaptation to changes are necessary, cognitive inertia can
be harmful to one's well being. One must consciously tell themselves to be open minded, and not
immediately become defensive when they are being challenged, or faced with contrary information.
Consider other viewpoints, and be okay replacing old information with new information.
Because remember you are far from perfect, and you will make mistakes. You will absorb incorrect
information, and this must be discarded, and replaced with what is correct.
y) Find Your Own Mindsets, Customize Your Learning - Including this publication, there is no one
book, or resource that can tell you everything about the mind, and all its quirks, and ways of thinking.
So, as you learn, and grow, you must take to being independent-minded, and you must find your own
ideas, and mindsets.
Keep your eyes open. Keep your mind open, and observe the world. What works? What doesn't
work? What patterns do you see? How can the rules be broken? How can you better get around
barriers? How can you be more efficient?
Explore, and discover the many mindsets that are out there. Find, and use what works for you,
because remember you are you, and not someone else. You have to customize your learning. What
works for someone else might not work for you.
For example, a blind person, and deaf person would not learn, or do things the same way, would
they? They would need to have their own mindsets, and methods for pursuing their goals. Likewise,
you should, too.
z) Organize to Increase Pattern Recognition - To find your own mindsets you will need to be able to see
patterns. To see patterns you must recognize what is the same, and what is different in something.
Sometimes this comes naturally, sometimes it doesn't.
One way to increase pattern recognition is through the organization of your thoughts. For this
we recommend making a list that helps you to analyze information.
First, have an "A Side" and a "B Side" in your mind. The "A Side" would be something positive,
while the "B Side" would be something negative, or less desirable.
Now, create a column A, and column B onto paper.
Next, write down the basic characteristics, qualities, or traits for each.
Once you have done that compare your list. Analyze it, and look at it. What are the differences?
From this analysis patterns should emerge. You will see what the things on the "A Side" have in
common with the "B Side" and how they depart.
You can then formulate a plan based on your newly acquired information.
Example:
For this example, we're comparing skinny people with overweight people. "Side A" will
represent all the skinny people we know, and "Side B" will represent all the overweight people
we know. Below we will write down their behaviors, habits, and foods they eat, and then
compare them, and see if we can spot any patterns.
Side A (Skinny People) Side B (Overweight People)

- Eats a variety of foods. - Eats a variety of foods.
- Doesn't each much sugary treats. - Enjoys sugary treats.
- Eats three meals a day. - Eats three meals a day.
- Consumes alcohol. - Consumes alcohol.
- Sleeps well. - Sleeps well.
- Regularly exercises. - Sometimes exercises, but not often.
- Watches lots of TV. - Watches lots of TV.
- Well educated. - Well educated.
When we analyze the information we've collected, looking for patterns, we see that Side B
differs from Side A. Side B enjoys sugary treats, and they exercise but not often. We then come
to the conclusion that immoderate sugar consumption, and a lack of exercise causes people to
become overweight. Therefore, to be in good shape, and be healthy, one should avoid sugar, and
get plenty of exercise.
CHAPTER 46:
MORE MINDSETS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE:
SELF & SOCIETY
We live in a society! And that means you have to be able to get along with people, so here are some tips
for just that.
Listening Skills: Quieting Your Inner Critic
If you want to become smarter, and you want to get along with people, you must have listening skills.
To have listening skills you must not just hear what someone is saying, but you must listen, which
means to absorb what someone is telling you, and actually thinking about it -- and not waiting for the
right time to interrupt, so that you can say what you want, and unleash your criticisms.
You must quiet your inner critic. As someone is speaking to you refrain from the habit of
constantly thinking about what you want to say back to them. Just listen. Really listen, and let them
finish talking.
If you stay quiet, both internally, and externally, you will have better conversations, and learn
more about the world, and the others that are in it.
If you catch yourself trying to rebut someone's story, or ideas, or thoughts, tell yourself to be
quiet, and listen. Tell your inner critic to "shut up."
The Frivolity of Expectations
It is natural for us to have expectations. When we do something we expect certain outcomes, and if it
doesn't occur we may get upset, angry, or disappointed.
But when dealing with people it is wise to let go of expectations. People, while seemingly
simple, are also complicated, and not as reliable as we'd like them to be. They are certainly flawed.
Knowing this, why then do we get agitated when they do the "wrong" thing? Because we have
expectations of them, and thinking that they are going to do something, we've metally prepared for the
result, and when it doesn't happen, we are dismayed.
It's like when you're a child on Christmas, and you open up a gift box, and then find a pair of
socks. You become sad, and disappointed, because it's not what you expected. You wanted a toy!
But imagine that you received a gift box, for no reason at all, and got a pair of socks... Is the
same sadness, and disappointment there? No, because you did not get your hopes up high, and you
weren't expecting anything special.
But both times you received socks, didn't you? The presents you received were identical, so
what was really different? The second time you had no expectations, and the absence of expectations
changed the outcome.
Yes, expectations, although natural and impossible to completely discard, have the tendency to
cause unhappiness when things don't go one's way. Because they can affect us in a negative manner,
they often ought to be curbed, or rejected altogether.
Example: Softball pitcher, Jennie Finch, is able to strike out Major League Baseball players.
She has struck out the likes of Albert Pujols, but how is this possible when softball pitchers
throw slower than MLB pitchers? MLB pitchers typically throw at 90 miles per hour, while
softball pitchers pitch at 68 miles per hour.
The answer is: It's because of expectations. Players in Major League Baseball are used
to overhand throws, and when they receive an underhand throw, like from Jennie Finch, their
brains do not expect the trajectory it makes. It catches them by surprise. Their expectations
make them react incorrectly, and they miss.
Observation -- expectations can lead you in the wrong direction.
Creating Win-Win Situations with Empathy
A lot of people have this idea that to win only one side can benefit, but in most cases this is untrue. The
best type of scenario is a situation, where both win, and it is "win-win."
When both people, or groups are happy, this creates a relationship of trust, and improves one's
status. You can think of it as the opposite of "burning bridges." Instead of burning bridges, you build
them.
To create win-win situations, you have to have empathy. Imagine yourself as the person you're
facing. Ask yourself questions like: "If I were this person, what would I want? What are my desires?
What motivates me? What do I think would be fair?"
Once you have the answers work towards a goal that satisfies the both of you. Don't let it be that
one of you feels sore after whatever agreements are made. Cooperation is what you want, not
resistance, and resentment.
Whether you're dealing with your partner, a friend, or stranger, try to find your way towards an
amicable "win-win" outcome by being empathetic. We all know that the world needs more empathy,
and that it can bring about great good.
Out of all the negotiation tactics that exist empathy is the most often overlooked, but what is a
negotiation without having the ability to see what the other person truly wants?
***
In summary: Listen, try not to be judgmental, and have empathy!
CHAPTER 47: STAYING HEALTHY FOR YOUR MIND
To be smart it is not enough to read books, and watch documentaries, and learn, and go to school. You
also have to be healthy, because your health is linked directly to your intelligence. An unhealthy human
is a less intelligent person.
In this chapter, we offer to you advice, and ideas to improve your health.
The Need for More Sleep, and Its Effect on Cognitive Abilities
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 1 in 3 people don't get enough
sleep -- and that is a big deal.
Sleep rejuvenates, and heals your mind, and body. If you don't get enough sleep you are likely
to suffer reduced intelligence, poor memory, problems focusing, headaches, emotional instability,
weight gain, heart disease, a reduced lifespan, and more!
Is it a coincidence that 1 in 3 people don't get enough sleep, and also 1 in 3 people are
overweight, or obese?
But besides this sleep deprivation can also be lethal. Sleep deprivation causes crash crashes,
work-place accidents, and medical errors in hospitals.
It is estimated that over 1 million injuries, and between 50,000, and 100,000 deaths each year
occur because of preventable medical errors.
Terrifying, isn't it? So what's a person to do? First, you need to know how much sleep you need.
You need at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
But how do you get this sleep?
Here are some tips:

- Avoid mood altering substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine.
- Eat healthy, and do moderate exercise.
- Stick to a sleep schedule/sleep routine. Go to bed, and wake up at approximately the same
time every day.
- Avoid staring at screens before bed time. The glow of screens from electronic devices makes
your brain think it is day, and that keeps you awake. Give yourself 1 to 2 hours of screen-free
time before your bed time.
The Cause of Obesity: Avoiding Sugars, The Myth of Fat Consumption
The sugar industry has convinced much of the public that fat causes someone to become fat, and not
sugar. Yes, too much fat isn't great for you (like many other things), but the primary cause of people
becoming overweight, and obese in the west (it is strongly believed) is sugar.
The problem is sugar is not only an addicting substance, but it is hidden in many of our
everyday foods. Even fruits, and vegetables are becoming sweeter through selective breeding
programs, meaning we as a people are eating more sugar than ever before.
And the public is largely unaware of this, even with labelling, because sugar through name is
often disguised.
Look at these names: high fructose corn syrup, glucose/fructose, evaporated cane juice,
concentrated apple juice, concentrated grape juice, maple syrup, honey... It's all sugar, and in excess it
damages your body.
Yet the sugar industry blames fat for causing people to become fat. It's not uncommon for
people to think "fat = fat." But for all of mankind's existence we've had to deal with, and consume fat,
meaning our bodies know how to process it.
In fact, many studies have suggested that certain fats are beneficial to our health. Fats from fish,
and dairy are said to be good for us.
However, the large amounts of sugar added into our everyday food is extremely unnatural, and
harmful. The human body hasn't evolved to cope with all this sugar, and it causes inflammation, and
bodily damage. Sugar is what makes us fat.
Unlike fat, sugars are junk calories. Fats can reduce our appetites to prevent over-eating, but
sugar is addicting, and we keep craving it.
If you want to be slim, and trim, and in good shape, cut back on the sugars.
Extra Tip: Watch Out for Processed Foods, and Misleading Descriptors - Be wary of processed foods.
The packaging for processed foods commonly uses misleading design, and misleading language, or
misleading descriptors. These misleading descriptors (a word, or expression for describing something)
misleads you into thinking what is being sold to you is healthy although it is not.
You might encounter this at the supermarket, a box of processed food that says it is "a source of
6 essential nutrients" or whatever amount of essential nutrients.
That's bullcrap! They're just pretending to be healthy. Well, how much of these essential
nutrients do you get? You'll have to take a close look at the fine print. It's probably insufficient.
Incidental Exercise
Exercise has a ton of health benefits yet most of us don't do it. How do you find the time? Do incidental
exercise then. You don't have to formally set aside time to exercise. You can just do it whenever the
opportunity appears.
For example, you've gone out to visit the local shopping center, and you're in your car. What do
you usually do? If you're like most people, you'll cruise around the parking lot, and look for a parking
spot closest to the entrance.
No, don't bother. This is time for you to get some exercise. Park at whatever spot is available,
and walk the extra distance to get inside of the shopping center. This walking will exercise your body.
Or if you're in a tall building, and you have to go upward, skip the elevator, and take the stairs.
You get the idea. Do exercise between the moments in your life.
Intermittent Fasting
This book is not trying to give out medical advice, but it is asking you to consider what might be a new
idea to you. It's called intermittent fasting, which is a way to lose weight by not eating for extended
periods of time.
For example, in lieu of calorie counting, to lose weight (i.e. fat) you would not eat anything one
to two days a week. So, you might choose to not eat on Monday, and Thursday, and just have vitamins,
and plain, potable water.
It sounds a bit scary, doesn't it? But for many this is an effective way to lose weight, because it
is fast, and easy to do. Also, it is natural.
It's in our genes to become fat, and this fat helps us survie. We store our energy as fat, and then
use that fat when times are bad. But in a rich, modern society, food scarcity isn't a thing, and so we do
not have times where we do not eat.
We've gone against our nature. But fasting brings us back to what is natural, which is gaining
weight, and then using this stored energy, resulting in needed weight loss.
Yes, there are times when we need to not eat, when we need to stop absorbing, and lose what we
have stored away in our bodies. For our health the excess has to come off. We can do this through
intermittent fasting.
Reduce Stress through Meditation
Stress can damage your health, and kill you, yet many people don't talk about it, and don't act like
reducing it is important. But to be in good health you have to reduce stress.
One way to reduce stress is through meditation. Find a quiet, comfortable spot, and sit down.
Close your eyes, relax, and clear your mind, thinking of virtually nothing for 10 to 20 minutes. If your
mind starts thinking about things, then pay attention to your breathing. Feel the air moving through
your body.
Avoid negativity. Avoid pervasive thoughts. This time is just for this, and nothing else. This
time is for the relaxation of your mind.
***
Before you do anything: Keep in mind that not everyone is the same, and the ideas about health in this
book may not be appropriate for you. Consult a physician, and get more information before trying what
you've found here!
CHAPTER 48: AN AFTERWORD
Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself! You've reached the very last chapter of this book!
Before you leave there are a few things to be said.
How to Make the Best of This Book
Think of this book like a buffet. When you go to a buffet do you eat everything? Yes! No! Of course
you don't. You look at what's available to you, and you choose the best items.
Likewise, we do not expect you to take in, and remember everything from this book. If you've
forgotten things already that's okay.
We recommend focusing your attention on what you need, and things that will actually be
useful to your life. You don't have to, for example, learn about every single fallacy, or mental bias.
What you think will be useful you take in. No need to feel guilty for not using the entirety of
this publication.
However, make no mistake, this doesn't mean choosing just what you like. You must absorb
what you need. So, if you have a weakness, and a section in this book will help you fix that, then you
know what you have to do. You have to give it your attention, and commit it to memory.
Do not let a little mental discomfort stop you from improving. Get out of your comfort zone,
and expand your mind, and work on your weaknesses.
Speaking of expansion, you may have already suspected this, but this book (though it makes the
attempt to do so) cannot fill in all the gaps in your mind.
You need to go beyond this publication. So, be curious. Be a lifelong learner, and seek more
knowledge, and mindsets, and ways of thinking.
Enjoy the process of learning. Visit the library, read books, watch educational videos, talk to
people, exchange ideas, and increase the amount of content in your brain. Your brain pretty much has
an unlimited amount of space for storing information, and in spite of what some believe, it can never be
filled to capacity.
But this is good, because the future is a future that will require us to know more than ever
before. As technology progresses, and industries transform, humanity will become a global, organic
computer, and those who do not want to use their minds may be left behind.
So, it is important to learn, and to evolve, and change with the times. We urge you to make
learning a part of your everyday life. But remember, learning isn't just about memorization -- it's also
about how you think.
THE END

Mind Engineering v2.8

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Mind Engineering v2.8

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mind Engineering v2.8

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MIND ENGINEERING

HOW TO BECOME SMART WITHOUT

Copyright © 2019 by Harry Jonathan Chong

CHAPTER 1: AN ESSENTIAL INTRODUCTION

The Key to Becoming Smarter: Mindsets

CHAPTER 2: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MIND

Observations of the Human Mind

1. There is No Such Thing as a Genius

A representation of a person's intelligence:

2. Intelligence is Specific, General Intelligence is a Misnomer

3. IQ Tests are Overrated

4. Everyone Can Become Smarter

5. There Are Four Types of Intelligences

Gardner named 7 different intelligences, and they were as follows:

The Four Intelligences Are As Follows:

Memory Intelligence | Creative Intelligence

CHAPTER 3: AN INTELLIGENT OUTLINE

The Key to Becoming Smart: Mindsets

What Mindsets You Need to Learn

Memory Intelligence | Creative Intelligence

The following is a preview of what you are in for:

1. Mindsets for Memory Intelligence

- Mnemonics: An Aid to Memory

- Spacing Effect, Spaced Learning, Spaced Repetition

- Story Method (Chain Method, Mnemonic Link System)

- Number Rhyme System

- Learning Another Language

- Mixing and Maximizing Mnemonics

2. Mindsets for Logical Intelligence

- Why Asians Excel in Math (Mastering the Basics)

- Critical Thinking, and Skepticism: A Summary

- Fallacies, and Faults in Thinking

3. Mindsets for Creative Intelligence

- General Tips & Advice for Creative Intelligence:

- Take Inspiration from Fantasy & Dreams

4. Mindsets for Psychological & Emotional Intelligence

- The Big 5 Personality Traits

5. More Mindsets for Logical Intelligence: Enhancing the Learning Process

- Be Okay with Failure

- Learn from Others

- Manage Yourself Objectively, Use a Third-Person Perspective

- Consider Modifying Your Goal(s) Based on Research

- Track Your Progress

- Active Learning, Not Passive Learning

- Be Calm, Close Your Eyes to Think

- Use Red Flags

- Organize to Increase Pattern Recognition

6. More Mindsets for Psychological Intelligence: Self & Society

- Listening Skills: Quieting Your Inner Critic

7. Staying Healthy for Your Mind

- How to Make the Best of This Book

What Can Be Said About Memory?

Mnemonics: An Aid to Memory

To explain in further detail:

- Movement is an action. Picture, running, jumping, rolling, etc.

The Spacing Effect, Spaced Learning, Spaced Repetition

[Insert Picture of Forgetting Curve]

What can we learn about memory from marketing, and business?

What is a Memory Palace?