The lesson is that our usual assessments of people are superficial and inaccurate. This includes standardized testing, people's faces, and of course subjective self-assessments.
Some people lie to compensate for the inadequacies of people's ability to assess innate capability. Other people lie to try to get more than they truly deserve. The former is a normal response from a normal person. The latter are called "douchebags."
Another story along these lines I heard a few years ago is about a guy who wants to put on a trade show in some industry. This is going to be the first of a (hopefully) annual occurrence. A great event to pull customers and businesses together, yadda yadda. Nobody wants to be the first vendor to sign up for his show. So, he starts calling some 2nd tier companies and telling them there is "limited space" and "many of their competitors are already on-board", but of course he can't name specific names.
Once people started thinking it was actually filling up and was going to be a good event they started to sign up. He managed to fill the whole expo space at the last minute and everyone lived happily ever after.
Had he not sold on the "lie" it would of never happened... Sometimes you have to get creative with your marketing and take a chance when you believe in yourself.
'Had he not sold on the "lie" it would of never happened... Sometimes you have to get creative with your marketing and take a chance when you believe in yourself.'
So it's OK to lie, because you can put it in scare quotes and talk about it all worked out in the end?
When you're out on a job interview and they ask you "Are you interviewing with anyone else?" or "Do you have any other offers?" or "What's your current salary?", what are the answers you give? Would you always answer these questions completely and honestly?
"Would you always answer these questions completely and honestly"
Pretty much. If they ask something that's none of their business, I tell them that, too, as tactfully as possible.
Answer completely? No, not always; people are not entitled to information just because they ask.
What I try not to do is get people to make decisions based on me willfully and deliberately making shit up.
When I read stories such as the "custom porn" tale, and people's reactions to it, I get the sense that the bravado and cleverness of it absolves (or at least obscures) any issues with deceit.
There are times when lying is not only needed, but the absolute right thing to do, but that's not decided by what a good story it makes to tell your friends later.
Oh, I get what lesson he wants people to take away from it. It's highlighted in bold with neon signs. It's kind of similar to a lot of what Tim Ferriss does.
I'm just not sure if that's anything I want to use. But despite that, it was a good read.
Comments
I'm not sure how to feel about this or if there's much of an applicable lesson for me to be learned from it, but it was an entertaining read.
The lesson is that our usual assessments of people are superficial and inaccurate. This includes standardized testing, people's faces, and of course subjective self-assessments.
Some people lie to compensate for the inadequacies of people's ability to assess innate capability. Other people lie to try to get more than they truly deserve. The former is a normal response from a normal person. The latter are called "douchebags."
There is a lesson there.
Another story along these lines I heard a few years ago is about a guy who wants to put on a trade show in some industry. This is going to be the first of a (hopefully) annual occurrence. A great event to pull customers and businesses together, yadda yadda. Nobody wants to be the first vendor to sign up for his show. So, he starts calling some 2nd tier companies and telling them there is "limited space" and "many of their competitors are already on-board", but of course he can't name specific names.
Once people started thinking it was actually filling up and was going to be a good event they started to sign up. He managed to fill the whole expo space at the last minute and everyone lived happily ever after.
Had he not sold on the "lie" it would of never happened... Sometimes you have to get creative with your marketing and take a chance when you believe in yourself.
'Had he not sold on the "lie" it would of never happened... Sometimes you have to get creative with your marketing and take a chance when you believe in yourself.'
So it's OK to lie, because you can put it in scare quotes and talk about it all worked out in the end?
When you're out on a job interview and they ask you "Are you interviewing with anyone else?" or "Do you have any other offers?" or "What's your current salary?", what are the answers you give? Would you always answer these questions completely and honestly?
"Would you always answer these questions completely and honestly"
Pretty much. If they ask something that's none of their business, I tell them that, too, as tactfully as possible.
Answer completely? No, not always; people are not entitled to information just because they ask.
What I try not to do is get people to make decisions based on me willfully and deliberately making shit up.
When I read stories such as the "custom porn" tale, and people's reactions to it, I get the sense that the bravado and cleverness of it absolves (or at least obscures) any issues with deceit.
There are times when lying is not only needed, but the absolute right thing to do, but that's not decided by what a good story it makes to tell your friends later.
So it's OK to lie
Perhaps. That's for you to decide.
"That's for you to decide."
That's a given. I'm asking what you think, and if that was the point of your post.
> There is a lesson there.
Oh, I get what lesson he wants people to take away from it. It's highlighted in bold with neon signs. It's kind of similar to a lot of what Tim Ferriss does.
I'm just not sure if that's anything I want to use. But despite that, it was a good read.