The article discusses the human tendency to overtrust, leading to vulnerabilities in judgment and decisions. It highlights the prevalence of scams and deception, noting that nearly one in four Americans has been scammed recently. Through historical examples and psychological insights, it emphasizes that misjudged trust can have dire consequences, ruining relationships and endangering lives. People often misidentify deceit, with studies showing lie detection is only slightly better than random guessing. Understanding this psychological flaw is essential to making better choices and avoiding manipulation in a dishonest world.
We're terrible at spotting lies. A meta-analysis of 206 legal cases found that people detect deception only 54% of the time-barely better than a coin flip.
Nearly one in four Americans has been scammed in the last five years. Misplaced trust ruins relationships, distorts history, and can even cost lives.
Collection
[
|
...
]