Another fine Jon Carroll column in today’s SF Chronicle:
…. We think that we can spot phonies, people who are playing against type for nefarious reasons. Usually we can’t, which is why con games are still popular; people always overestimate their ability to judge character. There are dozens of academic studies suggesting that people cannot tell a liar from a truth teller, even though they’re sure they can. The more accomplished the liar, the truer that is — you may be able to spot an 8-year-old boy stretching the truth, but good luck with a 40-year-old stockbroker. If he wants to fool you, he’ll fool you….
It occurs to me then to wonder how much of reality I have been missing. I often accept the shorthand; I often take people at their word. I find, looking back on my life with increasing discomfort, that too often I have been impressed by people who were seeking to impress, rather than people who were impressive. I have been dismissive of people who were awkward rather than stupid. The more I think about it, surrounded by a swirling mass of people who are all, no doubt, visionaries or villains of incredible complexity, the more uncomfortable I become….