tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23564547798334315272024-03-18T21:06:03.049-07:00 An Expedition into Intuition - with Atlas Brookings, MentalistMentalist Atlas Brookings takes a weekly look at your five senses and explains how to interpret, analyze, and utilize the data they send you. Topics vary from body language and the functioning of the mind, to the art of negotiation and anticipating the behavior of others - with odd detours along the way. Hopefully your eyes will be opened to the subtle mental processes that shape and drive your behavior and color the way that you interact with the world around you.
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-5980602377796255192016-01-02T04:15:00.000-08:002016-01-02T04:44:20.912-08:00That One Time I Tried To Save A Cat...<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I used to have a cat.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
She was a slight little
thing, mottled white and grey, with an oddly colored pink nose and
delicate pointed ears.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
She was an 'indoor'
cat, rarely let out because at the time we lived quite near a large
road that I didn't credit her with enough sense to successfully
cross.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Right off our dining
room, there was a sliding glass door that led out into our back
garden, and one day, about seven or eight years ago now, there
appeared a chubby brown tomcat, with moth-eaten ears and a face like
a stone.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He sat just outside my
sliding glass door, making what were clearly indelicate proposals
toward my feline, who, to my horror, appeared to be encouraging these
advances.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I chased him off on
more than one occasion, and, though he fled, there was a sort of
bumbling dignity about the way he scampered toward the property line.
And he always favoured me with a sour look that communicated quite
clearly that I was beneath him.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The effect was that
while he was obviously a disgusting creature of base moral standing, he
was somewhat likeable in his own way.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His appearances became
more and more frequent, until it was clear that he had no permanent
home and had finally decided to establish his base camp in my back
yard, just beneath a dogwood tree.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Every morning, I
expected him to leave, but he carried on courting my brainless cat
for at least 45 days until I realized that I had to put a stop to it.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now, I had been very
careful up to this point not to offer any food to the creature,
knowing full well that it represents the thin end of the wedge, and
that, for any animal, the first act of subjugating a human host is to
entice it to feed you.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I resisted valiantly,
expecting this chubby little ball of cheese to clear off as a result.
However, other, more revolting needs kept him lurking perpetually
close.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the end, I resolved
to offer him the food, but only by way of luring him into a trap.
Setting out a cat carrier (a plastic box with a sort of barred door
set into it on a hinge), I opened a can of tuna fish and placed it
inside, nodding enticingly toward the cat as I did so, and assuring
it, in a soothing tone, that I meant to trap it and convey it to the
authorities, making it someone else's problem.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I then busied myself
around the corner, feigning disinterest as to whether this creature
ate the offered food or ignored it.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I have yet to meet a
cat that does not register an immediate and irresistible interest in
a freshly opened can of tuna fish. Nobody's fool, he of course lingered for a few
minutes, eyeing me suspiciously.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
However, in the end, he
stealthily scampered over to the trough and began to fortify himself
with evident relish. Such was his distraction that he did not notice
that I had crept up behind him and closed the bars on the carrier
until after he had finished his meal.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Upon discovering
his predicament, however, I can tell you that he was not amused.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He began to make a
hideous bawling noise that made my face pucker. But I remained firm
in my plan, and moved on to the next stage.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
You see, I am not
entirely without a heart and I was reticent to simply take this
misguided animal to the pound as I know that the poor unfortunates
that end up there very frequently find themselves on the precipice of
an awful doom.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I figured that this cat
had to belong to someone. I would therefore do my utmost to
establish a reunion betwixt master and wayward pet.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And so, I turned to
that bastion of free advertising on the internet: Craigslist.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I took several pictures
of this unhappy tabby, by then resigned to his place in the crate,
and posted them online, with a bit of text that read something like:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<i>Is this your cat?
He has been living in my back yard for over a month now and I'm
going to leave this ad online for five days before I take him to the
pound, where his life will most certainly be forfeit. Heck, even if
this ISN'T your cat, you're free to have him. I'd prefer not to
deliver him into mortal peril, so as long as he goes to a decent
home, I'm cool with that.”</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At this point, I'm sure
I leaned back from the keyboard, thoroughly satisfied by the good
deed I had done and imagining the cat either cautiously exploring his
new and decidedly suitable home, or being squeezed tightly by some
tearful toddler while I received a joyous handshake and thankful
smile from this youth's guardian, lost for words when contemplating
my generosity of spirit.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was somewhat
disheartened, therefore, when a beep on my phone alerted me to an
email in response to my ad.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It was from some other
anonymous internet do-gooder, entirely ignoring the subtext of my
internet ad – vis, that I wanted to ditch this cat entirely – and
suggesting that I could keep him as a much loved pet.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I ignored the email,
tutting to myself that some people could be such numbskulls, and went
about my business.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I soon learned,
however, that this lunatic was not alone in the world, as my phone
beeped repeatedly at me over the next several hours, each time, it
was some new loon making a similar suggestion.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I cast a jaundiced eye
over each successive message, disdain slowly spreading across my
face.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
All these hippy dippy
weirdos were happily suggesting that I keep the beast myself, many
going so far as to delineate the negligible costs of having the
animal inoculated at the vet and suggest that my life would be one of
inexplicable joy from that day onward, should I only choose to make
this creature my trusted friend and companion.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Days passed.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Many more emails came
in.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Each followed this same
theme.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My patience, sorely
tested, eventually gave way and I saw that I would have to apply more
pressure to these legions of cat-lovers who didn't want to own this
particular edition.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Seeing little choice in
the matter, I amended my ad. It now read:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<i>Is this your cat?
He has been living in my back yard for over a month now and I'm
going to leave this ad online for five days before I take him to the
pound, where his life will most certainly be forfeit. Heck, even if
this ISN'T your cat, you're free to have him. I'd prefer not to
deliver him into mortal peril, so as long as he goes to a decent
home, I'm cool with that.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Some FUN facts about
this cat:</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He can hold his
breath for nearly two and a half minutes.</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He can survive
falls of over 28 feet.</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He is HIGHLY
flammable.</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He can go at
least 8 days without food.</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He can tell if
you mix gasoline in with his water and won't drink it (anymore).</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He is NOT a
strong swimmer, but he made it nevertheless.</i></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>He is now, due
to a string of misunderstandings, HIGHLY suspicious of human beings."</i></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I want to emphasize
that none of the above 'fun facts' were true. They made me laugh as I
wrote them, but they weren't true. Or, they may have been at least,
but I had taken no steps to test their veracity. I simply wanted the
reader to exclude from their reasoning the possibility that this cat
could conceivably enjoy a happy life in my company. Once life with
me was excluded as an option, I figured I could look forward to a
series of emails from people eager to offer safety and peace of mind
to this animal.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was dismayed to find
that my ironclad logic again failed to yield the anticipated results.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Inexplicably,
subsequent to this amendment in my advertisement, the tone of the
emails I received changed. Instead of excited offers to welcome this
furry little monster into a new and happy home as I had hoped, the
emails were mostly threats, laced liberally with intensely graphic
swears.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I mean it.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The sort of imaginative
profanity that is reserved for the worst people on the planet.<br />
<br />
Apparently, deep down, hippies are angry people.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I replied to each with
a simple, “Do you want the cat or not?”
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The responses I
received were unprintable.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And so, eventually, the
fifth day passed and my ad expired – along with my hopes of finding
its owner.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Still, I could not
bring myself to deliver the thing into the hands of the government.
And so I put it in my car, drove it across the bridge, and set it
free in a quiet neighbourhood near a very nice park near where my
parents lived.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I don't know who
eventually adopted him, but I saw him intermittently for years
afterward when I'd drive out to visit family. I'm pretty sure I
thought to myself that one day I'd write a blog post about him.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And now I have.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-79827025312042891542015-12-15T05:05:00.003-08:002015-12-15T05:06:45.387-08:00And Suddenly, I'm Somewhen ElseLooking down at my tiny hands, the sun beating down on my back, the green grass a cool contrast on my bare feet to the hot blacktop a few feet away. Fruit trees everywhere - I've been up in their boughs, my face smeared with peaches, plums, apricots and cherries, a halfhearted breeze briefly lifting my hair out of my eyes.<br />
<br />
Friends everywhere.<br />
<br />
The world is a different place when you're five.<br />
<br />
I grew up in the desert at the base of the Rocky Mountain range, and I never remember those easy days so clearly as when I catch the familiar refrains of the songs that used to play as I drove with my mom in our station wagon down to the bank, where I'd be rewarded for my patience with a cherry red sucker or a snow cone.<br />
<br />
Music transports you in the same way that smells do, catapulting you from the here and now to a different place entirely. <br />
<br />
These are the songs that transform my reality, however briefly.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I know. The Neil Diamond piece in the list above is an unusual choice - it isn't one of his better known songs.<br />
<br />
But I remember seeing my little feet as I squatted against the wall next to a little record player that my dad had given me. It was made of grey plastic with black rubber turntables and this little record would be on it, with its blue sleeve rested carefully next to me as I listened to this song over and over again. <br />
<br />
It reached me. <br />
<br />
The words made complete sense to how I felt. My dad was my special friend and my parents had split up and I couldn't see him anymore and these words articulated perfectly how I felt, the words that I felt but that the grown ups refused to hear from me:<br />
<br />
Come back again.<br />
I want you to stay next time.<br />
Cause sometimes the world ain't kind<br />
When people get lost like you and me<br />
I just made a friend.<br />
A friend is someone you need.<br />
<br />
But now that he had to go away,<br />
I still feel the words that he might say:<br />
<br />
Turn on your heartlight.<br />
<br />
And I felt that my <i>heartlight</i> was that special place in my heart that nobody could find but me, where nobody could come to take my dad away.<br />
<br />
And in the blistering rhetoric that accompanies divorces, it was this hidden inner mutiny that gave me strength and refined and shaped me. <br />
<br />
I saw through the lies.<br />
<br />
This was the reason I've never had a problem not following the crowd, the reason I've been willing to stand against the tide, to do what I felt was right, the reason I was successful. And the seeds of this understanding were there in that song at that moment.<br />
<br />
I have a special respect for those who have the ability to distil an experience into a piece of compelling poetry set to music, transcending spoken language and communicating in an unique way to all cultures across the world, despite gaps in age, gender, race, or whatever else we think divides us.<br />
<br />
I wish I could do it.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
Atlas<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-13137033689642821432015-12-05T06:16:00.003-08:002015-12-15T04:03:49.960-08:00Even at Two Cents, You're Still Being Overcharged.Have a look at this picture:<br />
<br />
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<br />
What do you think it is saying?<br />
<br />
Do you find it ironic? Why?<br />
<br />
Have a watch of this little video clip:<br />
<br />
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<br />
What do you think it is saying?<br />
<br />
Do you find it ironic? Why?<br />
<br />
Everyone has opinions.<br />
<br />
Some are held quietly by those who are reticent to share them publicly.<br />
<br />
Others are extremely vocal about theirs and frequently challenge contrasting views, robustly armed with statistics and figures which prove their perspective.<br />
<br />
It sometimes seems as though the side that shouts the loudest wins the day.<br />
<br />
Which is as good an approach to take as any, as most people's "well-studied" opinions are hilariously self-deceiving.<br />
<br />
That's right. We all just lie to ourselves all the time.<br />
<br />
It's called a cognitive bias. Essentially, it means that we are more likely to see what we look for, adding weight to facts and data that underline, rather than undermine, our previously held beliefs.<br />
<br />
And there are some very clever things out there that demonstrate this fact.<br />
<br />
Both of the above are great little pieces of media in which a viewer's cognitive biases can be drawn out.<br />
<br />
Look at the picture above again.<br />
<br />
The Native American tells the Pilgrim that they aren't allowing refugees.<br />
<br />
On the one hand, it is ironic because the Pilgrims are migrants and now an awful lot of their descendants are opposed to allowing more immigration. As none of these people would be here if not for immigration, it appears to highlight the absurdity of their position and uncover a selfishness and lack of awareness.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, it is ironic because the Native Americans were systematically wiped out by the migrants. Arguably, they would have been much better off had they uniformly adopted an anti migrant policy and that idea reinforces the argument which those in the anti-immigration lobby are making.<br />
<br />
Let's turn our thoughts to the video.<br />
<br />
On the one hand, it highlights that the willingness to accept evolution and scientific conclusions without first acquiring the level of education necessary to test them yourself requires the same sort of faith that religious people observe. It is just a faith placed in men whose conclusions you are willing to believe based on precedents and their education.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, it points to the fact that people mired in their beliefs seldom change them for facts and reason, not matter how the theories evolve or are refined and proven over time. Regardless of conflicting data that you might be presented with, you can play the man and not the ball, and point out that due to the nature of scientific theory and evolving ideas, things which men once believed to be true was later proven to be false, and therefore a scientist is as fallible as a religious leader. Surely then, it would be folly to abandon your beliefs for science, with its patchy track record?<br />
<br />
The nice thing about both the above examples is that depending on your cognitive biases, you'll have likely seen only one side of the argument in each instance. <br />
<br />
If you saw both sides of the issue, congratulations on being so perceptive, but I still bet you agreed with one side of the argument more than the other.<br />
<br />
What I like best about the above is that they do such a good job of portraying both sides of a complex issue in much the same way that a simple optical illusion allows you to see a duck or a rabbit at the same time, or a young or old lady at the same time.<br />
<br />
It is only with thought and study that the other half of the image is revealed.<br />
<br />
If you want your opinion to mean anything, you need to recognize and switch off your cognitive bias and approach issues with an interest in seeing an issue from all angles.<br />
<br />
This, in turn, raises the point - How often do we really seek to learn and understand another's perspective?<br />
<br />
Too often, the way we engage with others has the effect of shutting down real communication, effectively hampering the ability of both parties to reach harmony.<br />
<br />
I'll probably look at that next time.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
Atlas<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-5549884846539707912015-09-05T08:03:00.000-07:002015-09-05T08:03:04.886-07:00Pretentious, Moi?<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I personally LOVE
pretentious people.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Why?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To answer that
question, I must first explain WHY they are generally such detestable
people.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
An explanation that is,
in fact, pretty straightforward: Pretentious people abuse society's
unwritten policy of general politeness - they insult your
intelligence, unswervingly degrade you, and escape from the situation
without any comeuppance because people are constricted by the
unspoken social contract whose one rule must never be broken – be
nice!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A pretentious person is
one who uses their words with efficacy and genius in the achievement
of one, singularly depraved goal – to demonstrate their superiority
over the party with whom they interact.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I say again – I love
pretentious people.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Which brings us back to
the previous question: WHY!?!?!?!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Yes, these people have
a tendency to be unbearably annoying, but that's only because you
haven't really interacted with them in the right way.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Think about it!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Their very posturing is
often predicated upon farce, and this can be used to hilarious effect
– should you be willing to surprise them by breaking the one rule
society has as regards being unwaveringly polite.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
For instance, I
recently decided to visit a local restaurant – widely recognized as
the undisputed territory of the pretentious – that had advertised
that they had a new chef and new menu.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Despite these recent
changes in staff and operations, apart from a few beleaguered
patrons, the place was deserted – save for one flawlessly dressed
hipster with tight trousers and a neatly trimmed chinstrap beard.
His greasy hair was slicked back and tied into a tight, yet short
ponytail, and his shirt appeared to be too small for his slight
frame, the fabric straining at the ivory buttons.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As this man swaggered
toward me, he managed to exude a palpable bravado which oozed a
mixture of confidence and condescension. I was acutely aware that
his eyes had turned me over with the efficacy of a looter at an
electronics store, and he was confident that he had successfully
taken the measure of me.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He eventually reached
me and, standing next to the maître d's podium amidst a vast sea of
long abandoned and neglected tables, drawled out, in an insufferably
arrogant tone devoid of any hint of self-consciousness or
embarrassment, the following words:<br /><br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“And have we booked a
table this evening?”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His tone made it
evident that should I fail to answer his query in the affirmative, I
would indeed be taking a grave risk and might not be able to enjoy,
with the other guests, their evident misery.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So there we were.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
An unbelievably
pretentious man, asking me an unbelievably pretentious question in an
unbelievably pretentious tone, confident that no rebuke could
possibly be forthcoming. He was safely shielded by society's
unspoken, unwritten social contract.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His question was so
patently ridiculous that this was clearly pretension as an art form.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had little invested
in this encounter – there was a perfectly wonderful place down the
road whose food was unparalleled and whose door was always open to me
– and so my response went something like this:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Have I booked? No,
I regret to say that I did not take that precaution. I have
evidently been swindled by observation and logic, whose application
on my part led to an assumption I made concerning all these empty
tables. The fault is entirely mine. Nevertheless, I would be deeply
indebted to you if you could find somewhere for me to enjoy a small
repast – I know it is an inconvenience to squeeze me in, but it
would be much appreciated. I shall greatly relish watching your fine
establishment fill to the brim over the next hour or two as the vast
horde of people who did have the foresight to make a reservation –
making them undoubtedly cleverer than myself - begin to flood into
the place. I only worry that when all is said and done, we'll have
enough room for everyone. In fact, I feel guilty now – clearly my
presence here would stretch capacity beyond breaking point and
deprive those who did have enough sense to book their tables of the
space that they will clearly require. On second thought, I'll save
you the trouble and just go.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One look at the man
told me all. His bluster was gone, his social contract –
unwritten, unspoken and therefore unenforceable – was not worth the
paper it was written upon. He was frozen in a mixture of disbelief
and dismay.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Get the door for me,
would you?” I asked, and, as the man scrambled to open the door
for me, I made an exit that was decidedly more satisfying than any
meal that would have crossed my table.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had a similar
experience at a restaurant – I told you, that's where all these
people work – wherein I was delivered a pat of butter with a hair
on it.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Unsatisfied by this
unexpectedly spouting blob, I called our waiter over, pointing out
the hair.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He examined the butter
with an unimpressed eye, and then, rather unexpectedly, took its side
and argued its cause with the dedication of a lawyer whose own
brother was appealing his conviction on death row.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“It is,” he deigned
to inform me in a drawling tone, “not a hair – it is a fibre.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I glanced down at the
tray of butter in his outstretched hand, and than back at his face.
He was in earnest. He did not see that my objection was not related
to the nature of the foreign object in my food, but rather its
presence entirely.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Again, this was
pretension practised solely for its own sake.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Ah!” I exclaimed.
“Well, that's a different matter entirely.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He nodded and began to
lower the plate back down to the table.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Asbestos, is it?”
I asked airily.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He froze and looked
perplexed.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I don't understand,”
he said.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Yes, I can see
that,” I replied. “What brand of fibre am I being treated to
this evening? That's my question. You see, some are quite tasty –
no examples readily spring to mind at the moment, though undoubtedly
that's a failing on my part – but some are less desirable. You
clearly serve only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients at this
venerable establishment – could you go and inquire of the chef the
provenance of this delightfully unexpected surprise in my butter?
You see, now that I know it isn't a hair, I'm wondering if I'll be
able to afford a luxury such as butter with fibres in. I'm on
something of a fixed income at the moment, and I'm unaccustomed to
this sort of extravagance. On second thought, gracious though it was
of you to offer me such an unexpected treat, I might just prefer
plain old, regular, pure butter instead. Please don't think me
ungrateful – I'm just not used to eating things that aren't food.
And look on the bright side: I know that sometimes when dishes get
sent back, they let staff enjoy it so that it doesn't go to waste...
I'm sure you'd enjoy eating this instead.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And now you know why I
love pretentious people.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
They are society's
comedy wing men.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Adept at keeping an
intensely straight face whilst simultaneously creating bizarrely
ridiculous circumstances that mock reality, they set you up for a
personal situational sketch.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
They are the playfully
uncomprehending straight man who sets up the hero of the double act,
and together, the pair of you can romp home to uproarious laughter.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And so, when you meet
one of life's absurdly caricature buffoons, enjoy them. After all,
that's what they are there for.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Best,</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Atlas</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-55449699527963856372015-08-06T03:36:00.002-07:002015-08-06T03:45:46.005-07:00QUICK!! Fix the Ugly!!Well, I promised this post ages ago but got busy and finally found the time to come back to it. <br />
<br />
Over the years, I've been an advocate for thinking for yourself and questioning why certain things happen - especially things that are newsworthy. I'm a chess player and whenever my opponent makes a move of any kind, I always ask myself: "Why that piece and that square?" It helps me to see what they are planning, and to defend against it.<br />
<br />
It helps me to think more critically and to accept fewer things at their face value. The ability to think analytically is a key to success and a necessary skill which I will advocate for again and again.<br />
<br />
And so I watched with amusement in the months that preceded the general election here in the UK.<br />
<br />
There was one news story that kept popping up more and more frequently and which refused to fade into the memory of the general populace - though it assuredly has now.<br />
<br />
There was this T-shirt that said "This is what a feminist looks like." It was a dull gray and looked as though it had been written on by sharpie. <br />
<br />
Why was this so noteworthy? Well, primarily because Ed Miliband had worn it, and so had Nick Clegg. But David Cameron apparently refused to do so - reportedly 5 times. <br />
<br />
Well, of course the media outlets ran the story. And why not? It was directly relevant to half the population in the UK and suggested that perhaps a bias against that half existed by the current Prime Minister. You can read a bit more about what was being said here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/27/david-cameron-feminist-t-shirt-refusal">http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/27/david-cameron-feminist-t-shirt-refusal</a><br />
<br />
Momentum began to built and the story appeared again and again. <br />
<br />
It wouldn't go away. <br />
<br />
This was the sort of thing that couldn't be ignored and I mentioned this to my wife over the paper one day, suggesting that this could be a serious problem for the PM - one that would need to be addressed. <br />
If Cameron capitulated and wore the shirt, he'd look weak. If he refused, he'd look like he didn't support women's rights. <br />
<br />
At the time, I mused that the only way out would be to find a way to turn the issue toxic - then Cameron would look like a genius for not associating with it, while Miliband and Clegg would look like rubes simply seeking a photo opportunity.<br />
<br />
How to turn this brand toxic was an interesting problem to consider and putting my strategic "chess thinking cap" on, I mused on ways that this could be done. <br />
<br />
The best answer I could come up with would have been to suggest searching for a financing scandal within the charity linked to the T-shirts, perhaps one that made it look as though the money they raised didn't go to the intended recipients. It is an allegation that one frequently hears about charities in general and would have muddled the issue raised by the newspapers, undermining the credibility of the questions they posed.<br />
<br />
I wasn't surprised, therefore, when the whole thing did indeed turn toxic - clearly the PM needed a respite - though I admire the sheer devious cunning of the solution. <br />
<br />
Sweatshops.<br />
<br />
The Mail on Sunday reported that these T-shirts were being made by people working in sweatshops for less than an pound an hour. And subsequently sold with a price tag of £45.<br />
<br />
The article is here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2817343/Feminist-t-shirts-sweatshop-row.html">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2817343/Feminist-t-shirts-sweatshop-row.html</a><br />
<br />
The charity behind the T-shirts denied the allegations, but true or not, the damage was done. The issue was decided in the eyes of the public and what was once a clear cut case of right and wrong swung heavily in one direction. <br />
<br />
Consider it: A man refusing to wear a feminist T-shirt may or may not indicate a bias against women. But women and children being paid terrible wages to produce the T-shirts? If true, this could clearly be labelled reprehensible, and the attitude was "If it is in the papers, it is most likely true."<br />
<br />
The mere allegation was enough to put the issue to bed.<br />
<br />
So why the blog post?<br />
<br />
Again, I'm just encouraging you to think for yourself and to try to ask yourself why things like this happen.<br />
<br />
Why was Cameron's refusal to wear the shirt noteworthy? Who wanted him to wear it? Why did the other two party leaders wear them? What would their motivations have been? Why was it reported and who gained from those reports?<br />
<br />
Alternatively:<br />
<br />
Why on earth would someone look at where these T-shirts came from? What would their motivations have been? What would have driven that curiosity? And what would they have hoped to find? What was their motivation in publishing their findings? And what parties benefited from that report?<br />
<br />
So often, people form their opinions based upon what they read RATHER than what they think. <br />
<br />
You've got a brain! Use it! Question everything!<br />
<br />
I find it interesting that you can see a report in a paper and completely forget - due to the medium in which you discovered the information - that there is a real person out there somewhere who wrote those words. And real people have real opinions. And they seep through into what they do and how they live.<br />
<br />
I talk so often about thinking critically, but I don't think I've ever explicitly stated why I think it is so important. Here is why:<br />
<br />
If you can begin to see how the world works, you can successfully navigate your way through it and can position yourself to live the type of life that you want to.<br />
<br />
I think that's worth the effort.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
Atlas<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-62048715531613462232015-07-22T02:10:00.002-07:002015-07-22T02:11:37.995-07:00Automatic Writing - I Thought It Was FakeI write. <br />
<br />
I write a lot.<br />
<br />
And I read a lot too. So as a result, I am always interested when I see things that make me think. Then I think about those things and what I think about them and gradually form an opinion.<br />
<br />
Well, one of the things I read about and was kind of interested in was the idea of automatic writing. <br />
<br />
Automatic writing is writing that is produced when the conscious mind is switched off and the mind is in a trance like state.<br />
<br />
Hogwash, right?<br />
<br />
Yeah. Absolute nonsense.<br />
<br />
Which is WHY I was so flabbergasted when it happened to me. As I said, I write a lot. Well, last night around one in the morning, I was feeling particularly creative - I like to write at night - and so instead of going to bed, I sat down with my laptop and started bashing the keys.<br />
<br />
I am working on a fiction story and was enjoying playing God to my characters, moving things along with alacrity when I woke up, distinctly aware that my fingers were no longer moving.<br />
<br />
It feels weird to be writing and then wake up. Eerie.<br />
<br />
Reading what I had written was even more disturbing, and just to prove how weird this phenomenon of automatic writing is, I've included the full text below. I haven't changed any of the typographical errors that exist, so please forgive me for that. I think in some cases it is clear what the intended meaning was, but I'll let you decipher this as you choose. Either way, I am fascinated by what appears to be a transcript of every thought my mind seems to have begun, discarded, and interwoven. <br />
<br />
And I now believe completely in automatic writing.<br />
<br />
Here is the madness that I woke up to find before me:<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>"The electrical storm
pushes a wall of cool and nervous air toward me, brushing my hair
from my forehead as I contemplate where the last future went wrong.
I think it was Sennrosen, and so he is a natural place to start.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>You'd think the easiest
thing to do would be to kill him, but surprisingly, the best way to
do with things that even my moon puppy is to express yourself in the
dynamics of the fantasy era and promise to walter that he will be
forgotten. In fact, when you visit with your brain surgeon you
should tell him that I am watching. That will freak him out.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>So no, Sennrosen
wouldn't die. Hitler hadn't had to die. In fact, there was a saved
version of him in Utiopa and he was always very kind to me anytime I
needed anything you would just hear him sigh and get the towel out
for me, it must be sad to know your wife is the one evryone wants to
visit on a saturday afternoon. But nobody touched the end of the
bottle and certainly nobody ate a packet of worms because that'd be
weird right? My question to you is even if you somehow know all of
this stuff, who are you not amazed at yourself that you haven't got a
key huh? I wonder if the door would be still open then when I am
back from the rodent assembly. I dance angrily at you and watch you
come at me bro. I don't have a hatchet but I am feeling a serious
stain upon his character and aspersions being counted and aidan had
five of them to hear him sing te pictures of my mother and under the
sofa. I don'k know where the milky pickle has gone to but Jupiter is
lovely tongith and I like how the world iarcial brocolli and
bratvurst. I like how the sky is lovely in the night sky. I don't
think I could ever have done this and I'nm so happy that she ifpeodo
lists and forced him to join as well. I don't want it in my back
yard and I don't know how to capture these dreams more clearly. I no
qualms about breaking charager so I told that to alphie and then lose
them because of wearing a hoody and I am impressed from where
theffighting in the fields and hillocks and they can take the month
because it makes no sense.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Even when I lie back on
the biscuit and taste the relaxation of the nightmare problems that
brownies have created while my head nods toward the core of the earth
and I wonder if anone else likes the color pink more than yellow I
know that I have been spotted by the giant with the big shoes and
grewy shoelaces are better than orange ones but only just. String
beans are also not as good as the color brown and I always like
dbrown when I was little but nobody thiought it should be a favorite
color of mine because it was too bland when the truth Is that you
were too bland and Ionly got the ptet because it made my head light
and fried is always better than homecooked because I ghousld have
grtea nobble and when I tough the shingled nad tleka dwonder what the
words will be if when I sleep and type then the numbers on the board
are lined out for me and the lottoery will be won by a man who does
thi sand you will see him cry as he rolls around in the grass but not
next to the road because then he might die but I know he is pretend,
so he can die, I guess. But if you have to have me do this all the
time then it certainly couldn't be the same place again as it was
before I got the watch fixed because she wanted me to go with her but I
didn't because you are now in the full sunlight of the soul that I am
now sharing with chuck from the television and he has legos and I
like to play with im.. when I am dressed up and go out then asher
comes to get nice doors. We should probably go with him because I
don't trust some of the noised that I hear behind me and it sounds
like th edog is really right here instead of wearing a red uniform
nnd there is definitely a reason amber wants un to cll the lime squad
because sll no I am not going to shoot these for sycrets and castles
an dmemory thought he is keen to help where he can and this free
wrigint is so creeby.</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Well the integriation
problem is solved but the themesong didnt work and s I now have an
idea for what you say perfecly. But the guy on a motor bike bac
cleal=rly if I t is your ai will ebe solooch house is instead of the
pages of milk but he mate hang out with tall and mull of Kennedy's
wasfprouduced a rajjundret than who routinely tke the diapers out
south and I don't know if thw scooter once hd epushing the dvd tward
that dan you take this book and type it out then the this is my sales
piweatuwant to try some room on I
oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Like I said - weird, right?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I wonder if everyone has thought spaghetti sloshing around in their brains or if it is just me.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm kind of interested in this and am tempted to see if I can make it happen again.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But maybe not. I once worked (very briefly) in an asylum and this almost looks like the full flow of inexplicable consciousness you hear from those who can't raise the filter of the conscious mind.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've never thought about this before - Maybe those poor unfortunates are forever dreaming, and that might not be so bad after all.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Best,</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Atlas</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-56249323136608799062015-07-04T08:50:00.000-07:002015-07-04T08:50:28.400-07:00True Adventures - North Atlantic OceanI'm fascinated by communication. The written word in all its forms - articles, poems, novels - I've even found scraps of paper on the ground and opened them up. Some were love notes, some bits of homework. Each made me wonder about the person that wrote it: Who were they? What did they look like? Why did they choose THAT word? I wondered why it was crumpled up and thrown away. Was it discarded because of sadness, frustration, or because they suddenly felt free of the thing and wanted to demonstrate that freedom through the act of crushing and leaving it?<br />
<br />
I like things that make me wonder.<br />
<br />
Music does that to me.<br />
<br />
It is so often a cryptic, yet lilting riddle. So much of the lyrics you hear in music are snippets. Like overhearing bits of conversation blown to you in the wind.<br />
<br />
And I sit and wonder what they meant by that.<br />
<br />
I remember listening to the Ben Folds album 'Way to Normal', and thinking afterward: "I wonder if Ben got divorced?" <br />
<br />Turns out, he had.<br />
<br />
Most recently, I'm wondering about this guy and what drove him when he wrote this song:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h5JNXXYZy_8" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Why the North Atlantic Ocean? Who does he want back? And does he really want them back, or does he feel left behind. Would they have been happier back with him, or is that selfish of him and does he just have that sense you sometimes get when you know people have moved along and are pursuing their dreams? And what happens tonight? What is the truth he is talking about? Is it some dark secret or is it something more simple - the truth about himself or the situation he's faced with?<br />
<br />
There are so many stories you could conjure by just listening to stuff like this and allowing your mind to wander and wonder.<br />
<br />
Either way, I love music as a form of communication. It is compelling in a way that words alone seldom are.<br />
<br />
Let me ask you - what songs sit atop YOUR list of favourites and why? What is it in them that really speaks to you? Why do they identify with you so strongly that they rate amongst your favourites?<br />
<br />
Please take a moment and tell me - I really want to know.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
Atlas<br />
<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-48911783638300344072015-06-24T11:56:00.002-07:002015-06-24T11:58:47.329-07:00The General Election Turmoil and the PollsHaving spent a lot of time over the last year performing as a mental magician in Nottingham, I have met a lot of people recently. I'll drive to and from gigs and I'll often listen to the radio as I travel. <br />
<br />
As the recent general election in Britain loomed, one thing was certain. This was going to be yet another hung parliament. Every pundit agreed on that. There were poll leads for one party or the other very early on, but as it came down to the wire, everyone agreed that it was going to be a tie with up to a month of wrangling and jockeying for position before a government would be formed.<br />
<br />
And then, rather extraordinarily for everyone who hadn't read my blog, the Conservatives crushed Labour and won an outright majority.<br />
<br />
Why do I think people who read my blog wouldn't have been shocked by this news? Simply because I've talked extensively in the past about the polls and how thoroughly unreliable they are. <br />
<br />
These polls were recently discussed in an interesting article, which I'll leave you with - and I encourage you to search through my blog and find my posts on polls:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11695816/Why-did-the-polls-get-it-wrong-at-the-general-election-Because-they-lied.html">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11695816/Why-did-the-polls-get-it-wrong-at-the-general-election-Because-they-lied.html</a><br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
AtlasAtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-89933924810736952652015-04-22T07:43:00.000-07:002015-04-22T07:44:32.065-07:00Road Rage - A Life Hack From A Mind ReaderI've seen countless road rage videos pop up on various online news outlets. Without fail, some fool-in-a-hurry ends up bobbing and weaving dangerously through traffic, sometimes causing accidents, sometimes ending up in confrontations with people who have been endangered by the thoughtless stupidity of the buffoon behind the wheel.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Having been a driver for over twenty years now, I am rarely surprised that these videos tend to do well. All of us have at one time or another been frustrated by the inane actions of these oblivious maniacs, and the appeal of watching a video in which they instantly receive their comeuppance is tantalizing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How many of us, doing the speed limit, have watched in frustration as a vehicle cuts out from immediately behind ours and then subsequently haphazardly bobs and weaves, speeding dangerously through traffic, only to end up two or three stop lights later being only one or two car lengths ahead of us?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What is the point of this lunacy? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What do these drivers gain? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Very little.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Studies have shown that in normal traffic, a driver who speeds and weaves through traffic gains something like 40 seconds overall.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is also a human element to the problem. These people gain very little in the way of time, but they cause a great deal in the way of negative emotions. In the same way that people dislike seeing someone cut into a queue ahead of them, people who are obeying the rules of the road become outraged when they see someone arbitrarily break the etiquette that both makes us civilized and keeps us safe.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a fit of pique, they chase these people down and begin confrontations in which they inevitably further upset themselves - largely because they've abandoned their civilized roots and find themselves becoming as barbarous as the person they despised.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You've heard the phrase 'Never argue with an idiot - they'll drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.' That's what happens:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You get up next to the guy in the car and begin to ask him what his 'deal' is. He bristles and asks you what your 'deal' is. You try to explain your 'deal', only to discover that the guy in the car didn't really care what your 'deal' was, and he wasn't asking to be polite either. Stronger and stronger language is used, and either the light goes green and the bad driving recommences - this time on the parts of both parties (infuriating the drivers behind you) - or someone gets out of their car. If this happens, then things really get bad and the offended driver now realizes that this meathead he was chastising believes he should solve this argument not with logic and reason, but with brute force.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Road rage, huh? You just can't win.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, having seen a number of pretentiously labelled 'Life Hacks' online, I've decided to share one of my own. My method of dealing with these bad drivers.</div>
<div>
<br />
When considering bad drivers, let's look at the facts:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>These people are in a hurry and so value their time above yours and safety in general.</li>
<li>When you confront them, you are likely to take simmering resentment and turn it into boiling fury.</li>
<li>Typically either belligerent in nature or generally aloof to your concerns, they will not see the error of their ways and you will not get an apology from them.</li>
<li>Their inherent volatility suggests that the situation is likely to escalate beyond your control.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
With these facts in mind, what is needed is a solution which is both subtle and elegant, and which (solely to be ironic) violates a small measure of another aspect of the broader implied social contract that they've just broken. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what do we do? We use this broadly implied social contract to their disadvantage, and take advantage of the fact that as humans, we generally expect others to be honest with us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My 'Life Hack' is this (use at your own peril and discretion, I take no responsibility for what subsequently happens) :</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wait until you have a chance to pull up next to these people - don't follow them, it will usually happen naturally on its own. Roll down your window, and with a smile and wave, get their attention and ask them to roll down theirs. Look solicitous and concerned for them. And when they've responded and you have the chance to address them, simply say 'I'm sorry to tell you this, but your car is dropping tons of radiator fluid'. They will check their instruments, become worried, and thank you for telling them. The light then changes and you drive away while they pull over.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Consider this: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>There is no bitter recrimination that leads to an acrimonious dispute. </li>
<li>There is no arguing that leads to an even greater sense of resentment on your part.</li>
<li>The dangerous driver - keen on gaining time - now loses it as he pulls over to examine his vehicle.</li>
<li>The dangerous driver also has a shift of expectations as regards his schedule - a moment ago, he was trying to get somewhere quickly, but now, those plans are in the bin because his vehicle has failed him. This adjustment of attitude will help him subsequently see his schedule with more flexibility.</li>
<li>The driver is now worried about the costs of fixing the vehicle.</li>
<li>The driver will be relieved that the vehicle is okay and will consider the advice of the person who warned him an honest mistake. I mean, why would anyone pull them over and tell them a random lie - it must have been some other car they saw leaking fluid.</li>
<li>You will be long gone, and out of the way of a potential confrontation.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
So there we have it! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My 'Life Hack' for road rage. Now, I don't condone road raging in the slightest. But I know that whether I approve of it or not, it will still happen and terrible things will come as a result. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you must do it, at least do it in a way that shows class, style, and sophistication - and avoids a dangerous confrontation. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Better yet, learn to take a breath and let things go. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Best,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Atlas</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-21017100248156707132015-02-04T03:37:00.002-08:002015-02-04T03:57:48.872-08:00Atlas Brookings Nottingham Magician and Mind ReaderThat's right, I've completed the international move and am now finally starting to feel a bit more settled - and that means I have time to post on the old blog once more!<br />
<br />
It has been a strange transition, moving to the UK was not an easy feat. Things are very different here, but overall, that is not a bad thing. Over the last year or so, we've moved house, and I've started performing all over the UK. One thing that I find a bit odd is that while I perform feats of mind reading, I have to advertise myself as a magician in Nottingham and the surrounding areas (Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, etc.) as people just know they are looking for entertainment and never think to Google a mind reader.<br />
<br />
That fact has made me think a bit about HOW people tend to think. Mind reading is a bit of a unique performance area and as such it rarely occurs to people seeking entertainment. They love it once they've experienced it, but most people don't set out searching for it.<br />
<br />
They tend to stick with things they know.<br />
<br />
This phenomenon is seen all over people's lives - three routes may take you to the same place, but you tend to only drive the one. A menu displaying varied and succulent dishes can be presented at the restaurant, but we seek only the dish we know we like.<br />
<br />
And people are the same when around other people. We play it safe - we all know that the nail that sticks up gets hammered down and so we accept 'groupthink' rather than plan our own paths. Social psychologists have long theorized that humans as a species were not successful until they formed groups. According to this theory, groups helped to ensure the safety and survival of the individual, and thus, on an instinctive level, most people tend to feel the safest when they follow the group.<br />
<br />
This is a big reason why politicians seek out celebrity endorsements as the 'Halo Effect' of the celebrity is seen to transfer to them. Indeed, politicians also constantly tubthump over polls that are favorable to them and their situation: If they can steer you away from your own questions and instead guide the conversation toward how others are voting, then, due to social psychology, the odds are better than 50-50 that you will vote with the group.<br />
<br />
As an American abroad, I have no vote in politics here in the UK. But I watch it with fascination, partially because it is so different to what I am used to. Recently, Scotland voted to remain a part of the UK. The group that wanted independence from the United Kingdom was called the SNP, or Scottish Nationalist Party. <br />
<br />
In the run up to the referendum, the SNP based the economic welfare of the new independent nation of Scotland on the oil industry and their projections for their economy were created upon the basis that oil would trade for $112 per barrel. The SNP lost the referendum, and only four months later, Saudia Arabia's oil production decisions have forced the price of oil down below $50 a barrel.<br />
<br />
Interested to see what the SNP had to say about this (the North Sea Oil Industry is now begging the government for help), I took to Twitter to have a look at Nicola Sturgeon's (the new head of the SNP) posts.<br />
<br />
I could see no acknowledgement on her part that the SNP had got their projections so wildly wrong. Instead, I saw numerous 'Halo Effect' posts regarding celebrities alongside posts telling people how well the SNP was doing in the polls. Here are a few screen grabs:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqmSGG9crnVDtz1zqo4xsGq-qbgJm95OPfIxGCkeRRoZHr4VU7Pk8wus5OcjhqBjOsrF7GvzjJq2c-4pzJ80p0TT0m8jvbzqktg5Tof6OutegBE_tvWBmtulpRpTrlSq6Evg9OFVGf6qh/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqmSGG9crnVDtz1zqo4xsGq-qbgJm95OPfIxGCkeRRoZHr4VU7Pk8wus5OcjhqBjOsrF7GvzjJq2c-4pzJ80p0TT0m8jvbzqktg5Tof6OutegBE_tvWBmtulpRpTrlSq6Evg9OFVGf6qh/s1600/1.jpg" height="112" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkQhVo7z4bm3tdoyZALrMCUT6zHgA0ofjzksAFHzVriP0v8fWe1kGlrKMrS6OTQqIuk91EjPSImvsSZxBKJtGW2ZZI11RYrGIFZQid5yani2CXWDg0Et7fc1XDgtN99Yi2eCS3Ze-dIae/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkQhVo7z4bm3tdoyZALrMCUT6zHgA0ofjzksAFHzVriP0v8fWe1kGlrKMrS6OTQqIuk91EjPSImvsSZxBKJtGW2ZZI11RYrGIFZQid5yani2CXWDg0Et7fc1XDgtN99Yi2eCS3Ze-dIae/s1600/2.jpg" height="74" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb3kDRB8aTayXv0CmnhRs2fEbU6EmpqqyPevckW6cIlew9C4tAQitw7YznK_MII5MayLw-5j91IgM98yRBc8wN1Q7JMnFcX5xw1d9Znp3PElZulUOhiu8Jzh3oKBk0YWtltplKe3H75zT/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUb3kDRB8aTayXv0CmnhRs2fEbU6EmpqqyPevckW6cIlew9C4tAQitw7YznK_MII5MayLw-5j91IgM98yRBc8wN1Q7JMnFcX5xw1d9Znp3PElZulUOhiu8Jzh3oKBk0YWtltplKe3H75zT/s1600/3.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocXcNJzPtNVtOISO-llc4UxJKvLkPWwWQIB6LJRqFZyUuxaamdPWzkhP58XN8JR65wHuH3MoSgv-fdGCtsLb5aiGzR4jhc8ObBQi8arikH0oO9SwsGzciEhm97N-jMELuEJikOYrk-lM2/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocXcNJzPtNVtOISO-llc4UxJKvLkPWwWQIB6LJRqFZyUuxaamdPWzkhP58XN8JR65wHuH3MoSgv-fdGCtsLb5aiGzR4jhc8ObBQi8arikH0oO9SwsGzciEhm97N-jMELuEJikOYrk-lM2/s1600/4.jpg" height="75" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ5UV8hT8MDFULuYMHUTqqn6ixksEvFGuz9RV-O8k5n94xopHkcd6fLpgyUQUjcmUOEgzwy-zUz9NfzFHwDjMrXgKOLZSmFzGDojxbvMqIWewOnLHGltylOCxSLC343FSIBEFoyd8ER9_/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ5UV8hT8MDFULuYMHUTqqn6ixksEvFGuz9RV-O8k5n94xopHkcd6fLpgyUQUjcmUOEgzwy-zUz9NfzFHwDjMrXgKOLZSmFzGDojxbvMqIWewOnLHGltylOCxSLC343FSIBEFoyd8ER9_/s1600/5.jpg" height="75" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Now, I want to make clear that I'm not picking on Nicola Sturgeon or the SNP, but my point is this: four months ago, they were insistent that Scotland was better off outside the UK, and made projections and promises to an electorate that, if the vote had gone the other way, could have crippled an entire country. Real people losing jobs, losing homes, facing desperation, hunger and plight.<br />
<br />
Disaster.<br />
<br />
A critical thinker might subsequently question the credibility of this group of politicians.<br />
<br />
But they don't want to talk about how they got it so wrong - and only FOUR months ago too. That's exactly why they are doing all they can at the moment to shut down your critical faculties by telling you what the polls say the group is going to do. <br />
<br />
It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.<br />
<br />
Now, as I said, I'm not particularly anti-SNP, I'm anti-groupthink and anti-manipulation - which is why politicians seem to so often crop up in this blog (in fact, next week, we'll look at a recent episode from the Conservative party).<br />
<br />
I guess my point is that groupthink is a concept that is outmoded. Humans are now the dominant species on the planet, and this need to follow the group is anachronistic and has led to some of the greatest atrocities in history.<br />
<br />
People like the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ghandi said 'NO' to groupthink and challenged the status quo. <br />
<br />
Critical thinking builds the future. It sees through falsehood, self-serving agendas, and manipulation.<br />
<br />
It gives you freedom.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
Atlas<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-81085336972820115942013-07-09T20:01:00.000-07:002015-02-04T03:58:05.632-08:00Forewarned, But Not Necessarily Forearmed<div style="text-align: justify;">
My friends, let me begin by apologizing for not posting for the last few weeks. I've released another book in the intervening weeks and was pushed to meet that deadline. In addition to this, the main water line to our house broke underneath the concrete slab and we've spent the last few days moving everything out and repairing the damage. It was ugly, but I am beginning to find more time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, anyone who has been following this blog has noticed that over the last few weeks, we've addressed and examined how the words a person chooses to employ can effect what others believe and perceive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've found a video that I think illustrates this point perfectly. I don't necessary have an opinion on the lecturer's content, though I find him engaging and think he puts his case admirably. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What I'd particularly like to call your attention to occurs at the following timestamps on the video.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Begin at 1:53 into the video and watch until 2:56 - you will see that the lecturer presents a challenge to his audience. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you then skip forward to 18:15 and watch until 19:33, you will be able to take the test he intimates that he will administer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'd just like to ask that you will do me a small favor - once you've taken the test (and if you've found the link to this blog post through Facebook) please click like on the link so that I have some idea how many of you failed the test. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'll report back next week on my findings, as well as break down what happened and why.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And now, here is the video:</div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/i8z7NC5sgik" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
AtlasAtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-15367128717001859522013-06-11T19:34:00.001-07:002015-02-04T03:58:18.534-08:00More.<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most people never get to
a place in their lives where they think about saving for their
retirement.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Part of the reason for
this is that people are never really sure how much money they will
need for themselves in their old age and so they find it difficult to
know exactly how much they should try and save. People also
naturally feel like there is more time to build enough savings than
there really is.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to a lack of savings,
some people wonder if they will ever be able to retire.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Take a moment and think
about this.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Are you still thinking?</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I bet you were thinking
about yourself and how the above statements applied to you!
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In fact, I'd bet you
started thinking about your own retirement situation as early as the
first sentence of this post.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why?</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is because of the
words that I chose to use. I showed you last week that words
mattered. This week, I thought I'd show you another way in which the
words we use make a difference.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When someone communicates
a message that is unspecific, a listener's mind tends to clarify the
message FOR the speaker. It does this by making assumptions about
the generalized, non-specific portions of the message that has been
expressed – and it tends to do that from the personal perspective.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let's look again at the
first sentence of this post. When the term “most people” was
used, your brain quietly thought “HEY! <u>I'm</u> most people!
This might apply to me.”
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then when it encountered
the idea of “a place in their lives”, that was also sufficiently
vague and your mind began to contemplate that idea in a context of
your personal situation. From there on out, every subsequent
sentence was sufficiently vague that your mind filled in the blanks
in a way that the ideas were about you exclusively.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And yet, I never
specifically said a word about you or your situation.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've just demonstrated
another simple way of controlling a person's thoughts, but doing so
in a way that seems quite innocuous and harmless. And it uses only
words.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sales and marketing gurus
know this technique and use it all the time. And so do journalists
and politicians.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In fact, this technique
can make urgent messages for those stubborn people in our lives
palatable, resulting in real and meaningful change.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Imagine that I was a
friend of yours and I wanted to give you some important warnings
about your need to save for your future. If I'd directly said to
you:</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
“Look my friend, I
am concerned that you won't have enough money for your retirement
because you aren't making it a priority, you aren't saving any money,
and I don't think you ever will until it is too close to too late for
you. Then, by that time, you'll never be able to retire.”</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The above is essentially
the same message, but because it was about you and it came from an
external source, it is very likely to be rejected. It won't pass the
defensive structure of self-perception erected over the years by your
conscious mind. You'd dismiss me entirely.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The very best way (and
trust me, I have EXTENSIVE knowledge of this) to get someone to do or
not do something is to create the illusion for them that their
decision in the matter was entirely independent both in conception
and execution.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, how is this done?</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the use of
nonspecific, general terms. Be confident that if you want a message
to be personalized by an audience, you must master the art of
sounding precise while the opposite is, in fact, true.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For example, if I were
trying to sell you an alarm system, I would be unspecific in the
following way:</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Countless lives have
been lost due to preventable emergencies – there are a lot of
threats out there and in society today, the smart ones protect
themselves.”</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It sounds specific,
doesn't it? But in all reality, I have given no real data, I haven't
clarified what I mean by the word 'threat' (instead, your mind is
busy conjuring up what you consider a threat and feeling anxious
about those terrible fantasies) and I imply that this alarm system is
in the homes of everyone who is 'smart' – a demographic that we'd
all like to belong to.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, note – I have not
said a single word about you or your personal situation. But you are
now terrified for yourself and your family and you also consider
yourself to be smart, all of which means that you'll be wanting to
buy this alarm system from me in the next few minutes. Especially if
my pitch continues to employ these non-specific nouns and verbs.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The best sales pitch is
one that is personalized, and the best way to personalize a message
is to let you do it for me.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I could go on, but I
think the point has been made.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Watch the sales pitches
made to you by others, and, if you need to really communicate
something important to a loved one...be careful of the words you
choose.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Best,</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Atlas</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
P.S. I wanted to call this post "You're So Vain", but I couldn't because then you would have thought the post was about you...from the start and would have defeated what I was trying to demonstrate. So, if you've read this far, rename the post for me in your mind!</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-32800503281542917822013-06-04T10:14:00.004-07:002013-06-04T21:06:23.224-07:00Tell The Truth, But Tell It Slant...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Indulge me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please take a moment and read the
sentence below. I'll even put it in bold
for you, so that it stands out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The President arrived today and was
greeted by the jubilant crowd, who chanted loudly and waved signs while the
police struggled to maintain order.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Before you continue on, can you
please take a moment to picture the scene?
Imagine the faces in the crowd.
Imagine the demeanor and body language of the president. Imagine what is written on the signs held up
among the throngs of people. What are
they chanting?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Take a minute to construct the
scene in your mind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What did you see? What were the people saying? How did they look and behave?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Most likely, you envisioned a
very happy set of people and felt that sense of happiness - regardless of any
political leanings that you may entertain.
In addition to this, you also most likely imagined the president looking
triumphant and showing signs of enjoying the occasion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You may even have felt something
akin to patriotism.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, read the sentence below:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The president arrived today and was
greeted by the crowd, who chanted loudly and waved signs while the police
struggled to maintain order.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Take a moment and envision this
scene. How is it different from the
first?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Most likely, you imagined the
crowd to be tense. You probably sensed
trouble brewing, but were uncertain as to why.
Did you even see different factions of people arguing within the crowd?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And finally, please read this
sentence and imagine the scene:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The president arrived today and was
greeted by the unruly crowd, who chanted loudly and waved signs while the
police struggled to maintain order.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You will, no doubt, have created
a scene in your mind in which the president was greeted by contempt and anger.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You will also have noticed that
the three unique mental images that you created changed dramatically even
though the sentence you read underwent very minor changes through each
subsequent iteration. In fact, the majority of each sentence was
repeated word-for-word.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I'm trying to demonstrate here
the power of words and to illustrate that their choice has a tremendous impact
on what you feel and think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Look again at the first
sentence: the word "jubilant"
was employed when describing the crowd.
One word. And that word made you
feel that the crowd was overwhelmingly happy and proud of their leader - so
much so, that the police could hardly contain them in their enthusiasm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But the word "jubilant"
is absent in the second sentence. Gone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now the piece is ambiguous and
uncertain, and the reader is left to try to infer the mood of the crowd. In situations like these, we tend to think
the worst - especially as the police (defenders of the peace) seem to have
their hands full.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The third sentence substitutes
the word "unruly" for the word "jubilant", and the mental
image is left in no doubt as to the fact that the president has received a very
ugly reception.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I can hear you now: "Yes Atlas - we take your point...words
are important...Why does any of this matter?"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Well, two reasons - one of which
is relatively trivial, and the other that is hugely important.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The first reason is that in my
profession, I use words to influence your choices and decisions and I get to
look amazing for it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The second is far more important
than the first, and that is that others use this power as well - though not (as
I do) to entertain - but to tell you what to think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Consider the three sentences
again, only this time, imagine that they form a part of an article that you are
reading in the newspaper. Each form of
the sentence colors how you feel about the situation described, yet each seems
innocent enough on its own. In every
situation, you not only read the "news", but you are very subtly told
what to think.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In fact, a closer look at the
sentences will tell you how the reporter who wrote them feels about the president. In the first sentence, the word
"president" was capitalized to convey a respect of office. Each of the subsequent sentence variations
printed the word in lowercase letters, which helped the reader to interpret the
sentence as desired. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Again, why is this
important? Because any situation in
which you form an opinion is decidedly crucial as it shapes your outlook and
interaction with the rest of the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Think of it this way:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Imagine that you are a general on
a battlefield and a scout returns with a report on the enemy positions. You will formulate your plan of action based
upon that data. But what if that scout
is an enemy spy? Or lazy? Or corrupt and seeking an outcome for his own
ends? To err here may mean certain
disaster. Yet, how can you tell whether
to trust this scout?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There are a number of ways to
determine if the information you are given is trustworthy. The foremost is the consistency of the
source. If you trust this scout and they
have reliably reported back in the past, you can likely trust them in future -
though history repeatedly notes that using the past to forecast the future is
fraught with peril. A better way is to
use your brain and consider what you have been told. Scan any communication and look for colorful
adjectives and then analyze them and the meaning they convey. If they were removed, how would the piece
look? Then look for similar
communications from other authors and examine their use of language. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
You will learn a lot about the individual
biases and slant put on different topics.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If you are listening to the
radio, you can hear it as well - even from sources that you would expect to be
unbiased.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I listened to one public radio
station and heard them describe a labor dispute between an employee union and a
corporation. While reporting the
situation, the corporation was described as "impersonal" and the term
"Goliath" was also used.
Whether the intention was there or not, careful wording within the piece
let the listener know who they should support in this industrial struggle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I'll now change my question from
"Why is this important?" to "Does it matter to you?" </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Your own answer will vary, but I
hope that it does, and that this post helps you to rediscover the importance of
critical thinking within your life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Best,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Atlas</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-84151004142113491102013-05-28T21:28:00.001-07:002013-05-28T21:28:22.529-07:00Stop Copying Me!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you remember when you were a kid, copying whatever the other person said? </div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I do.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Inevitably, as you studiously repeated everything that your victim said, they would finally become exasperated and say something like "I am an idiot". At which point, the game would end and you would reply "Yup. I agree with that!" and then proceed to scamper toward safer harbors.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is interesting to me that while verbally copying someone is perceived as a depraved form of torture, parroting their posture and body language has the effect of creating a sense of trust within that person, engendering a subconscious belief that the two of you have established a strong rapport.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The act of copying these actions is called "Mirroring", and the science behind it...will probably bore you. </div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In a somewhat confusing nutshell, when the person in front of you is engaged in an action that you just engaged in, your brain finds them more likable, as they are subtly telling you that they are very like you. The brain then reasons that "yourself" generally makes you feel safe and comfortable - after all, you are a safe person for yourself to be around! Therefore if this other guy acts like you, he must be safe too!</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These mirroring displays can be extremely helpful in turning uncomfortable situations (especially introductions with those in authority) into productive relationships.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Please don't get me wrong - if you intend to mirror a person's actions, it must be infrequent and subtle, with a delay between the action mirrored and its actual occurrence...otherwise, it turns into a bit of pantomime that can have unpleasant results.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In addition, you should try to ensure that your actions take place on the same side as your interlocutor. For instance, if you are facing someone and they take a drink from the cup in their left hand, you would pause a moment and then take a drink with the cup in your right hand.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It really is a simple way to send the message that you are safe, likable, and understand them better than they would have previously thought.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What is really fun is watching for it in others. The next time you are out and about in society, pay attention to people. You will probably note that those couples that seem to be getting along very well are engaged in mirroring to some extent. What will challenge you is trying to determine if one of the people in the pair is mirroring on purpose.</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Best,</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Atlas</div>
</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-41968877470202448262013-05-14T21:13:00.000-07:002013-05-14T21:13:02.828-07:00It Is Okay To Disagree<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last few weeks, we've looked at a few surveys and how they were constructed specifically to ensure that a particular stance was taken by a respondent. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The question I'd like to look at now is - Why does any of this matter?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The answer, in short, is that a person's belief system should be based upon their own ideas and experiences, and their own research and logic. What you think should not be determined by what others think - especially when it is demonstrable that the bulk of the group is ill-informed. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What I'm saying is that it is okay to disagree with people. Especially when you know <b><i>why</i></b> you disagree. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The trouble with our brains is that they are conditioned to take logic shortcuts. The less time we spend on non-critical tasks - like who to vote for, the more time our brain has to focus on keeping us alive - by paying attention to potential threats to our safety. It takes a conscious effort to find a causal link between the two issues.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Therefore, when a survey comes along and tells you what everyone else thinks, your brain is all the more likely to accept the position of others as well-informed and adopt it as policy. It takes a shortcut. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Except, as we've seen, those surveys tend to publish the last question asked and none of those that lead up to it. The data that you've been given and upon which you have based your decision can be seriously flawed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The question now becomes - does this really matter all that much?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
History is absolutely jam-packed with examples of situations in which the majority of the people did the wrong thing simply because they thought that to demur with the larger group would be wrong. Take a moment and think about it. From the Inquisition to Slavery and beyond, there are a countless number of atrocities that mankind allowed to be committed in their name and on their behalf simply because the larger group was willing to accept what occurred.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Again, I'm not a political person and I have no agenda. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I just think that as people make their choices in life, they have a responsibility to society as a whole to educate themselves first and <b><i><u>then</u></i></b> form an opinion based upon credible facts and logic.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Best,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Atlas</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-55271262716715878582013-05-07T11:29:00.002-07:002013-05-07T11:29:30.295-07:00Do You Know Your Own Mind - Or Do You Just Think You Do?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Last week, I presented you with
two surveys. After taking them, you will
have realized that you were on both sides on the issue examined.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
How could that be? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Because I cheated! <i><b>That's</b></i> how. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Those surveys were designed to
ensure that:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">You had no idea what the survey was for when the
survey began</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">By the time you reached the final question, you
understood the logic for answering in the affirmative to the final
question posed in the survey without first having had the topic itself
specifically introduced</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">You agreed with each of the generalized statements
that were made leading up to the final question </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">These statements actually served to subtly outline an
argument rather than to seek your genuine opinion </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">When asked the final question, it would be awkward to
respond in the negative as it would apparently contradict your sentiments
up to this point</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;">You have said "Yes" to every answer leading
up to the final question - it is therefore more difficult to say
"No" after agreeing so consistently - especially when it would
make you look confused or incompetent to the person administering the
survey</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, in the instance of these
surveys, the above formula is laid bare for you - largely because you got to
take both surveys one after the other.
But the trouble is that when a survey is administered in an apparently unbiased
and clinical atmosphere, the fact that the respondent has been influenced
within the body of the survey is not so obvious to either party. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In these cases, it is actually
possible that a respondent may walk away believing that the opinion they were
forced to build and defend is one which they actually hold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Why is this so dangerous? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Simply put, in a human society,
we have learned through successive generations that we must conform in order to
thrive. This is why the order of law is
so successful - because we as individual participants agree to cooperate with
it. Primitive man learned early on that his
odds of survival are better in a group than on his own. To survive within a group means cooperating
with and accepting different ideas within the group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, again - why are these
deceptive surveys so dangerous?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The answer is that if you can
convince an individual that everyone else holds an opinion in conflict with
their own, you can often get that individual to capitulate and conform to this
previously incompatible belief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Therefore, if you can tell the individuals
that comprise the crowd what everyone else thinks, you can control their
perceptions and, consequently, how they behave.
You can essentially control the crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I know that this sounds far
fetched. So, I'll invite you to try it
for yourself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The next time you go out to lunch
with your friends, pick out where you want to eat. Then, when you invite each friend individually,
tell them that all the others in attendance want to eat at this restaurant. Each will agree to go there, not wanting to
be the odd man out of the group. They
will also reason that the decision has little implication and is therefore not
worth making any disturbance. However,
they will still be spending their own
hard-earned money at this establishment, even if they do not particularly like
the food or the service or ambience. If
you want to see how strong this need to conform is, pick an appallingly
expensive restaurant with terrible food or service - there certainly are plenty
to choose from - and watch your friends conform anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The trouble with many of these
types of surveys is that they will publish only the answer to the last
question, leading readers to believe that the question was asked in a vacuum
and consequently represents a genuinely clear snapshot of current opinion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And guess what? If you happened to see those survey results,
this new information colors your perception of your place in the group around
you...and how you behave subsequently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, last week, I promised that
we would take a look at how these surveys were created.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Here are the surveys as they were
originally written:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please read through the following
set of questions, and answer each honestly:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>This was changed to make each answer only YES or NO. This limited the respondent to choosing the
option they most agreed with.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Would you find it offensive if
another person tried to force their system of beliefs upon you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you believe that you are smart
enough to make decisions that are in your own best interests?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you think that the government
knows better than you do what is right for you and your body?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>This question was rephrased to ensure that the answer would always be a
"Yes" rather than a "No", as each respondent should
consistently answer in the affirmative with each passing question. Any question that requires the respondent to
answer "No" will interfere with the flow of the argument and will
increase the odds that they answer in the negative to the final question posed.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you think that the government
will take away your personal liberties if they have a pretext for doing so?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>This question was altered in order to guarantee a response. The word "will" was changed to
"may" as the first implies an absolute, while the latter implies a
possibility. Absolutes are rarely
plausible, while to deny that anything is possible is rarely advisable.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you support a governmental
nanny state in which state and federal laws dictate to you how you can live
your life?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Would you support the
legalization of a soft drug like marijuana?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>You will note that a transition question was inserted in the survey
just prior to the final question. It
addressed the legitimacy and validity of lawmakers to create decisions. The final question was also changed to imply
that the medical industry supported the move to legalize marijuana, and added caveats
that ensured the protection of vulnerable parties.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now that we've taken a look at
the first survey, cast your eye over the original copy of the second survey:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Please read through the following
set of questions, and answer each honestly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you believe that the decisions
of others can create negative effects more broadly in society?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With the proven carcinogenic
properties of second-hand smoke, would you want yourself of your non-smoking
loved ones to be exposed to second hand smoke?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Did you know that marijuana is
five times as carcinogenic as tobacco?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Do you agree that the most
important role of a government is to protect its citizens?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Would you oppose the legalization
of so-called "soft drugs" like marijuana?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Can you determine what changes
were made and <b><i><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">why</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Next week, we'll visit this topic
one last time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Best,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Atlas</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-2407521242926023502013-04-30T20:54:00.002-07:002013-04-30T20:55:20.183-07:00Do You Know Your Own Mind?<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been thinking about an issue for a while that I consider to be of some importance - so I thought I'd take a few weeks and address some of my thoughts as regards the matter. Before we go any further, I would like you to indulge me and participate in a few quick surveys. Don't worry about sending in your answers, they are for you and you alone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you ready?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Please read through the following set of questions, and answer with either a YES or a NO. Please answer each honestly:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Would you find it offensive if another person tried to force their system of beliefs upon you?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you believe that you are smart enough to make decisions that are in your own best interests?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In your opinion, does the government at times think that it knows better than its citizens what is right for them as a populace?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you think that the government might try to take away your personal liberties if they have a pretext for doing so?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you concerned about the creation of a governmental nanny state in which state and federal laws dictate to you how you can live your life?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you believe that the opinions of experienced doctors should weigh more heavily than those of politicians when it comes to creating drug and pharmaceutical policies on a government level?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Would you support, as do many doctors, the legalization of a soft drug like marijuana as long as it was not sold to minors?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Have you finished that survey? Splendid! Let's move on to the next one:</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Please read through the following set of questions, and answer with either a YES or a NO. Please answer each honestly:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you believe that the decisions of others can create negative effects more broadly in society?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With the proven carcinogenic properties of secondhand smoke, would you be concerned about exposing yourself of your non-smoking loved ones to secondhand smoke?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As marijuana is five times more carcinogenic than tobacco, would you be worried about potential physical harm from secondhand smoke from marijuana?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do you agree that the most important role of a government is to protect its citizens?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Would you oppose the legalization of so-called "soft drugs" like marijuana?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thank you for taking the time to indulge me in this experiment. What I am curious to know, and what I'd like you to reflect on, is did you surprise yourself with your answers to each survey? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before we continue, I want to say that I am not even remotely political, and have just picked a topic offhand. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The purpose of these posts is not to push a political agenda - I don't have one - but to challenge whether we as individuals are making up our own minds based on logic and genuine research, or whether we are led to our opinions and then conned into believing that they are informed.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Each of the above surveys was designed to point a person to a specific answer to the final question. In fact, I would be extremely surprised if you did not find yourself answering "Yes" to all the questions leading up to the final question in each survey. If you then found yourself saying "No", I suggest that you felt a bit awkward doing so, especially in light of all the seemingly contradictory "Yes" answers that led up to that point.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In fact, I can't count how many times I have seen conflicting polls distributed within days of each other, each pointing to wildly different results. And when I see something like that, I know that we have entered into one of the specialties in my field - the ability to influence others.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the next few weeks, we will talk about how the questions in these surveys were originally written and refined to ensure that each would terminate in a predominately uniform result. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it is because I honestly value individual thought. Whatever your ideas or beliefs are, so long as they are the process of rational and constant intellectual scrutiny, the world will be a better place. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My worry is that some of us are too lazy to do anything but follow the crowd, and pollsters are usually the ones who tell us what the crowd is up to. Some of these pollsters are reputable, some are not.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is my hope that by taking a look at the numerous ways that some of these polls are rigged, we will have a better educated public - with citizens capable of taking informed decisions that allow a more peaceful, kinder world to exist.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Best,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Atlas</div>
<br />
<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-67991425593204367182013-04-23T16:22:00.002-07:002013-04-23T16:22:47.607-07:00A Picture Worth A Thousand Words<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've just come back from a very busy week - as anyone who read last week's post knows. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The radio show went very well, and I've been invited back. Andrew and Chris were both very kind and made me feel very welcomed indeed. We had a good chat about the ins and outs of reading people, and then read their minds a few times. It was a lot of fun.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, the true highlight of my week was Wednesday's show at NPCC, which is a cozy little establishment that I sometimes visit when I want to vet new material. I mentioned last week that I had left an envelope in the care of the proprietor of the establishment, and it was carefully guarded for an entire week before I had him join me on stage with the envelope. Rather than simply tell you about it, I decided I'd include a video of the performance in this blog (making it a vlog, I suppose).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I will say that the MC at NPCC is a young man by the name of Andy, and he does his very best to make everyone who performs there feel welcomed. As I appreciated his thoughtfulness, I wanted to create a moment that was specifically for him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The video is below:</div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DDtYMbBzrT4" width="600"></iframe><br />
<br />
We'll see you next week!<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
AtlasAtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-72382382567468398992013-04-16T19:48:00.001-07:002013-04-16T19:48:17.382-07:00Doctor Gomillion?! I Don't Think So...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week was great and full of opportunities. Two of my books received fantastic reviews in industry publications and I was also able to close a few very important deals with distributors. My bookings have also picked up and this week is fairly busy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just finished performing for a very enthusiastic crowd at Tacoma's Grit City Comedy Club - an experience that I enjoyed immensely and that was filled with a LOT more swear words than I am typically used to. Thankfully, these expletive-laced monologues were the result of astonishment and incredulity, and not accompanied with threats of violence. One rather long sentence (about twenty words in all) that I recall being uttered had four words in total that are fit for human consumption:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's, some, serious & Vegas</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The rest of the sentence was full of language that would have astonished a seasoned sailor. I was approached after the show and booked by another entertainer to open a show of his next month. I look forward to this.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm set to perform again tomorrow night. This one will be particularly entertaining, as I performed in the same venue last week and left the proprietor with an envelope with the words "Keep Safe! Do NOT Open!" scrawled across the front of it. His reaction was priceless, and if all goes well tomorrow, I will have some pictures to share next week.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then I'm scheduled to do an hour long radio show on Thursday, and have also been booked for Saturday as well to entertain at a luncheon. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While all of this is good news, I have other projects in the works and am having to set them to one side for a moment while I make the necessary preparations for the shows this week.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've also taken responsibility for producing a blog on another website, and if you throw in my daily responsibilities as a husband and father, I'm finding myself stretched rather thin at the moment.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But I enjoy putting smiles on people's faces, and sharing moments of pure wonder with them, so it is all worth it.</div>
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In the meanwhile, I'd like to extend congratulations to my brother-in-law who is finishing his Doctorate in some rather clever computer-related topic that I don't fully comprehend. He has just been extended an offer to work in Michigan at some university somewhere. I am proud of him and his efforts, but will never call him Doctor unless the last name in the title is changed to some appallingly humiliating appellation... That's just our style.</div>
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I'd also like to extend my congratulations to my friend Ali - he will be married in a few weeks time and I am extremely happy for him. I wish him all the best.</div>
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On another note, I am excited for the following:</div>
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The release of the new Arrested Development season.</div>
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The arrival of the new expansion for a board game called 'Super Dungeon Explore'.</div>
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The creation of a 'Chuck' movie...I'm not sure if this will ever happen, but I am hoping very much.</div>
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Each is worth having a look into.</div>
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Have a great week!</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
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AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-72429156984028936752013-04-09T20:45:00.002-07:002013-04-09T20:45:35.954-07:00Travis Hanson - Mind Reader??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkc7R-umVyzSA3BqBw74JAFB-t0yXraAn3GI9kSWQcSBspAb0d-4wyKrAHBzOwa94YBj_g7RKlUShLQmxuxBOu8iEAfOGs9EkcrwkVLbyY3c3WQmMfyCJqpuiH2TNKytdqE9goWqBzUJo/s1600/atlas1penweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkc7R-umVyzSA3BqBw74JAFB-t0yXraAn3GI9kSWQcSBspAb0d-4wyKrAHBzOwa94YBj_g7RKlUShLQmxuxBOu8iEAfOGs9EkcrwkVLbyY3c3WQmMfyCJqpuiH2TNKytdqE9goWqBzUJo/s1600/atlas1penweb.jpg" height="489" width="640" /></a></div>
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Travis Hanson. That's the name of the exceptional artist that I've picked to work on some promotional material for me. I personally love his art, and from conception to execution, he has been a stand up guy and categorical professional. </div>
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This artwork will go onto some 6 x 9 folders for mailing promotional materials to event planners, corporate mucky-mucks, etc. and it can be scaled up or down as necessary to do other things. We've talked about making a few changes, but I am really impressed with Travis' ability to comprehend and capture the vision that was in my head and then put it onto paper.</div>
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Apparently I'm not the only mind reader out there! He runs a free webcomic called "The Bean" and you can find out more about him and his art at <a href="http://www.beanleafpress.com/">www.beanleafpress.com</a>.</div>
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I've got something special planned for tomorrow night's show - there might be some video here next week if all goes to plan!</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
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<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-25836710254081716622013-04-02T18:59:00.002-07:002013-04-02T19:14:06.203-07:00Guilt Is A Powerful Motivator<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well!</div>
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I'm going to begin all this by completely blaming my brother for what happened. In the court of public opinion, I should be exonerated completely.</div>
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BUT...</div>
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Now that things have worked out, what happened really was funny, and I want some of the credit for the jape without any of the blame.</div>
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I want to have my cake and eat it too - and since this is my blog, I feel perfectly entitled to instruct you to read the following carefully: </div>
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Where something is enjoyable, funny, or clever, attribute it to me. Where something is soul-crushingly detestable and shakes your belief in human decency and goodness, well, attribute it to my brother as this was all his idea.</div>
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What happened is this:</div>
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It was April the first. The day of the fool. It has been my steady practice to ignore this detestable date, as it is the day that your honest mates turn into untrustworthy monsters and pranksters run amok without remorse or conscience. What is worse is that you are allowed to be made a mockery of, your emotions toyed with (or worse) and laughed at for your credulity as a result. No matter that your credulity has been trained for the previous 364 uninterrupted days - you are a pathetic waste if you allow yourself to be tricked on April the first (no matter how elaborate the scheme).</div>
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So, as I say, I never participated in these juvenile games. I was once tricked into urinating onto cling film expertly stretched out over the toilet, and forced to meticulously clean my folly by disapproving parents. Since that day, I treat this holiday with the disdain it deserves.</div>
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That is why I really should have known that no good would come from being drawn into the dastardly and depraved plans that my brother, unbeknownst to me, had been hatching.</div>
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He approached me early in the morning, while I was in my office, and informed me that I had a part to play in what (in hindsight) could surely have led to a manslaughter charge at the very least. </div>
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He pulled up a chair (despite my reproachful looks and studied indifference to his presence), and began to outline his evil machinations. I was distressed to find that I featured heavily and often. He was certainly heavy on the parts where I did the dirty work. It was evident that he preferred to view himself as the producer in the part, and I could see why (especially later on) - to him, plausible deniability was a watchword.</div>
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The scheme, as outlined was this:</div>
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I should call my mother and inform her that my brother had just suffered a heart attack and that she should meet me at the hospital.</div>
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Read the above again. How pathetically cliched and humdrum! You can see how the plan, as laid out, drew me in. There was no hook! It was transparent! This rank amateur was doomed to failure and he was trying to make me tell such a blatant and impossible lie. That would never do! My artistic sensibilities were offended, and I told him that if I wanted to submit myself to a formulaic and samey plot, I would subject myself to a children's show on the television.</div>
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"Well you couldn't do any better!", he exclaimed vehemently.</div>
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And with those words, his subtle trap was laid, and he knew that he had snared the heart of the hero of this tale. He had studied my ways so intensely and for so long, that he knew that I would be captured and made an accomplice in this awful tragedy.</div>
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And so I was. I cannot offer any excuse other than that I take pride in my work. This shambolic and laughable idea of his having had a heart attack was off. </div>
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I thought it over and decided that nothing short of a fire would do. He would hear nothing of it, I suggested a lawnmower accident, he countered with a violent allergy attack while mowing the lawn, and the thing was done. Together we had conceived this tragic scenario, and with my brother's history of allergies, the lie would be thoroughly plausible.</div>
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The next thing I knew, my phone was in my hands, ringing, my voice haggard and distressed, as I expelled the story onto my mother's voicemail, tiny details never before considered, but establishing beyond a doubt my credibility. We didn't know how long he had been laying on the ground next to the mower before someone noticed his prostrate body and called an ambulance. The sound of the mower hindered the alarm being raised. Nobody knew if he was breathing. I was racing along behind the ambulance. Please call!</div>
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At the end of the message, there were legitimately tears in my brother's eyes. He was haunted by the narration he had just heard. </div>
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I got the call a moment later. My mother was full of desperate hope when she asked "Is this an April Fool's joke?"</div>
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At the urging of my sadistic brother (who was sat next to me), I dashed her hopes entirely. "No, hang on Mom, I am trying to find out from this nurse where the paramedics took him. I followed the ambulance in but they went to the ER and I had to park in the parking lot. I don't know where he is right now."</div>
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I have never before heard the howl of complete anguish that burst from my distressed mother. I'd made her cry before, sure, but not like this. <i> Her baby was dying</i>.</div>
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Somehow, "April Fools!" didn't seem appropriate. </div>
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And yet, at that point, that's all I had. </div>
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And so, I dutifully delivered my line, with as much merriment forced into the words as I could muster. I tried to sound jolly. Instead, the words just hung there, my mother destroyed in her grief. </div>
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About ten seconds passed, with huge wet sobs burbling grotesquely out of the receiver of the phone, and then the line went dead.</div>
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My brother and looked at each other, wretched men that we were, tortured in our guilt.</div>
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And then, rather unexpectedly, my brother decided to distance himself from our project.</div>
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This was a wise decision, and one I envied immediately, as it was not an option available to myself.</div>
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He was distressingly quick to point out that there was not actually any proof of his involvement in the scheme. I had left the message, I had done all the talking during the phone call, I had been the only one to yell "April Fools!"</div>
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On all the available evidence, I was the one who was a soulless monster - not him.</div>
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Yes, his plan was one of strict denial and studied innocence.</div>
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The full horror of my situation was now upon me. Thinking quickly, I surreptitiously switched the recorder on on my phone. Within minutes, I had a full confession from this larcenous brother, and when I confronted him with his own words, an impromptu wrestling match ensued, full of bitter and petty recriminations.</div>
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In the end, we decided to face up to our crime.</div>
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But our mother did not answer the phone for over an hour.</div>
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By now, our working theory was that her heart had failed her and that she was dead on the side of the road somewhere.</div>
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More bitter and petty recriminations ensued.</div>
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But in the midst of a persuasive argument being delivered most expertly by one of my knuckles, we received credible intelligence that our mother had been on her way to a meeting.</div>
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Consumed with guilt, my brother and I took to our vehicles and were soon at the location of the meeting. We found the door locked and immediately began to create as much noise as possible, making it evident to all and sundry that our entry to the building was entirely a necessity, upon which no compromise would be accepted.</div>
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It was with tremendous relief that, in the midst of the noise, our mother appeared at the door, pleased by the unexpected surprise of meeting both of her penitent boys. </div>
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Over the ensuing minutes, each of us voiced extremely creative interpretations of our individual contributions to the scheme outlined above, both of us doing our level best to distance ourselves from the role we actually played. </div>
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I take no pride in confessing that I was compelled to play the incriminating recording that I had made of my brother.</div>
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I was distressed to find that he had made his own in turn! </div>
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Neither of us emerged from this situation with much honor.</div>
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But my mother was pleased that we were so concerned for her well being that we abandoned all other projects and scoured Hell and Earth to find her and ensure that she was alright.</div>
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I think that next year, I will return to my habitual indifference to April the first...and I will lock my office door and not take any calls from my brother.</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
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<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-14588490059326967422013-03-26T18:16:00.003-07:002013-03-26T18:16:42.047-07:00It Is All In Your Mind.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, as many of you will no doubt recognize, I've been more and more erratic lately as to when I make these posts. </div>
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I apologize - I have been very, very busy. </div>
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A big part of the scheduling conflict is that I am now performing every Wednesday night, and so the time I used to take to make these posts has been consumed elsewhere. I've tried to make it work, but I am going to have to change the day I post to Tuesday. </div>
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So, having said that, I wanted share an interesting anecdote today regarding one of my sons. He has always had an active imagination, and when he was much younger, he was terrified of the dark. The blend of these two elements constantly resulted in my boy having bad dreams. </div>
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This situation persisted for years.
About four years ago, my mother returned from a trip to somewhere or other in possession of a dreamcatcher (among other gifts for my children). Now, this particular son had spotted it and asked what it was. </div>
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I told him that it was a dreamcatcher. </div>
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He asked what it did, and I told him that it was supposed to prevent bad dreams from entering the mind of a person while they slept.
I did not credit the idea, and naturally did not expect for my son to pay any credence to the idea. </div>
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To my immense surprise, he blurted out "Hey! I need that!"
Spotting an opportunity to help relieve my child's nightly discomfort, I acquiesced and demonstrated to him how to hang and position the dreamcatcher. </div>
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An accomplished skeptic, I was astonished when my son enjoyed peaceful sleep for several nights in a row. This string of restful nights was eventually broken, and, in the middle of the night, my son complained in the aftershock of a nightmare:
"My dreamcatcher is busted!" He said this holding up the offending article in dismay. </div>
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I was faced with a conundrum. I did not want to lie to my son, yet he had evidently placed such faith in the power of this new acquisition that it had eased his mind to the point that he could sleep peacefully with regularity. </div>
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In the end, the decision was not hard to make. I made a great show of holding the dream catcher up and looking the contraption over. "There's nothing wrong with this," I said with evident mirth at my son. "You've just never cleaned it out! It is full - you have to shake it out every night!" My son considered this and went back to his room, evidently satisfied. </div>
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He has shaken his dreamcatcher out every night since then and has had only a handful of nightmares in the five years since that night. </div>
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This experience has made me wonder about the nature of the subconscious, and the power of belief systems on a level that is deeper than conscious thought. I have no doubt that my son's implicit and guileless faith in me and my pronunciations enabled the belief in its efficacy to take hold. It has also made me consider the power and implications of the simple statements that people make to each other daily - especially when those making the statement hold the full trust of the other party. </div>
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How many children are naughty and annoying because their parents tell them daily that they are? By contrast, how is a person's self-confidence shaped by their interactions with a trusted peer or colleague?</div>
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I have my theories, and not all are to be shared here. </div>
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But I will say that I believe in the power and strength of words and ideas.</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-61716547343531336362013-03-13T21:31:00.001-07:002013-03-13T21:37:25.834-07:00An Impromptu Performance<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, today's blog post takes the form of a video. </div>
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I do warn you that the video is fairly raw because I was asked to do something at a local diner by a gentleman that I got to chatting with.</div>
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While the video is a bit rough, this guy's smile and laugh at the end stand out to me as the most special moment of all, and I am always pleased when I have the opportunity to share a moment like this with someone.</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sRDOoNQJeTs" width="600"></iframe>AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-36076433040968507222013-03-06T21:53:00.002-08:002013-03-06T21:53:24.164-08:00Invictus<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the words of William Earnest Henley - "My head is bloody but unbowed."</div>
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You'd never believe it, but a pipe broke under the concrete slab of my humble abode. </div>
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It was a hot water pipe and it began leaking terribly. Hmmm. Actually, you'd probably believe that. What you won't believe is that I was prepared for this disaster. I've been ready for it for quite some time in all honesty. Finally confronted by a nemesis I've dreaded for years (it is seriously a long story), I dashed to the water heater and turned off the supply. </div>
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I called the plumbers and instructed them that there was no need to cut through the concrete slab - with the advent of Pex flexible piping, we could simply cut through the plasterboard, cap the supply line where it went into the floor and run the new pipe across four ceiling joists and along a header and back down to the kitchen (which was the only terminal serviced by the underground pipe). </div>
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In the end, that is just what we did, and the mess is finally cleaned up and we have hot water again.</div>
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Now, it wasn't all gloom in my home during this last week or two. In fact, I happened to enjoy myself immensely at Emerald City Comicon. My wife and I got a hotel and enjoyed Seattle for a few days whilst immersing ourselves in the work of many of the finer independent artists who visited the convention. </div>
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Though I have corresponded with them for some time, I finally got to shake hands with the creators of 'Atomic Robo', Scott Wegener and Brian Clevenger. They were each witty and entertaining and were good enough to take the time to answer all my irrelevant questions. </div>
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I also got to meet Brian Hurt and Cullen Bunn, the team behind 'The Sixth Gun'. If you haven't heard of it, this is, in my opinion, one of the best comics out there right now. I've read the series twice so far, and it was obvious to me that for once you had a set of storytellers who knew where they were taking the reader from start to finish. Cullen Bunn told me that the series will end with the fiftieth issue - confirming my suspicions that these guys started out with a vision and story to tell, rather than to line their pockets with endless iterations of the same story. I also found out that NBC has ordered a pilot for a television show to be based on the comic. They begin filming on March 18th. </div>
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Despite the fact that I called Cullen a monster twice in our first five minutes together, he and Brian were probably the warmest and most engaging people I met all weekend.</div>
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I also met Jim Zub of 'Skullkickers' fame and shared a few laughs with him. Our reminiscing about one scene from one of his stories actually made my wife want to read the comic. That's some damn fine reminiscing if the outcome is that my wife wants to read a comic book...</div>
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I also got to speak with Travis Hanson, who is an Eisner Award nominated artist. He is, in my opinion, a man of exceeding talent capable of creating a sense of wonder in his onlooker. I am, therefore, extremely excited to announce that we have tentatively reached an agreement to have him create a series of images for use in my future advertising campaigns! </div>
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I instinctively know that anyone looking at one of his pieces of art will walk away thinking "I wish that I was there and a part of that". In my mind, that is what any good piece of advertising is about. </div>
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And finally, I found a little game called Gobblet. The rules are ludicrously simple, but the strategy involved makes this one of the most complex and enjoyable games I've played in a long time.</div>
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So there you have it! You'll note that there was much more there that was good than bad. That's the way it seems to me at any rate - and that is the key to happiness!</div>
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Best,</div>
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Atlas</div>
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<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356454779833431527.post-11585402620494694202013-02-20T20:44:00.002-08:002013-02-20T20:47:07.412-08:00Into Every Life, A Little Rain Must Fall...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've had quite a sad last few weeks - our little cat unexpectedly died.</div>
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Now, a few words about the cat:</div>
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She was 12 years old (maybe 13).</div>
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She was an abandoned kitten when my wife rescued her from a snowstorm all those years ago. </div>
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I told my wife that we weren't keeping her, but she smuggled the cat back in her jacket while I drove us home.</div>
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I was allergic to that cat.</div>
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My son was allergic to that cat.</div>
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No matter how many times I clearly told her that I did not like her, she was determined to sit on my lap.</div>
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She couldn't ever (and I mean EVER) hit the litter tray when she did a little poo.</div>
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She sat in my clothes whenever she found the laundry basket.</div>
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She would vomit up hairballs and leave them for me to step in whilst in my bare feet in the middle of the night.</div>
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She cost me tons of money.</div>
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Whenever I was sat down, she would stand in front of me with her backside right in my face.</div>
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She annoyed me to no end.</div>
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And, ironically, now every time I walk through the front door I look for her in the spot she used to always sit (annoyingly, just at the top of my leather recliner, which has many scratch marks that illustrate her efforts to save herself from accidentally falling off when she had fallen too soundly asleep to be aware of the constant effort of gravity to remove her from the chair...).</div>
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And yet, I miss her and am grateful that she was a part of our family.</div>
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It is odd how pets and people become a part of your life and weave themselves into your plot to the point that there is a void when they are gone. I saw in the paper that Richard Briers passed away a few days ago also. There was something about him that was so cheerful and pleasant and I find myself regretting his passing also. To me, he will always be Bertram Wooster.</div>
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I'd feel quite gloomy if I wasn't so grateful for all that I do still and am able to enjoy.</div>
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<br />AtlasMentalism.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037848860527488667noreply@blogger.com1