Welcome team,

If you’re prone to dizziness, you may want to sit down.

This is about being fooled.

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The Drone

I am fascinated by drone technology.

They are used for agricultural spraying to pipeline inspection. Hopefully soon, transportation.

They’ve obviously changed aerial photography.

Below is a video taken from a drone. Racing drones can fly over 100 mph. The drone pilot's skills here are impressive.

tae kim @firstadopter Unreal via Sei pic.twitter.com/KgfXGsKccg tae kim @firstadopter GTA next gen is going to be insane pic.twitter.com/i5lduosYXz December 10th 2021 2 Retweets 28 Likes

As it ended, I discovered I wasn’t watching drone footage.

These are video graphics from the new Matrix video game. The are so good I thought it was real video. Click on the image to see for yourself.

Some of the 3 billion gamers will enjoy spending time in...the Matrix.

Where have your eyes deceived you?

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The Elevator

When I was 26, I got into the empty elevator with David to go to lunch.

We worked for the same company. He was a decade older, taller, and louder. We had good conversations. I also gave him frequent opportunities to laugh at me.

The elevator doors closed, and we descend.

I comment, “Did you know if the cable snaps and you jump up and down, you have a 50/50 chance of surviving?” David stares at me. Several seconds go by.

David is smart. I realize I get to teach him something. I explain that my father was in real estate development. He shared this insider-like tip with me when I was a kid.

David pauses, and with a contained grin says, “You really believe that, don’t you?”

This is where my memory gets fuzzy. Time slowed down. Like, almost stopped.

David explodes laughing: “You dumb m—–f—er!” He is almost shouting with glee.

It took a while for the stun to wear off. Like, months?

What untruths from a trusted source do you have in your personal fact database?

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The Apprentice

In 2004, a new show appeared called the Apprentice.

I liked it, and watched the entire first two seasons. The room felt electric when Trump said, “You’re fired.” This new genre of TV called “Reality TV” felt very real.

I recall my enjoyment interrupted when moments felt scripted. And faintly, in the background of my mind, there were parts that didn’t make sense. For example, how could the winner become an Executive Vice President in his organization without real estate experience?

Years later, I confessed to myself that I had watched a game show. Why did I ignore the signs of fakery for so long?

I wanted to keep enjoying the storyline.

The more fake I detected, the harder my mind worked to suppress the fakery.

This is a requirement of reality TV.

What storylines are you so invested in that you ignore parts that don’t make sense?

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The Wrestling Ring

In 2011, Eric Weinstein of Thiel Capital, was asked what scientific concept would improve everybody’s cognitive toolkit.

His response: Kayfabe.

The term originates from carnivals and is used in professional wrestling. It describes the choreographed fights in the ring and the feuds, storylines, and gimmicks outside the ring.

The wrestlers are in a closed system (called a promotion) that’s sealed against outsiders. They agree to work together to maintain the illusion. Sometimes family members don’t even know if a feud is real or fake.

The #1 rule of Kayfabe: don’t break kayfabe and reveal what’s fake.

Weinstein argues the same system exists from politics to business.

Thankfully, there's a well done 10-minute video that explains the concept. Watch it to add Kayfabe to your cognitive toolkit.

I’d love to know what you think after you watch it.

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The Cat

Other creatures struggle to know what’s real vs. fake.

Here’s a video of a cat watching the TV. When the eagle changes direction and flys towards the camera, the cat runs away.

𝕐o̴g̴ @Yoda4ever Uh oh, I'm out of here..🐈🦅📺😂😂 pic.twitter.com/E7x6Jb0AkB December 11th 2021 5,377 Retweets 27,352 Likes

Dumb cat. If only it was as smart as we humans and knew the difference between fake and real.

And yes, my use of a cat video was a gimmick. Cat and dog videos are well-known crowd-pleasers.

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I wanted the drone video to be real, so I assisted the deception.
I wanted the Apprentice to be real, so I assisted the deception.
I trusted my father not to deceive me, so I failed to apply logic.

Seeing the whole elephant requires more than collecting more information.

We need to add to our cognitive toolkits.

And most importantly: don't trust everything your parent's told you.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend.

- Michael

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p.s. - all images link to the original source. Most of you should be able to click and watch anything I send.

p.s.s. - If you liked the Kayfabe video, there’s a part 2 which is equally fascinating.

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