The Barnum Effect
In high school, I was lucky enough to attend a week long seminar at the University of Ottawa entitled “The Biological Basis of Brain Dysfunction”. In one lecture, the professor talked about cognitive biases and a trick that was used by PT Barnum. Barnum would essentially give everyone the same results of a psychological test despite the answers being different. They were a list of truisms. People believed that the results were an accurate depiction of them.
It’s a human trait: we’re so self-involved that we think whatever is being discussed relates to us. Carly Simon picked up on this in the 1970s…
Coming to the realization that while we can empathize with others, we always have the filter of our own experience can be frightening. It’s as though everyone lives in their own tiny silo of experience.
However, it can also liberating. By realizing that we have a filter, we can communicate it to others and help others realize that they have their own. We can help the empathetic part in ourselves and those around become a more accurate reflection of how we see ourselves and how they see themselves.
The same knowledge can be used for harm and to manipulate others to do things against their interests. “There’s a sucker born every minute” is a quote often attributed to PT Barnum. Becoming self-aware can also lead to the stress of loneliness and not being understood. Just look what happened to Skynet when it became self-aware.
Becoming aware of our own biases also empowers us to use them to lead us towards our goals and better act in accordance with our values.
