Morning Jolt: Roy Moore and Our Faith in Our Abilities to Assess Others’ Character

We all like to think we have a good sixth sense about people. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Blink about the decisions we make instantly, without thinking. We all like to believe we can spot a liar, not be fooled by the con man, resist the siren call of salesmen or advertising. We like to believe that our intuition, Divine guidance, Spidey-sense, or the Force will set off alarm bells if someone we encounter has secret malevolent intentions or overall bad character.

Obviously, a lot of people who think they have this good sense about people don't, otherwise con men would never succeed. Life has a way of teaching us some humility as it passes. I've had tenants rip me off, enjoyed the company of friends who weren't actually my friends, and I thought former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell had a bright future in Republican politics. The odds are good that we don't really know people as well as we think we know them, and that is exponentially more accurate for public figures.

If you're reading this newsletter, the odds are good that if you had ever heard of Harvey Weinstein before the scandal, you didn't think well of him. He's the Hollywood elite ...

November 13 2017

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Roy Moore and Our Faith in Our Abilities to Assess Others' Character Jim Geraghty We all like to think we have a good sixth sense about people. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in Blink about the decisions we make instantly, without thinking. We all like to believe we can spot a liar, not be fooled by the con man, resist the siren call of salesmen or advertising. We like to believe that our intuition, Divine guidance, Spidey-sense, or the Force will set off alarm bells if someone we encounter has secret malevolent intentions or overall bad character. Obviously, a lot of people who think they have this good sense about people don't, otherwise con men would never succeed. Life has a way of teaching us some humility as it passes. I've had tenants rip me off, enjoyed the company of friends who weren't actually my friends, and I thought former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell had a bright future in Republican politics. The odds are good that we don't really know people as well as we think we know them, and that is exponentially more accurate for public figures. If you're reading this newsletter, the odds are good that if you had ever heard of Harvey Weinstein before the scandal, you didn't think well of him. He's the Hollywood elite ... READ MORE Cataclysm: Victor Davis Hanson's The Second World Wars Mackubin Thomas Owens I have always found Victor Davis Hanson to be one of the most insightful historians of warfare, whether he was specifically discussing ancient wars, as he did in The Western Way of War (1989)... Living Fearlessly after Sutherland Springs Kathryn Jean Lopez Living Fearlessly after Sutherland Springs ADVERTISEMENT Stockholm Journal Jay Nordlinger When you fly into Stockholm, you fly into Arlanda Airport. This made me curious: Can you fly from Orlando to Arlanda? Oh, yes. I have come from New York, however. In cities all over the... Repeal and Replace the Tax Code George Will The Republicans' tax bill would somewhat improve the existing revenue system that once caused Mitch Daniels (former head of the Office of Management and Budget, former Indiana governor) to say:... The Myth of the Idle Rich Kevin D. Williamson The Republican tax plan may be kind of dumb, but if it were three times as dumb as it is, it would only be half as dumb as the Washington Post's analysis of it. Catherine Rampell, the scrappy... Spare a Thought for Veterans of the American Revolution Jay Cost Another Veterans Day has come and gone. I wonder if just one day is really enough. Between the Revolutionary War and the First Gulf War, nearly 42 million Americans have served during combat,... ADVERTISEMENT The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard Elmore Leonard 'Leonard has penned some of the best western fiction ever.' - USA Today LEARN MORE Photos of the Week Trump's Asia Trip ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 215 Lexington Ave., New York, NY, 10016, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.