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You Can’t Read Minds
Don’t pretend you can
I enjoy mentalism. Some of the effects that the top mentalists pull off are astounding. They come across as miraculous. Yet…
Despite how convincing some of them can be, it is a scientific fact that no human being can read the mind of another human being.
Human beings can be trained to read body language. We can also be trained to influence other people. We can also be trained to deceive and manipulate others. But read minds? No.
No human being can read the mind of another human being.
That includes you.
And yet…
How often do you find yourself assuming the thoughts and intentions of other people? How often have you been on the receiving end of such assumptions or judgments?
Years ago, a woman came to me with a complaint about another person. I was caught off guard by this conversation. It was one of those situations that started with “How are you doing?” and I soon regretted asking. For the next 15 minutes, she proceeded to tell me about this other person, including intricate details of what this other person’s intentions were.
When I tried to patiently explain the difference between intention and effect and the reality that we can only speak to how another person’s…
