Mentalism

The Barnum Effect: Why Vague Statements Feel Deeply Personal

8 min read

A psychic looks at you intently and says: “You have a great need for other people to like and admire you. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself. You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You pride yourself as an independent thinker and do not accept others’ statements without satisfactory proof.” You sit there stunned. How did they know all of this about you? It feels impossibly accurate. Every single statement resonates. This person has...

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