Social Engineering Blogs

An Aggregator for Blogs About Social Engineering and Related Fields

The Future of Deception

How is our ever changing  world changing us? 

Social scientist and former Canadian customs officer, Jeff Hancock, dissects deception in his TED Talk:  ”The Future of Lying”.

He defines certain lies as a relationship, and that in such a connected world with the Internet, cell phones, Skype etc., we are able to get in touch with each other 24 hours a day.  Keeping that in mind he talks about what he coined “Butler” lies.

Lies such as I’m on my way and sorry I didn’t respond sooner my battery was dead are used to create a buffer between us and the connections to everyone else.  These Butler lies are aimed not at being malicious deceptions, but are aimed at protecting the relationship.

However, he goes on to state, “Lying is very pervasive.  The human imagination is capable of conceptualizing massive lies”

Interesting facts that were revealed in Hancock’s research:

1.  Email is the most honest form of communication and the phone is the most deceptive.  He purports that this can be due to ambiguities in the ‘Butler” lie.

2. Paper resumes vs. LinkedIn :  LinkedIn resumes were more honest in things that really mattered to employers such as an individual’s responsibilities and skills.

3.  Most Facebook  profiles seem to reflect actual personalities rather than false bravados.

People lie frequently but most of those lies are subtle lies meaning they stay very near what the truth is.   Why ?

Well, big lies compared to subtle lies are more easily verifiable when you meet someone or when they get to know you on a more intimate level (good friends, boyfriend/girlfriends etc).

Be sure to check out the last few minutes of the video where Jeff shows two written reviews and you get to DECIDE who is lying and who is telling the truth.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How to make your body language work for you during an interview

Patti was interviewed by Miriam Salpeter of US News on, “How to make your body language work for you during an interview.” Check the link below!

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/12/12/make-your-body-language-work-for-you-during-an-interview

You’ve been practicing what to say at an interview, but have you considered what signals your body language is sending? (The Merrabian research I think you wanted to quote here Is not actually valid. Perhaps better to say it has 4.3 times the impact than words alone) Research suggests ____ percent of communication isn’t transmitted via our words, but is broadcast through our actions and attitude.
Patti Wood, author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, suggests the following tips from the book to help you wow your interviewer:
Palm-to-Palm Contact Is Key. Wood explains, “My research is the US and Canada suggests that palm contact is more important than how firm your grip is…If someone shakes hands with you and gives you just her fingers and not her full palm, at a subconscious level you may think, ‘What is she hiding? What is she keeping from me?” Evaluate the all-important handshake and worry less about if you have a firm enough grip and more about extending your entire hand and palm when you greet someone.
How to Sit. Don’t make yourself smaller in stature. Appear brave by keeping your body open. Wood notes, “Keep your arms open and away from your body, legs uncrossed, and shoulders

The Rise and Fall of Empathy

Humintell would like to share some interesting insights about the collective force of empathy.  Can an Outrospective outlook  be the key to creating a revolution of human relationships that can transform the major issues facing our world today?

Watch this short video (10mins) to learn about the path of Empathy in our world yesterday, today and tomorrow!

 

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Is the 21st century a time for Outrospective instead of Introspective mentalities?