Behind the Scenes—The Tribute—Psychological Ventriloquism.
Behind the Scenes
We need to accept our ignorance and say ‘I don’t know’ more often.
That is a line from Malcolm Gladwell in his book, ‘Blink’.
The reason is that people are truly ignorant of the things that affect their actions. Yet, they don't really feel ignorant.
There have been so many experiments carried out regarding this but the one that grabbed me forcefully by the throat is the result of the speed-dating experiment.
When they compared what the speed-daters said they wanted with what they were attracted to, they found out that the two things didn’t match.
For example, let’s imagine you say you want to be with someone intelligent and sincere. This means that you ought to be attracted to only intelligent and sincere people.
However, during the speed-dating, you find out that the person you are attracted to is more attractive and funny than they are intelligent or sincere.
Then, you change your mind. The next day, you decide you are now into attractive and funny people.
Except that after a month, you are back to saying you are interested in intelligent people.
Why? Is it that you don’t know what you want? No, you do. It is only incomplete.
You made a conscious decision of what you want in a partner because you thought about it but what you don’t know is how you came about the criteria that made you prefer someone attractive and funny. (Just for the record, I believe people can have all four traits, but for this experiment, there was an apparent gradation of these traits)
So, if your explanation doesn’t match your actions, does that mean you are no longer a living thing? No. It just means that you don’t have an explanation for it.
You don’t know. I don’t know.
There are so many things that go on behind the scenes—in this case, Malcolm refers to it as the locked door of your unconsciousness.
I am here to tell you that it is okay not to know. You don’t have to break down the door of your unconsciousness to figure out what may be ‘unfigureoutable’.
For example, I can’t explain why Luka Sabbat is the love of my life.
Although I know romance can be complicated, it doesn’t change the fact that it is okay not to have an explanation.
The Tribute
I watched the Tribute of Herbert Wigwe with a broken heart and I realised that we are truly reminded of the frailty of life only when someone dies.
We claim to be aware but we are on automatic pilot until death announces its ugly presence, leaving the living with carefully curated monologues and a renewal of sonder that glazes our eyes.
We know life is meaningless, yet we trudge, we argue.
We forget intentionally because we don’t know when our time will be up.
Psychological Ventriloquism
Here is my best example of Psychological ventriloquism. But first, you have to answer a question, so please put on your thinking hat.
An ad agency was going broke because they had very few clients. The word was out that the firm was going under. How can they turn it around? What do you suggest they do?
1. Lower their prices.
2. Issue a press release highlighting their past successes.
3. Make a final effort to go into the streets and get more clients.
4. None of the above.
Come on, you have to choose an option.
Well, you were right if you chose none of the above.
They threw a bloody party instead.
They spent everything they had throwing a grand and lavish Christmas party for competitors, potential clients, and even journalists to make them see the firm as a success.
By now, you should be able to guess what happened. The agency went on to become a great success. (I know what they did was obviously risky)
That, dear reader, is psychological ventriloquism.
It influences the way you think. It forces you to communicate differently.
It acknowledges that there are triggers that we have been conditioned to accept and interpret unconsciously.
Then, it uses these triggers to communicate powerfully. How? By acknowledging that humans make assumptions about most things.
Just like how you are assuming that I know what I am saying. Well, I do.
8:55 pm
The air is still heavy. It is now tinged with grief. I am going ahead to play ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar.
The Psychological Ventriloquism part is some serious trick. I didn't see your answer (their success) coming. I was already thinking about how a bit insane and rash they were. But thanks.
I didn't know the "Ventri...." before now. Thanks to you, I now do.
Finally finished reading this after the third attempt; I won't tell you why it took that long but I think there is a level of audacity required to succeed, because why is a broke agency throwing a party and how did Portable convince Skepta to shoot a video with him?