Why You Could Be Good at Bullshit

Today, I had an interesting conversation with my girlfriend about 'how to get ahead at work.' We agreed on two main areas; 'technical brilliance' and 'being able to talk.' This conversation then went on for a while until she reached the conclusion 'being able to talk is being good at lying.'

I had to disagree with this statement. Yes, people that are good at lying are sometimes good at talking. However, the good 'liars' are much more than that. A good 'liar' or a good 'lie' takes a certain level of skill which is what I'd like to talk about for this post.

I'll call this post, Why You Could Be Good at Bullshit.

What I'm going to say is nothing new. There are plenty of more in depth discussions out there (you could read this link - How to master the art of bullshit). However, for people more mathematically inclined the idea of pattern recognition may be more effective.

So to begin with I'd like to present at idea. All similar scenarios follow the same themes or components. Similar to how we use economics to explain how business works or physics to explain how gravity works, the art of bullshit follows the same principles.

A good bullshit artist, understands the fundamental structure required for the scenario. For example, in the work place, the best bullshitters understand the key components that keep the business together. At times, they may not know all the specifics such as who is required for each role, but they know what roles are required. Similarly, the bullshitter knows when they can get away with be 'lazy' and when they must 'work.'

The great thing about this is that anyone can become better at this. In the office environment; or any other environment. Everywhere you go, there are always common scenarios that repeat themselves quite regularly. The trick is to identify the common themes. Once you understand the key components to that scenario, you can essentially bullshit your way through any similar scenario that presents itself.

Hence, I encouraging you to start thinking about the following when analysing a scenario:

- Who are the key decision makers

- Who can influence the key decision makers

- What are the defining factors that will affect the outcome's timeline

- How can your skill set help the situation

Coming up with generalised answers to each of these main points will help you be prepared to 'bullshit' when you are put on the spot. 

So next time you are sitting there and wondering why that person who doesn't seem to do anything keeps getting promoted or that you wish that you could think of something to say when you meet someone new, remember this one key thing; the underlying formula stays the same.

Hopefully with a little bit of practice, you too can become skilled in 'The Art of Bullshit.'

Thanks for reading

#Hanbaobao