Let’s say you know the outcome of something before doing it based on prior experiences or data. Someone comes along claiming that is untrue and, for whatever reason, you decide to believe them. It turns out to be exactly what you thought initially. What can be said about you in this situation?

• Were you being optimistic?
• Was it a self-fulfilling prophecy?
• Were you naive to buy into the false truth?
• Were you just a fool? Or were you wise enough to consider the situation and choose to trust the other person?
• Why did you decide to trust the other person? Could it be because you doubted yourself or didn’t want to be labelled “stubborn”, “dogged”, “stiff-necked”, “rigid” or “strong-headed”?

All this mental turmoil is because this new barber (cool guy) didn’t listen to me, and now I have bumps on the back of my head.

Consider this incident: Your favourite barber is out of town, so you have to try a new one. The new barber turns out to be a cool, chatty guy with a beautiful family. At the end of the haircut, he suggests using the skin fade clipper to make the back of your head smoother, but you remember that you have sensitive skin and mention that you get bumps when the clipper or razor blade is used. He insists that was false, saying, “It’s because the other barbers were not gentle with soft touches, and a razor blade would be fine.” For some reason, you choose to allow him, only to regret it later. Now, you have to explain to him how wrong he was while suffering the consequences.

A story of my life.

This incident highlights the complexities of trust, influence, and persuasion. Although trusting others is essential, it’s equally vital to balance that with critical thinking and personal experience, underscoring the value of evidence-based decision-making. It’s a reminder to trust our informed instincts while remaining open to new perspectives, ensuring those perspectives are grounded in reality.