Comments on: 1 month down, 4 to go

By: marrk

marrk — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:16:36 +0000

Sorry Juho, but that’s about how it went. The exactish conversation was as follows:

Chris: “Hey Mark, this guy is scary, let him read your hand please.”
Mark: “OK” (gives hand to Smiley)
Smiley: “Hm… when you were young your parents thought you how to fight?”
Mark: “WTF?!”

and that’s when panic ensued. Either way, there wasn’t much of a conversation going on. Like… really none. Like he came with his reading after not even twenty seconds after I first talked to him.

By: Juho

Juho — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:18:39 +0000

In cold reading you don’t have to speak to give information, talking is only something like 30 % (??, you’re the psychology student here) of the communication. If that damn Smiley just walked up to you and told you your parents teached you how to fight straight away, then I’m a bit suprised. In that case the only sceptical explanation I can come up with is an lucky guess with a pseudo-accurate punch line. “Your parents teached you to fight” seems really accurate, but in my opinion it’s still open to lots of interpetations.

By: DÃ©

DÃ© — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:07:32 +0000

Happy to help, marrk!

By: marrk

marrk — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:26:34 +0000

Chris, I’m kinda amazed too. Weblogs are like diaries I think, more for the one that writes them, than for people that read them. Erm… as far as people read diaries that is. But it’s nice that people comment on this stuff . It means people read it too.

And Juho, in that case it wasn’t cold reading. There was no conversation whatsoever. I just have to acknowledge the fact that I look like someone who got beat up as a kid, and now compensates by having a weird walk and a somewhat uneasy way of communicating with people . I can live with that tbh.

By: Christiaan

Christiaan — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:03:21 +0000

Hey Marrrrk, just checking your site. Looks nice. Seems like you’re having fun. I’m rather impressed by the amount of odd people replying to your posts by the way. Enjoy!
Two smileys for you:

By: Juho

Juho — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:10:24 +0000

As far as I understand the cold reading starts with vague stuff and wild guesses, and then the reader adjusts the guesses according to your response. Basically you tell him when he is on a right track.

“I can see your parents had a great influence to your life… they teached you how to cope in life, how to defend yourself… maybe not by themselves… but by another person, who teached you how to fight… some kind of boxing or similar sport…”

Also the whole situation is designed to encourage you to make connections and interpretations. A really nice and convincing psychology trick!

My exchange was probably as fun as yours, just a bit less sunshine. What I’ve heard from other people and seen here in Finland, the exchange seems to be quite similar no matter where you go. Lots of parties and travelling with other exchange students, less studying and local people. Best time ever!

By: marrk

marrk — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:39:43 +0000

New theory that I do not like to admit… Maybe I just look like someone that got beat up a lot as a kid . Damn that Smiley guy…

By: marrk

marrk — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:26:19 +0000

Thanks! Been enjoying it so far.

Don’t you think what he came up with is awfully specific? Cold reading normally leads to stuff like names, or if you’re a horse, a number of times stamping with your hoofs.
Problem is that I was intoxicated-ish. I’ll ask the German guy what this Smiley read off of him.

Was your exchange as much fun? You did make it to co-authoring a published paper, but I still cannot really imagine how going on exchange to Holland actually is.

By: Juho

Juho — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:07:57 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btP_vy5cQq4

Plausible reason delivered.

It’s not laying on top too thick, but it is there.

Enjoy your exchange.