Lake Hubigant effect

Why does fortune telling make you feel so magical? It seems that you can read your past and guide your future. If you understand this psychological function, you will easily become an indifferent reader. The name of this psychological effect is called "Houbigant Lake Effect".

Keller, an American writer, fictionalized a small town in her works, called Infinite Harbor Lake Town. According to his description, Infinite Harbor Lake Town is located in the center of Minnesota, but it can't be found on the map. When describing this nonexistent town, she said: "The women here are very strong, the men here are very good-looking, and the children here are extraordinary." Although it is a joke, it reflects an important psychological principle, which is now called the Houbigant Lake Effect.

Most of the time, your decision is based on reason. However, in some special circumstances, your brain will be distracted and make you lose your mind. We will attribute our success to ourselves, blame others for our failures, and delude ourselves that we are the most capable people in the world and will surely make a fortune in the future. For example, ask a bunch of couples to evaluate their contribution to the family, with a total score of 100%, and you will find the final score of most families. Because I will exaggerate my contribution to my family, but I will also ignore my partner's contribution. Therefore, the essence of the Houbigant Lake Effect is that people have some unrealistic optimism about their own personality or ability. So how is this effect applied to divination or fortune telling?

Cold readers who are proficient in this effect will praise or praise first. For example, in what way do I see that you are a very creative person, a very kind person and an imaginative person, and these qualities can be applied to almost anyone. At this time, you will respond to these characteristics, overestimate your ability, and think that I praise him for being accurate and helpful. And most importantly, you will choose to listen to what you want and ignore what you think is inaccurate.