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The Art of Not Getting Conned
Fyre Festival consultant Marc Weinstein examines why smart people do stupid things
In my life, I have had the privilege of working with many incredibly talented, ambitious, and intelligent individuals across various industries. There is no shortage of smart people in this world, yet surprisingly there is no shortage of stupid decisions, either.
Why is this the case?
In his interview with Shane Parrish, Adam Robinson notes that stupidity is not the opposite of intelligence: “In fact, stupidity is the cost of intelligence operating in a complex environment. It’s almost inevitable.”
Nearly two years ago, I was presented with a unique opportunity to advise on what might have become one of the most extravagant music festivals of our time. Fueled by an ingenious marketing campaign that tapped into the modern millennial zeitgeist, Fyre Festival completely sold out after only a few days. However, with just one month to go until showtime, management was still seeking consultants to help with production. That’s when they found me.
If you’re reading this, you likely already know how that story ended. I was hired as a consultant to try to rescue what is now one of the most highly publicized failures in our cultural memory. Many intelligent people were involved and of course, many stupid decisions were made.
According to James Russel Lowell: “One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.”
That said, I hope that sharing my experience (and utilizing the mental model of Adam Robinson), might be enough to help you (the reader) make better decisions in the future, too.
The stupidity checklist
“Acting alone any of these are powerful enough, but together they dramatically increase the odds you are unaware that you’ve been cognitively compromised.”
— Shane Parrish, Farnam Street
Adam Robinson defines stupidity as overlooking or dismissing conspicuously crucial information. I believe that stupidity arises when one acts out of alignment with one’s internal compass.
