Muhsin's Diary

Random Thought of the Week 🤯

Window Cleaners: It's Time to Get Back Up the Ladder

My window cleaner has abandoned his ladder. In fact, I think there’s a window cleaner union where they collectively decided to get rid of their ladders. Instead, they’ve opted to use a really long stick. You might be rightfully wondering, “Muhsin, how do they know the upstairs windows are clean if they can’t see what they’re doing?” They don’t know if it’s clean! They’re guessing. No longer are we paying window cleaners to clean our windows. Instead, we’re paying them for the attempt.

There are two ways to view this new trend of ladderless window cleaners. From the consumer’s point of view, it’s awful. But, from the window cleaner’s perspective, they have smashed it out of the park—getting paid more for less. And for that reason, I commend the window cleaner community for absolutely finessing the market. Well played, boys and girls.

Science Corner: Trump Lies. But his supporters back him anyway. Why?

In their 2017 study, researchers Swire, Berinsky, Lewandowsky, and Ecker examined how people process political misinformation, focusing on the influence of credibility and partisan loyalty, using statements made by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump as examples. The study explores why misinformation from political figures like Trump can persist in shaping beliefs and even withstand correction.

One of the key findings was the continued influence effect, where misinformation continues to impact beliefs even after corrections. Trump supporters in the study tended to believe statements attributed to him, regardless of their factual accuracy, while Democrats and Republicans who opposed Trump were more skeptical. Interestingly, even when these supporters accepted corrections about Trump’s inaccurate statements, this didn’t affect their voting preferences or overall support for him. This suggests that people may support political figures for reasons beyond truthfulness, such as shared values or policy stances.

The study also highlights the concept of motivated cognition, where people are more likely to believe information that aligns with their existing views. In this case, Trump's supporters viewed him as a credible source, which influenced their willingness to accept his statements. When misinformation was corrected, Trump's supporters initially adjusted their beliefs, but these corrections didn’t last over time, and their support remained largely unchanged.

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, this research has real relevance. Trump remains a polarizing figure, and with his continued presence in the media and as a candidate, understanding how misinformation affects voter behavior is critical. The study suggests that his supporters may not weigh factual accuracy as heavily as their sense of alignment with his broader political stance. This tendency can be seen in the spread of misinformation and the challenge of correcting it in today’s political climate.

Muhsin’s Fav Content This Week 🎙️

This week I’m recommending the Tuesday with Stories Podcast.

Tuesdays with Stories is a popular comedy podcast hosted by comedians Mark Normand and Joe List.They share all these crazy personal stories and behind-the-scenes stuff from their lives on the road. Seriously, some of the things they get into are wild, and they don’t hold back at all. It’s super authentic and unfiltered, which makes it even funnier.