Physical and other characteristics
> The feature of being an interested or disinterested party is highly relevant to whether he, she, it, or they should be trusted.
- We base our judgments on irrelevant considerations.
ex. physical characteristics tells us little about a person's credibility or its lack.
Does a person look you in the eye? Does he perspire a lot? Does he have a nervous laugh?
> Characteristics are widely used in sizing up a a person's credibility.
- simply by being taller, louder, and more assertive can enhance a person's credibility.
ex. A practiced confidence artist can imitate a confident teller of the truth, just as an experienced hacker can cobble up a genuine- appearing website.
> We use irrelevant features to judge a person's credibility including gender, age, ethnicity, accent, and mannerisms.
- Judgments are based on the clothes a person wears.
ex. One who wears sunglasses can make a statement but that statement doesn't say much about credibility.
- A person's occupation bears a relationship to his or her knowledge or abilities but as a guide to moral character truthfulness, it's less reliable.
> Appearance doesn't make someones credibility.
- You might have the idea that you can size up a person just by looking into his or her eyes but it is a mistake. By looking at someone, we can't ascertain that person's truthfulness, knowledge, or character.
- ex. We depend on credible advice from qualified and honest professionals who are preparing our tax returns but qualified and honest professionals can make an honest mistake and we suffer from those consequences.
> We run into trouble if we accept either doubtful claims from credible sources.
- ex. If a mechanic says we need a new transmission, the claim itself may not be suspicious; maybe the car we drive has many miles on it; maybe we neglected routine maintenance; maybe it isn't shifting smoothly. However, the mechanic is an interested party; if there's any reason to suspect he would exaggerate the problem to get work for himself and we'd get a second opinion about our transmission.
Remember; interested parties are less credible than other sources of claims.
- We base our judgments on irrelevant considerations.
ex. physical characteristics tells us little about a person's credibility or its lack.
Does a person look you in the eye? Does he perspire a lot? Does he have a nervous laugh?
> Characteristics are widely used in sizing up a a person's credibility.
- simply by being taller, louder, and more assertive can enhance a person's credibility.
ex. A practiced confidence artist can imitate a confident teller of the truth, just as an experienced hacker can cobble up a genuine- appearing website.
> We use irrelevant features to judge a person's credibility including gender, age, ethnicity, accent, and mannerisms.
- Judgments are based on the clothes a person wears.
ex. One who wears sunglasses can make a statement but that statement doesn't say much about credibility.
- A person's occupation bears a relationship to his or her knowledge or abilities but as a guide to moral character truthfulness, it's less reliable.
> Appearance doesn't make someones credibility.
- You might have the idea that you can size up a person just by looking into his or her eyes but it is a mistake. By looking at someone, we can't ascertain that person's truthfulness, knowledge, or character.
- ex. We depend on credible advice from qualified and honest professionals who are preparing our tax returns but qualified and honest professionals can make an honest mistake and we suffer from those consequences.
> We run into trouble if we accept either doubtful claims from credible sources.
- ex. If a mechanic says we need a new transmission, the claim itself may not be suspicious; maybe the car we drive has many miles on it; maybe we neglected routine maintenance; maybe it isn't shifting smoothly. However, the mechanic is an interested party; if there's any reason to suspect he would exaggerate the problem to get work for himself and we'd get a second opinion about our transmission.
Remember; interested parties are less credible than other sources of claims.