Tread Cleanly!

Over at Scott Berkun's business blog, and listed as a "popular post" is an essay, "How to Detect Bullshit", that raises lots of valuable points. I disagree with Berkun's opinion that we have an "irrational nature", but found his practical advice, which comes in the form of four "tools" worth passing along. The tools are:

• Asking someone how he knows what he is claiming to be true,
• Asking someone for a counterargument for his position,
• Not allowing oneself to be intimidated or distracted by technical details or jargon one does not actually understand, and
• Being careful about whom one trusts.

I see the first of these -- directed at oneself -- as the linchpin. All the rest follows from any interaction as long as one is scrupulous about it.

Nevertheless, it can be helpful to see examples of how such a policy might be applied in practice. Here is part of what Berkun says about the third of these, in the form of an example and his commentary:

Our dynamic flow capacity matrix has unprecedented downtime resistance protocols.

If you don't understand what the hell this means, err on your own side. Don't assume you're missing something: assume they are. They're either hiding something, communicating poorly, or don't themselves understand what they're talking about. BS deflating responses include:

• I refuse to accept this proposal until I, or someone I trust, fully understands it.
• Explain this in simpler terms I can understand (repeat if necessary).
• Break this into pieces you can verify, prove, compare, or demonstrate for me.
• Are you trying to say "our network server has a backup power supply?" If so, can you speak plainly next time?

Berkun's broad point is correct: There will always be "bulls" in the fields of human knowledge and endeavor. It is up to ourselves to keep our shoes clean.

-- CAV

Updates

5-10-12: Changed "technological" to "technical".