People Respect Authenticity Over Applause

The city-state of Venice rose to tremendous wealth in the Middle Ages thanks to a geographic position that gave it a virtual monopoly on naval trade to the Middle East. With the discovery of the New World however, additional trade routes opened up, eroding this advantage and putting Venice on the brink of financial ruin.

No surprise then, that Venetians eagerly embraced the swirling rumors in 1589 of the arrival in Italy of Marco Bragadino—a mysterious alchemist who claimed he could transmute regular metals into gold.

Prominent Venetian families went to Bragadino’s home and became so enamored with the idea that he might restore them to power, they looked right past the misdirection and trickery he used to create his “gold”. They gave him a palace of his own and offered him tremendous amounts of money to fund his work—and his lavish lifestyle.

After months of hosting extravagant banquets and parading about the city in expensive clothes, Bragadino had not produced an ounce of gold. As the citizenry grew impatient, Bragadino was dismissive. His genius, he explained, could not be rushed.

For a long time, the senate urged everyone to leave Bragadino alone, but eventually they too grew impatient and demanded proof of his work.

In a last-ditch effort to continue the con, Bragadino explained that he had already sealed the substance that would produce the gold in the city’s mint. They could open it now and double their gold, or they could leave it sealed for seven years and have thirty times the gold.

I can’t help but admire Bragadino’s audacity to double down, but it didn't work. The suggestion so infuriated his enemies that he was forced to flee to Munich, where he immediately began the same con on the Duke of Bavaria.

Within a year the Duke had run out of patience just as the Venetians had, and in 1591 he ordered Bragadino be executed by beheading.

One of the most powerful forces in human psychology is confirmation bias. We tend to seek out and believe information that confirms our existing beliefs and desires, and ignore or dismiss information that contradicts them.

Most Venetians probably doubted it was possible to create gold from common metals, but they desperately wanted it to be true. Bragadino fed off this hope all the way to a palatial lifestyle and a legion of devoted followers.

A con artist might be an extreme example, but the temptation to indulge other people’s fantasies to gain popularity for ourselves is quite common.

Just look at how LinkedIn works.

The best way to get likes and followers is not to share deep wisdom or hard truths. No, the quickest way to grow a LinkedIn audience is to package trite motivational stories that confirm people's existing beliefs or to suggest that the world works in a way that aligns with their desires—no matter how fictional.

This works inside most companies too.

Eagerly going along with a doomed plan? You’re a team player!

Speaking up to challenge the status quo? You’re a malcontent!

Telling people what they want to hear will undeniably provide short-term advantages. You’ll enjoy smoother conversations while sidestepping confrontation. It might even lead to increased popularity or job promotions.

But what most people don’t realize is that the pursuit of popularity in this manner—on platforms like LinkedIn or in real life—might yield temporary gains, but it will chip away at your credibility.

Always agreeing with the boss or waiting to see which way the wind is blowing before speaking up in a meeting erodes your authenticity and makes it difficult for others to trust you. Over time, this habit can undermine your own self-trust too, leaving you unsure of your own beliefs and ideas.

Instead of telling people what they want to hear, tell them what they need to hear. Instead of chasing the ephemeral buzz of approval, strive for authenticity, substance, and the willingness to challenge conventional wisdom—even if it means being momentarily unpopular.

Like the alchemist's gold, the allure of false validation always fades.

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