Tag Archive for: Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan

Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan’s Speech: Part Three

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Dr. O’Sullivan talks about how wizards can’t get objectivity in their personal lives.

For me, there are times when I am unable to be objective because I am emotional and I have to work to overcome it, but my ability is by no means flat-lined in my personal life. I find I can get objectivity, if I continually look in the mirror and stay honest with myself, and I work to remove any emotional bias I may feel, if I am seeking the truth. Sometimes that is hard for me to do when it involves matters of the heart. I have to work extra hard at it, but it is something I am very conscious of. If someone is not conscious of these two elements, I could see how it could affect their personal life.

I think the wizards are no different than other people in this respect. Anyone who struggles to look in the mirror and who can’t delineate their emotions will face difficulties in their inner circle because they can’t see the truth. What do you think?

Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan’s Speech: Part Two

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Dr. O’Sullivan talks about how people who lie to their friends are less accurate in lie detection. I found this fascinating and it supports what I see in life. The more a person deludes themselves and others, the more removed from reality they become, and the more difficulty they will have in seeing the truth. It’s a good reason to be honest, if you ask me.

One audience member asks if any Truth Wizards have admitted to lying a lot themselves. I am perplexed that so many people ask this type of question, as if because we can see lies, we are good at lying. It’s mortifying really. This question comes up a lot!

Dr. O’Sullivan said it best when she said, “Actually, they are extremely honest people…I think as people they try to live their life in a very principled way…they value honesty.”

Stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow. Thank you, Russ, for the links.

Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan Speech: Part One

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Here is a speech that Dr. O’Sullivan gave that is on YouTube sometime in the past year. She talks about “Lie to Me”, facial expressions and her research on “Truth Wizards”. I hope someone carries on her work. I haven’t heard anything yet, but I hope to soon! Check back tomorrow for Part 2.

Thanks, Russ, for pointing this out.

In Memory of Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan

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I received unexpected and sad news today that Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan, the researcher who conducted the Wizards Project, which identified the 50 known Truth Wizards, passed away on May 10, 2010.

Dr. O’Sullivan and I met in 2006 when she came to visit me after I passed the “truth wizard” tests. She wanted to conduct further research on the project by studying what made me come to the conclusions I come to. I have fond memories of our time together and I snapped this photo so I could always remember the visit.

I value Dr. O’Sullivan’s contribution to science as it changed the direction of my life. She has left a lasting impact on me, and I hope her work is carried forward, as I believe it is very valuable to all people. Thank you, Dr. O’Sullivan, for all of your work. I hope one day, through hard work of my own, that I can leave behind something that touches people lives as deeply as you have.

“Learn To Read Faces”

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Here is an article that you might enjoy. Don’t forget to read page two!

I think O’Sullivan makes a fabulous point:

“It’s not merely seeing the behavior and recognizing it but in interpreting the situation”

In other words, while you’re scanning your date for the usual emotions someone might associate with lying — microexpressions of guilt or fear — you might be missing something bigger.

Your date might not feel guilty at all about lying to get you into bed. In fact, he might be concealing pride or cockiness at his ability to deceive you.”

I think her point is so important, because just seeing and identifying expressions and emotions isn’t enough to accurately understand a situation. So many people show emotional biases that skew their ability when they attempt to understand others, or they use their own past experiences to judge other people’s actions, which will not yield accurate results when reading others.

Read moreIt is critically important to be unbiased when you are trying to understand the actions of another, not jump to quick conclusions, and to explore every potential outcome possible that could explain a situation before formulating an opinion. Of course, doing this is much easier said then done.

How do you teach people to remove emotional and experiential biases? Biases and judgments cloud one’s ability to see the truth.