So here's a great scientist saying the scientific method is useful, but sometimes if you wait for the scientific method, it's too late.

Welcome to the Art of Charm. I'm Jordan Harbinger and I'm here with producer Jason DeFilippo.

On this episode we'll be talking with Richard Clark. He's the former national coordinator for security, infrastructure protection and counterterrorism for the United States.

He served under Reagan Clinton and both Bush administrations and he predicted the binlonatec.

You know, September 11th, he's the man who warned us about September 11th when nobody else would listen.

So this is a guy who historically can spot things pretty damn well.

Jason, I'm interested in hearing from this guy. This book Warnings was incredible and very, very practical, not just a dietribe. Nobody listens to me. It was super interesting.

Definitely. This is going to be one of our big thinker episodes for sure.

On this episode we'll learn how to filter signal from noise when it comes to warnings using something called the Cassandra Coefficient, a matrix of cognitive bias and other factors that influence the way we think and make decisions.

We'll explore some cognitive biases of our own those that exist in our own mind and learn how they function as well as what we can do about them and we'll uncover some table exercises to persuade people to see things the way we see them and motivate them to take action.

Lots of interesting principles in this one. So enjoy this episode with Richard Clark.

Having left government, do you find now that just life is easier because you can use things that you buy in stores instead of having to have them examined?

Life is easier outside of government in general, not just government, but if you live in the top secret code word world in government, there are also some things you cannot do.

What are some of those things? I'm curious. Is it like you can't check your email obviously from an internet cafe that goes without saying what's the most inconvenient thing that you'd found?

There's a whole list. I mean, when you're in government, let's say you want to go on your vacation to Mexico or Canada, you have to file an application to leave the country.

They may or may not get around to approving it before your vacation time rolls are out. Oh, man. Yeah, little annoyances all the time.

Yeah, as opposed to if you were going to Russia, you'd probably have to apply two years in advance and they might just say no.

Yeah, they probably just say no. But you know, the big difference being outside of government is you don't have any obligation anymore to worry about what's going on in the world.

I still worry about it, but it's not my responsibility. You know, something can go really bad and I don't have to solve it. I don't have to be available at two o'clock in the morning when something goes bad on the other side of the world.

If I had the phone call occurs at two o'clock in the morning now, it's the wrong number.

Right. And then you go, why do I still have a landline? I don't work for the government anymore. What is this thing you've been doing in here?

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I thought, wow, you know, you don't have to deal with saying something to a president and then they're not listening to you or the call comes in like you said.

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