Character over Content

In communication, there is a saying that what you say is not as important as how you say it. While this is certainly true, it is worth pointing out that how you say it is still not as important as who says it. No matter who you are speaking to, people often place more emphasis on the identity of the speaker than the content of his speech. Here is a simple example. A doodle from a child is regarded as a piece of cheap rubbish, but a similar work from Picasso is considered a work of art, which carries an astronomical price. To the untrained eye, the two do not look very different, but if people know that it is painted by a famous artist, then their perception will change immediately, and they will think: “Oh, if it is from Picasso, it must be good. If I fail to understand it, it must be my problem.”