Information Density And Information Layers Matter, From VisionQuest and Game Shows To Geopolitics

One of my favorite things on Taskmaster or Game Changer is when the contestants have to come in a place other than first. A simple example might be, “Pick a number between 1-500, second highest number chosen wins.” Particularly when the contestants are doing so all in the same place and can talk to each other. Suddenly, a very simple game becomes much more complex. Who are the others? What are they likely to choose? It’s not just what they’re saying, but how they’re saying it, and how they’re behaving. The contestants — and we as the audience — are paying attention to all the layers of information being communicated, both unintentional and intentional. In such games, we focus on the unintentional signals being sent, the ones that other contestants try to keep hidden. In real life, there’s the unintentional signals that are not being hidden at all, but are typically not consciously noticed. Well, by most in their everyday lives. There absolutely are those who study, utilize, and…