The more informed we are, the more successful we’ll be in our decision-making endeavors. That’s only true up to a point: it’s only true if the information we’ve acquired is accurate and truthful. Making good decisions doesn’t merely rely on how much information we take in; it also depends on the quality of that information. If what we’ve instead ingested and accepted is misinformation or disinformation — incorrect information that doesn’t align with factual reality — then we not only become susceptible to grift and fraud ourselves, but we risk having our minds captured by charismatic charlatans. When that occurs, we can lose everything: money, trust, relationships, and even our mental independence. This isn’t a problem that’s new here in 2026; this is a problem as old as humanity itself. When someone is compelling to us, and their arguments are convincing to us, we tend to go along with them, lauding both the idea and the one who puts it forth. We’re even more vulnerable if the idea is something that appeals to us emotionally, …