No One Understands You and What to Do About It

Chapter 1

You Are Surprisingly Hard to Understand

The president thought it had all gone rather well.¹ In fact, he left the stage after his first debate with Mitt Romney thinking himself the victor. He’d followed his and his team’s plan to appear steady, resolute, “presidential.” His aides feared that getting into an angry exchange would damage his likability, and the president himself decided to avoid the one-liners his team had prepared for him, not wanting to look snarky. His plan was to stay above the fray and refuse to take the bait.²

He was shocked to later learn the truth: the audience thought that he was lethargic and disengaged. He had allowed his opponent to go on the offensive and stay there, barely fighting back as Romney landed one ...