Episode
Wired to Trust
- Podcast
- Easy Prey
- Published
- Apr 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2480
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.easyprey.com/318
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Summary
It's easy to think scams only work when someone misses something obvious. In reality, most of them don't look obvious at the start. They show up as normal situations with just enough friction to notice, but not enough to stop. That small gap is where people tend to move forward instead of stepping back. My guest today is Tali Sharot, a cognitive neuroscientist who studies how we form beliefs and make decisions. She's known for her research on the neural basis of human optimism, and her work has been published in leading journals. In her books, The Optimism Bias and The Science of Optimism, she explains why we expect things to work out and how that tendency can quietly expose us to risk. We discuss what's happening in those in-between moments, why a situation can feel slightly off and still seem reasonable enough to continue, and how past experience lowers our guard without us noticing. We also look at that brief internal hesitation people tend to override, and why it's often the most useful signal they have. By the time something clearly crosses the line, the decision has usually already been made. Show Notes: [01:14] Tali explains her background as a cognitive neuroscientist and how her work blends psychology, brain science, and behavior. [01:48] Her interest in the field began with a simple question about how the brain drives thoughts, emotions, and actions. [03:00] She shares a personal story about renting out her apartment that turned into a scam. [04:30] Early warning signs show up right away, including unusual requests and meeting conditions. [05:30] Despite noticing those signals, she moves forward and hands over the keys. [08:43] Looking back, she explains how she rationalized each red flag instead of acting on it. [10:02] That uneasy gut feeling is often based…