› added 2 years ago

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TIL about the Barnum Effect, a common psychological phenomenon whereby individuals give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically to them, yet are general enough to apply to a wide range of people, such as astrology and personality tests.

PYlEe TIL that in 67 AD, the Roman Emperor Nero participated in the Olympics, bribing the organizers to postpone the games for a year. Nero won every contest, even one which he left the race after being thrown off his chariot. He was removed from the list of winners after his death.
1O4 TIL that when she was five years old, Tina Fey was slashed in the face with a knife by a random stranger.
pY8N8 TIL that a 90s Canadian action series, "Tropical Heat", became a suprise hit in Serbia. The main character (Rob Stewart's "Nick Slaughter") became a hero and symbol of the 1996 opposition against Slobodan Milošević, and no one from the show was aware of the cult status it reached there until 2008.
grLrX TIL about Nguni Stick Fighting, a South African martial art. Fighters, armed with two long sticks, spar until blood is drawn or the referee intervenes. It's popular at weddings where it’s seen as a way for the newlyweds’ families to get to know each other. Nelson Mandela practiced it as a child.
QGNE TIL Lemmings don’t really commit mass suicide; that perception was created by a Walt Disney produced doc where the crew pushed lemmings off a cliff