It is easy for men to talk one thing and think another.

Words cost almost nothing to produce, which is why agreement in a room is such weak evidence of agreement in fact. People say yes for a hundred reasons that have nothing to do with belief: to end a meeting, to keep the peace, to avoid looking difficult. This is ordinary rather than sinister, and it applies to you as often as to anyone.

Watch what follows the agreement rather than the agreement itself. When somebody says yes to a plan, look for the first action that would only happen if they meant it. And notice the times you nod while thinking something else.