Set up the dominoes for three hours so they can fall in eight seconds. That’s how most wins look from outside.

What anybody sees is the short end of the ratio. Three hours of crouching on a floor lining things up is invisible, and eight seconds of falling is the whole public record. So people compare their own setup hours, which are boring and slow, against somebody else’s eight seconds, and quietly conclude they are worse at this.

When a result looks effortless, ask about the setup out loud. How long did that take, what did you try first. Most people will tell you, and the number is usually embarrassing in a way that makes you feel much better.