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Deploying Disney: How Social Engineers Take Advantage of Childhood Lessons

May 20, 2009

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Take Those Lessons with a Grain of Salt

This article is not intended to deter people from believing the excellent messages of Disney tales. I just want to expose the fact that humans tend to be inherently trusting, due to the requirements of their physical environment, the lessons they've learned, and their experiences. It's rare to see animals get as close to strangers as we humans do—further highlighting our ability to trust. All of us have indicators that validate our opinion of who is trustworthy (or not). For some of us, it's looks, tone, speech, mannerisms, and more. For others, it may be as simple as sharing the same love for a decades-old cartoon mouse. If you don't believe me, ask Peter Pan: "All it takes is faith and trust, and a little bit of [social engineering]" for someone to get at all that we hold near and dear to us.

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