Forged credibility

Something I’ve discovered: Whenever a person or company feels the need to announce that they've won an award or say that other people have said nice things about them, they usually made it up themselves.

There are exceptions of course, like testimonials on a landing page, but most of the time, when you read it in an ad or see it on TV, it's because they’re trying to borrow credibility they haven’t earned.

Word of mouth works as a social currency because the people doing the talking are our friends, and because the trust isn’t manufactured—it's earned.

In contrast, when you have to broadcast your praise, it's typically a symptom there’s an absence of organic support.

It’s like laughing at your own joke—sometimes it works, but most of the time, it just feels forced.