The Pratfall Effect: Why Imperfection Makes Us More Likeable

  We tend to find intelligent and competent people who are otherwise pretty clueless, to be quite charming. However, there’s a fascinating psychological explanation behind the figure of the awkward genius, that we see portrayed so often on the big screen. This is the Pratfall effect, or how brilliant people win our sympathy by making a few mistakes. It’s a proven phenomenon. In a movie, when the genius makes a blunder, we start to like them more. The same thing happens in real life. When the typical class know-it-all or dazzlingly knowledgeable classmate trips over or spills their coffee, we…