| One morning, Helaine Olen woke up thinking about the phrase "fake it till you make it." It had become strangely prevalent — sometimes, fairly innocuously, as a way to project ourselves forward into the behavior we want, but sometimes as a way to excuse fakery or even fraud as we struggle to make reality catch up to our claims. From George Santos to Elizabeth Holmes, there's no shortage of public figures representing this darker side of "fake it" these days. And Helaine found herself wondering how we got there. Well, lo and behold, her research quickly yielded a "fake it till you make it" patient zero. Glenn W. Turner, now almost forgotten, was once wealthy and famous before his bogus multilevel marketing scam caught up with him and he lost it all. He was the guy who popularized "fake it" — and that scammy DNA, unfortunately, remains with us. "There's a difference between psyching yourself up and misrepresenting yourself, and the latter is where 'fake it' has gone too far," Helaine writes. So is there room to turn Americans back toward the values of boring old hard work, honesty, and earned success? Maybe — but it will require a real mental reset. Enjoy the read, and let us know what you think.  (Lou Kiss for The Washington Post) The history of a huckster offers a lesson here, if we want to heed it. By Helaine Olen ● Read more » | | | | Instead of finger-pointing, focus on preventing the next pandemic. By Leana S. Wen ● Read more » | | | There is no right in this country to say grossly offensive things and expect those who are offended not to react. By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » | | | | Congress agrees on the need for a more diverse marketplace and a stronger FDA. The real test is whether lawmakers act. By Alyssa Rosenberg ● Read more » | | | Already, spring training games are finishing in 2 hours and 36 minutes. That's nearly a week faster than your average Yankees-Red Sox game last year. By Rick Reilly ● Read more » | | | | The fight is critical to Ukraine's future. By Max Boot ● Read more » | | | |
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