Studies have shown that unsound thinking can sort of pass from one person to the next. Say I bought a house with the intent of fixing it up and then selling it. It’s one of those deals where you keep sinking money into it, doing repair after repair, renovation upon renovation. But, of course, things keep falling apart, and I don’t know what I am doing. But I keep throwing good money after bad. In other words, I am making some very bad decisions. Would you stop me? Well, I would like to think I would. Sure, but according to a few studies, because you know me, there’s a good chance you’ll actually encourage me to keep going. But why? Because it’s like you internalize my hopes and desires and aren’t able to be objective. It’s almost as though you’ve caught my fever for flipping the house. So you end up justifying my bad decisions instead of pointing out their flaws. I see! But if I didn’t know you will had no personal connection, I’d be more able to give you objective advice? Right!