The year is 1939, and Hitler plans to invade several neighbouring countries to rid them of Jews. He knows that France and Britain will declare war in their defence. Hence he has to make it quick and gather strength before they can organise themselves. But on the eastern front lies an even bigger threat, the Man of Steel as he is known; the leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. Hitler knows that he cannot wage war against the West and the East at the same time. Therefore, he reaches out to Stalin to negotiate a non-aggression pact. In addition, they secretly agree on how they will share their new territory after invading the smaller European countries.
However, Hitler has one more problem. Before signing the pact, he has to make sure that Stalin is not a Jew. To figure this out, he sends an emissary to Russia to negotiate the final terms of the pact, and among the delegates is Heinrich Hoffman, his official photographer. Hoffman is on a secret mission to take photos of Stalin’s ears for Hitler’s inspection. If they find that his earlobes are attached, the deal is off because, according to Hitler, all jews have attached ears.
Hoffman eventually comes back, develops the images of Stalin’s ears and hands them over to Hitler. To his relief, Stalin’s earlobes are detached, which means he is not a Jew and Russia will not invade Germany. The foreign ministers of the two countries sign the pact on 23 August, and a week later, on 1 September 1939, Germany invades Poland, effectively sparking The Second World War.
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Indeed, The Second World War, the most catastrophic event in human history, depended on the shape of someone’s earlobes. I was puzzled when I first stumbled upon this. How could such an intelligent man whose ideas gave birth to Volkswagen, highways, “public relations” as we know it today, jet engines and many other inventions – how could he succumb to such low superstition? Was it an alter-ego, or something, that drove him to be brilliant in one sense, evil in another, and downright duff in yet another sense?
Having thought about this mystery, it dawned on me that perhaps Hitler’s insistence on dispatching his ear lobe brigade is an essential feature in our human nature. In other words, you and me are not too different from Hitler in that sense. Let me explain.
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The year is 1883, 24 May. The world’s largest suspension bridge just opened. The bridge is an engineering marvel, spanning 1.8km over the East River and connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan. Crowds of people are pouring in to witness this spectacle. But in the back of their minds, they are also sceptical about the strength of the bridge. Rumour has it that suspension bridges sway and buckle in the wind, especially when they are laden with weight.
Nevertheless, some people tip-toe onto the bridge – you know, the early adopters. But a week later, a lady trips on the bridge’s staircase, causing another behind her to fall onto her. The following person behind them also falls, and it becomes a scrum. Mixed with an air of suspicion about the bridge’s strength, the crowd panics and umbrellas, suitcases, shoes and hats are flung in all directions. A stampede erupts, killing seven people in twelve minutes and injuring many more.
A year goes by, and public trust in the bridge is low; people are avoiding it, and investors are concerned. But, a circus founder and showman, Phineas Barnam, has an idea. As it turns out, people believe that elephants would never tread on unstable ground. Therefore, the best way to prove the bridge’s strength is to parade not one but 21 elephants across it.
On 17 May 1884, almost a year after the bridge opened, crowds gather once more, but this time to witness a parade of 21 elephants. After crossing, public sentiment changes instantly and the bridge booms with traffic.
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As you can see, it was not the sheer engineering marvel and breakthroughs in steel manufacturing that made the Brooklyn Bridge a success. No, it was sentiments and superstitions.
Just like the beginning of The Second World War; when trying to understand why and how it started, we tend to look for reasons to match the sheer scale and devastation of the event. But no, when it comes down to it, we humans make historic decisions on sentiment and superstitions. Whether it is the shape of someone’s earlobes, the colour of their skin, the sound of their voice, how they smell, the tribe they come from, the number of elephants crossing a bridge, or whatever makes sense to us at the time, this is who we are. We preach reason while confined to a prison of sentiment.
Therefore, the next time you are in a job interview or a business presentation, look carefully at your prospect’s ear lobes. Check whether they are similar to yours because when it comes down to it, the whole deal might depend on it.
