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Cui Bono? (Who Benefits?)

Before you believe a story, ask one question: who gains if you accept it?

Cui bono — "who benefits?" — is the oldest and most reliable question in sensemaking. It does not tell you whether something is true or false. It tells you where to look. When a narrative spreads rapidly, when an idea suddenly appears everywhere, when a policy is framed as inevitable, the first thing to examine is not the evidence. It is the incentive structure behind the message.

This is not conspiracy thinking. It is basic literacy. A pharmaceutical company promoting a study about its own drug has an interest in positive results. A government justifying a war has an interest in threat perception. A social media platform telling you it cares about your wellbeing has an interest in keeping you scrolling. None of this means they are lying. It means their position is not neutral, and you should factor that in before you accept their framing.

The power of this question is that it cuts through emotional manipulation. When a story is designed to make you angry, afraid, or righteous, your emotions become the product. Someone is harvesting your reaction. Asking "who benefits from me feeling this way?" does not make you cynical. It makes you harder to use. And in an information environment built on manufacturing your attention, that is a form of self-defence.

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