The Art of the Personality Dossier

What if every conversation you walked into came with a briefing book — not on policy, but on the person across the table? This episode explores the real, institutionalized practice of personality dossiers in diplomacy. From State Department "scene-setter" memos to centuries of British Foreign Office taxonomy, we look at how foreign ministries systematically track what makes leaders tick: their communication styles, decision-making patterns, off-limits topics, and even their preferred chair type. We also tackle the uncomfortable question: can we borrow from this practice in our personal lives, building mental models of relationships that capture the useful parts without the weirdness? Episode #518992 — open it directly at myweirdprompts.com/518992