Sometimes, no matter how intuitive you are or how well you think you read people, you simply cannot tell whether someone is telling you the whole truth. People are good at hiding intentions, dodging responsibility, or glossing over important details. So what can you do when you suspect something’s not right but can’t quite prove it?
This is where cleverly engineered “truth traps” come into play—deliberate, simple actions designed to force others to show their cards.
One of the most clever examples of this comes from none other than the world of rock and roll.
In their book How to Think Like a Freak, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner tell the story of David Lee Roth and the band Van Halen. During their heyday, Van Halen toured with a massive, complex stage show requiring tons of heavy equipment, special electrical configurations, and safety measures. Every venue received a detailed contract—often hundreds of pages long—outlining technical and security specifications.
Buried in that lengthy contract was a seemingly trivial clause: “Absolutely no brown M&Ms.”
On the surface, it looked like a case of rock star excess. But it was anything but.
David Lee Roth wasn’t being petty—he was being practical. If the band walked backstage and saw brown M&Ms in the bowl, it signaled that the venue had not thoroughly read the contract. And if they missed that detail, what else had they ignored? Did they fail to anchor the lighting rig properly? Did they botch the electrical load calculations?
That small clause served as a tripwire—an elegant test that revealed whether more critical elements had likely been overlooked.
Why These Truth Traps Work
Truth-revealing strategies like Van Halen’s brown M&M clause work because they remove ambiguity. You’re no longer guessing based on someone’s words; you’re seeing the evidence through their actions.
Here’s why these kinds of “truth traps” work so well:
They test attention to detail: If someone can’t follow a simple instruction, can they handle more complex ones?
They cut through lip service: Everyone says they’ve “read the instructions” or “followed your email.” These traps let you verify it without confrontation.
They expose priorities: A person’s behavior in small matters often reflects their reliability in big ones.
How You Can Use This Strategy
You don’t need to be a rock star to apply this idea. Entrepreneurs, job interviewers, managers, and even parents can all use clever truth traps in everyday life.
Here are some simple and ethical ways to do it:
In Job Interviews: Ask applicants to include a specific phrase in their email subject line, like “I am ready to contribute.” Those who skip it probably didn’t read your instructions carefully.
When Hiring Freelancers: Include an Easter egg in your job description (e.g., “Mention your favorite breakfast in your response”). It helps weed out applicants who are copy-pasting generic pitches.
In Business Deals: Add a unique clause in a draft contract or proposal—perhaps a specific delivery date or oddly worded request. If the other party glosses over it, you know they didn’t read the fine print.
When Sending Instructions: Embed a subtle but clear test—like asking for confirmation with a specific word or request a small task. You’ll quickly know who’s paying attention.
In Customer Agreements: Include a checkbox or signature line acknowledging a key policy. Those who miss it are more likely to cause problems later.
The Ethics of It All
Some may argue that these tactics feel manipulative, but when used with the right intent, they are simply tools for due diligence. It’s not about tricking people; it’s about verifying trust in situations where the consequences of error can be costly—financially, operationally, or even in terms of safety.
David Lee Roth wasn’t trying to be difficult. He was protecting his crew and fans from real danger. His trigger didn’t create extra work for honest partners; it simply revealed who wasn’t doing their job.
A Modern-Day Necessity
In today’s world—where virtual communication, automation, and outsourcing are the norm—truth traps are more necessary than ever. Whether you’re working with remote contractors, onboarding new employees, or negotiating with partners, simple mechanisms to test for reliability can save you from costly misunderstandings and broken trust.
In an era of noise and half-truths, the ability to verify someone’s intent without confrontation is a rare and valuable skill.
So the next time you’re unsure if someone is telling the whole story, ask yourself: What “brown M&M” can I use to find out?
Which areas of your business or personal life could benefit from using a truth trigger to verify what people are really doing?
