| Well worth the read, but it left me with so many questions. How much is self-deception? The conclusion of the article makes me think he believes some of his own lies, as if he starting lying so much he doesn't remember what is reality. The other characters in the story are equally fascinating. Did the retired general know Clark was a grifter, but was happy to collect a pay check sitting on the board? Can you succeed as a defence contractor without buying influence via board seats? Did Clark purposely team up with unqualified people as a 'shared complicity'? This makes me think he didn't believe his own stories, as he didn't want people in his inner circle who could call out his lies. When the female cyclist said she would believe Clark if he said the sky was green, what could Clark possibly have done to have so much control over a person? What percent of the population is vulnerable to being sucked into obvious lies? MLM scams, politics of the Big Lie, investment scams, prophets, miracle cures, etc. The world seems full of these horrible people. How can we help our friends and family avoid being victims if these scammers have such strong powers of persuasion? |
Take your credulous friends to an AA meeting, now and then. It’s basically a workshop against every kind of deception.