At 10am one Tuesday I am drinking my coffee in Chris's apartment while he sits reading the paper. As he reads he smiles to himself before passing it over to me, open at a particular page, and asking what I think of it. I follow his gaze and read a short advert calling for new investors to support a business venture. It is clear from the wording that whoever placed the ad is not a native English speaker. I look up at Chris and shrug, telling him there's nothing out of the ordinary there. "Why, what should I see?".
"What I see," Chris replies "is an investor; a foreigner; probably Chinese or Arab. He's looking to find a local silent partner." The sub-text in Chris's mind, which is not shared with me, is that he has spotted his next mark.
Of course, Chris would never speak of himself as a con man. Officially he's a respectable guy who knows how to get things done. He works out of an office in a law firm with a picture of himself meeting the Governor-General hung proudly on the wall. He regularly entertains visitors in that office, and takes them to meet the partners. From all of this you might assume Chris is a lawyer, but in fact his presence is only allowed for by the firm in the expectation that he will attract new custom for them.
Chris is a Player. He is at his most successful when it comes to making - or rather, taking - money from those who have inherited trust funds. Chris will be the first to tell you he is neither a liar nor a thief, and this is technically true, but it doesn't stop him manipulating his clients and their circumstances to get the results he wants. Chris does not share the anxieties which most of us experience in everyday life. His only goal is to maintain the comfortable existence he has, and his has no interest in nor attachment to anyone or anything else.
A con man is the master of misdirection. He creates rapport, and credibility through an effusive, engaging manner and strategic name-dropping. As we come to like him and be impressed by his impressive array of connections, we find ourselves swept up by his charm and energy. At the same time, we are flattered by the attention that this 'important' person is paying us. He speaks with a pleasant, even cadence. He speaks, and he speaks and he speaks. Before we can fully absorb one piece of information, we are already presented with another. In this way, we are kept continuously off balance; but we do not know it. This is the art of the con.
The con man is a maelstrom of energy, and we cannot long remain immune. We are swept along as the claims he makes turn from absurd to outrageous, but we do not care; it is the style of delivery which has us enthralled, and there is no easy escape. As time goes by and we invest more and more of our attention in this impressive personality we begin to become dependant. We begin to think of the con man as our friend, our ally, our "go-to guy". The more we invest in the trickster at this stage, the more frustrated and hurt we will feel when he eventually springs his trap, takes us for all we have, and leaves us without ever saying goodbye.
This, then, is the anatomy of the con. Be it a cult leader, a salesperson, a stock promoter, or a politician, the basic template is the same. It is insultingly simple; but it works.
"What I see," Chris replies "is an investor; a foreigner; probably Chinese or Arab. He's looking to find a local silent partner." The sub-text in Chris's mind, which is not shared with me, is that he has spotted his next mark.
Of course, Chris would never speak of himself as a con man. Officially he's a respectable guy who knows how to get things done. He works out of an office in a law firm with a picture of himself meeting the Governor-General hung proudly on the wall. He regularly entertains visitors in that office, and takes them to meet the partners. From all of this you might assume Chris is a lawyer, but in fact his presence is only allowed for by the firm in the expectation that he will attract new custom for them.
Chris is a Player. He is at his most successful when it comes to making - or rather, taking - money from those who have inherited trust funds. Chris will be the first to tell you he is neither a liar nor a thief, and this is technically true, but it doesn't stop him manipulating his clients and their circumstances to get the results he wants. Chris does not share the anxieties which most of us experience in everyday life. His only goal is to maintain the comfortable existence he has, and his has no interest in nor attachment to anyone or anything else.
A con man is the master of misdirection. He creates rapport, and credibility through an effusive, engaging manner and strategic name-dropping. As we come to like him and be impressed by his impressive array of connections, we find ourselves swept up by his charm and energy. At the same time, we are flattered by the attention that this 'important' person is paying us. He speaks with a pleasant, even cadence. He speaks, and he speaks and he speaks. Before we can fully absorb one piece of information, we are already presented with another. In this way, we are kept continuously off balance; but we do not know it. This is the art of the con.
The con man is a maelstrom of energy, and we cannot long remain immune. We are swept along as the claims he makes turn from absurd to outrageous, but we do not care; it is the style of delivery which has us enthralled, and there is no easy escape. As time goes by and we invest more and more of our attention in this impressive personality we begin to become dependant. We begin to think of the con man as our friend, our ally, our "go-to guy". The more we invest in the trickster at this stage, the more frustrated and hurt we will feel when he eventually springs his trap, takes us for all we have, and leaves us without ever saying goodbye.
This, then, is the anatomy of the con. Be it a cult leader, a salesperson, a stock promoter, or a politician, the basic template is the same. It is insultingly simple; but it works.
About the Author:
John Berling Hardy is dedicated to exposing the scam which brought us as a society to where we are today. For more of his writings please visit www.playingtheplayers.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment