Monday, August 27, 2012

Leading Horses to Water


One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. We're dumb enough to sacrifice common sense in favor of our pride. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.
 

--The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark





You know why people bristle at you at times? You shove their face into a pile of reality. Most people don't want to see it.” Jay tells me.
 
Sigh, I'm only trying to lift them up...” I say.


They don't want 'lifting up,' they want their dream...and you threaten that. You threaten to wake them up.”


*****


Not too long ago, I was helping this guy find a used car. I had advised him to never set foot onto any new or used car lot as these people are trained in all aspects of getting you to purchase a car. If it's used, they'll get that car running just enough to make it legal and hopefully last past the warranty. Why would any car lot dump more money into a car than they have to? It cuts into profit.

Get a car off a private seller, they usually don't know how to fix or hide major problems and they're not trained salespeople. You'll get a clearer perspective on the whole thing.” I tell him.


No matter. He went to a dealership.


So, after he buys the car, he's showing me it and then the paperwork. I ask to see his little check book they had given him to send money off every month, for 60 months.


Not bad huh? $290 a month!” he beams.


Did you multiply $290 by 60?” I ask him.


No...”


This car will cost you about, when you're done paying, $17,500.”


But I'm paying $290 a month.” he says again.


...and that's what you can afford a month right? OK, fine, but the car ends up costing more than the list price of $14,000.” I say “You are paying them for the privilege of using their money.”


Did the salesman keep harping on the monthly figure? Asking if the amount was doable for you? Did it start low and keep getting higher?


I got no response.


I did it again. The guy's face sure took a different countenance in a hurry. He wasn't ticked that he had to pay interest, he was ticked because I showed him, forced him, take apart the deal he got and look at it.


To ease things back I say;


Hey, I said before it was up to you. I told you that if I had your only savings of $7,000,  I would spend half that on a car, and I'd probably get something cheaper too.   But you knew what you wanted, so...”   I let it drift off. There was no point to push this any further.


*****


You just don't threaten their decision process Ron, you threaten their WHOLE being. If that view of themselves is sort of filled with delusions, fantasies and dreamy hopes that never are built and launched, then having you around is a killjoy.” Jay finally sez.


Years ago, I had heard of an old story about some who had come to finally see Buddha and ask him a few questions, and I'm paraphrasing this.


Are you a God? They ask.


Buddha replies, “No.”


Are you a prophet?”


No.” he answers


Are you an angel?” they ask


No” he replies.


Exasperated, the questioners ask finally.


If you're none of those things. Then what are you?!”


I am awake.” Buddha says.

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