Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - Maintaining A Positive Outlook And Protecting Yourself From Fraud.

dor · 04-02-2007, 06:53 PM

I have to say I am shocked, and amazed by some of the comments of posters on this forum supporting certain dubious products and their authors. I have heard it doesn't matter that people who claim to be "doctors" got their diplomas from degree mills, or that it doesn't matter if someone is selling a product that is fraudulent as long as they get some benefit from it.

The sad thing is, when you put your trust in faith and people there are people that will take advantage of that - that is why the fields of religion and health are so filled with quackery and scam artists - and I guess what angers me is that it violates a certain trust.

and the problem is if you put your trust in these things, when you find out you've been had you lose faith.

Being postive, and having faith doesn't mean being stupid! What did Jesus say " be as gentle as dove but have the cunning of a serpent.

All that said, I believe the incredible powers of our mind and I am essentially an optimist but I don't put my faith in claims of new age practioners - like Emotos water 'studies' , or anyone who starts to make scientific claims and then cannot back them.

Same goes for religion. I don't put my faith in crying saint statues, and when they are discovered to be false (or even if they were not) it doesn't shake my faith.

here are some rules of thumb for avoiding fraud:

a. watch out for fake 'dr's. Edison didn't have a college degree, nor did Bucky Fuller but they invented stuff that worked. People with phony degrees and unprovable claims are probably scam artists. If they thought a degree was worthwhile, they would get a real one.

b. if someone starts to use scientific language, then they need to subject themselves to the scientific method. No ifs, ands, or buts. its one thing to talk about religion or a philosophy like the LOA its another to say 'quantum physics proves' and then not be able to back that up.

c. watch out for unproven, unverifiable claims

d. recognize the placebo effect: subliminal tapes have a known placebo effect, for example.

any other tips?

04-02-2007, 06:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
dor Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 587	Maintaining A Positive Outlook And Protecting Yourself From Fraud. I have to say I am shocked, and amazed by some of the comments of posters on this forum supporting certain dubious products and their authors. I have heard it doesn't matter that people who claim to be "doctors" got their diplomas from degree mills, or that it doesn't matter if someone is selling a product that is fraudulent as long as they get some benefit from it. The sad thing is, when you put your trust in faith and people there are people that will take advantage of that - that is why the fields of religion and health are so filled with quackery and scam artists - and I guess what angers me is that it violates a certain trust. and the problem is if you put your trust in these things, when you find out you've been had you lose faith. Being postive, and having faith doesn't mean being stupid! What did Jesus say " be as gentle as dove but have the cunning of a serpent. All that said, I believe the incredible powers of our mind and I am essentially an optimist but I don't put my faith in claims of new age practioners - like Emotos water 'studies' , or anyone who starts to make scientific claims and then cannot back them. Same goes for religion. I don't put my faith in crying saint statues, and when they are discovered to be false (or even if they were not) it doesn't shake my faith. here are some rules of thumb for avoiding fraud: a. watch out for fake 'dr's. Edison didn't have a college degree, nor did Bucky Fuller but they invented stuff that worked. People with phony degrees and unprovable claims are probably scam artists. If they thought a degree was worthwhile, they would get a real one. b. if someone starts to use scientific language, then they need to subject themselves to the scientific method. No ifs, ands, or buts. its one thing to talk about religion or a philosophy like the LOA its another to say 'quantum physics proves' and then not be able to back that up. c. watch out for unproven, unverifiable claims d. recognize the placebo effect: subliminal tapes have a known placebo effect, for example. any other tips? Last edited by dor; 04-02-2007 at 06:57 PM.