It was terrible.
I had no idea when the next bus would come. My phone was dead, so I couldn't call my friend, a taxi, or do anything but wait. Even if my phone had a battery, I was broke, so a taxi wouldn't get me very far. All I could do now was sit there and wait. The urban British cold is merciless; a nasty mix of humidity, cold air, salt, and a dash of burnt oil.
As I was sitting there thinking about my life options, I couldn't get angrier at myself. It all started when I applied for an analyst position at an FX company.
A great man (and fortunately for me a good friend too) had hosted me for a while so I could find a job in the UK. I was applying every single day to anything that needed a statistician or analyst. Not the greatest moment of my life. But I had to make it.
Fast forward many applications later, I got an invitation to an event. Since it was from an FX company I had applied to, I thought I'd go check it out. Maybe network a bit. But the moment I got there, something smelled off.
Everyone was too kind. There was also a small, cheap buffet with chips and fruits. And as we both know, there aren't many free meals in life (if any).
Then the lights dimmed, the screen turned extra luminous, and Rob Dougan's Clubbed to Death (from The Matrix) blasted through the speakers. A mashup of "freedom", "fire your boss and be the One" quotes from movies, philosophy, and art started flashing on the screen.
Suddenly, a guy rushed onto the stage, apologizing that the main speaker couldn't make it. He claimed he was a "rockstar broker" who never gives lectures, but today he was doing a favor for his friend. Let me tell you, he was a skilled public speaker.
By the end, he also dropped his "friendly-insiders-ONLY" offer, since he was accidentally here:
Anyone willing to invest just £1,000 could join his "exclusive opportunity..."
But hey, it's okay if you want to miss out.
I smelled the scam.
But just for fun, I stayed in the room a bit longer.
It happened in a few seconds: a shy, timid young man broke the room's silence and swiped his card through the "rockstar's" POS machine. The whole FX team clapped and cheered.
The crowd, watching this scared guy making the first move, got swept up in the flow. More followed. Out of roughly 30 people there, only a handful didn't "invest." I was one of them.
Out of curiosity, I approached the speaker to network. He listened to me for about five seconds, realized I was looking for a job, and immediately turned away, laser-focused on hunting down the handful of people who hadn't converted yet.
It was ridiculous. But as you read, it got worse.
The event was held in a less commercial area, and now I was freezing on a bench, waiting for the next bus.
Fast forward a few hours (and one mild cold later) a simple Reddit search revealed the truth. These guys had been running the exact same scam, again and again, under different company names. The "rockstar broker" always arrived late, pretending to help his friend, flashing sports cars and villas around the world, and "doing everyone a favor."
Damn it. I was just one Reddit search away from wasting my time. Felt like an idiot for that.
But here's the thing: when you're broke, you usually have plenty of time to waste.
Time. Knowledge. Money.
Whichever you lack or need the most, you have to invest the other two to get it.
Taken from Euripides' tragedy Helen:
Λόγος γάρ ἐστιν οὐκ ἐμός, σοφὸν δὲ ἔπος, δεινῆς ἀνάγκης οὐδὲν ἰσχύειν πλέον.
"The saying is not mine, but it is a wise word: nothing is stronger than dreadful necessity."
Necessity is the ultimate force.
The necessity to make money.
Have fun.
Find meaning.
Make friends.
Impress the neighbor.
You name it.
And people exploit that necessity;
They scam people out of what they need. Tax "loopholes". Fixing "hacked" computers. Offering inside "opportunities" like mine.
But enough said. Here are some frameworks to help you stay sharp:
Manipulations
When people live boring lives, it's far easier to fall into false flow states.
The hungry.
The warrior.
The worrier.
The helper.
The protector.
The special one.
The victim.
The white knight.
The black knight.
The know-it-all.
The done-it-all.
Manipulators know this game well.
They exploit how easily people slip into false flow when they're hungry, lonely, confused, or rushed. False flow is dangerous, not just because of poor self-management, but because of what others can do with it.
Once you're in false flow, your perception fogs:
→ If you believe something is an absolute truth, you see it everywhere.
→ If you believe something is an absolute must-do, you try to apply it everywhere.
"It is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."
—Abraham Maslow
Anti-BS
You've got two fronts to guard:
• Yourself
• Everyone else
Spotting BS in Yourself
You're not a robot. Your mind runs on mood, energy, and ego. When those crash, your logic crashes with them. Use the HALT check (from AA):
- Hungry
- Angry
- Lonely
- Tired
If one's off, you're easier to fool, especially by your own thoughts. Ask yourself:
Do I want this to be true?
Am I acting or reacting?
Am I mentally sober enough to decide right now?
Spotting BS in Others
People sell you things every single day: widgets, ideas, opinions, fears, dreams. Most won't hit you with facts. They'll hit your emotions to disarm you… and logic to confuse you. They either pull heartstrings or tie brain knots.
Ask yourself:
Do they benefit if I believe this?
Is this urgency real, or manufactured pressure?
Would I buy this idea if I read it in a book, or by someone I don't know, I don't like, or I don't trust?
Final Thought:
Your radar is only as sharp as your awareness, experience, and overall health & wealth.
That's it.
If you want to get into flow and stop being manipulated by your needs (or anyone else's) this can help.
Take care. Don't let anyone waste you or your resources.
Until next time friend,