“Easily deceived or cheated”.
Few will never have been deceived or cheated at some time. The result is usually some kind of loss. Sometimes this can be catastrophic.
So how is it that you have been deceived or cheated? It is probable that you either made a mistaken judgement or assumption about something, or did not think about it at all.
So it makes sense to prevent making mistaken judgements or assumptions, and thinking about it surely?
In order to do this you need good information. The Con Man is hoping that you do not think about it using good information. If you did then it would be difficult to Con you. Ignorance is easy pickings for such people.
If you are gullible it will be easy for others to mislead you. You may not think it is your fault but you are not immune from the consequences. The purpose of propaganda is to get you to believe something that is false.
An example of this is ‘the EU is undemocratic’. This is wrong. It is no more undemocratic than we are. So if you believe it is you are deceived. The evidence is there for anyone to find, but the answer involves examining in detail which can be boring and tiresome.
And therein lies one of the problems. We don’t like boring and tiresome things, but if we are not careful we will jump to conclusions as it is easier than making the effort. Researching for yourself is by far the best way, but the wisdom comes in knowing which sources are genuine and which are not.
So a good start is to question (even if just to yourself) something that is claimed. What are the reasons that support or justify the claim? Be careful of opinion. It is a common opinion that the Conservative Party are safer with the economy and the Labour Party.
But the numbers do not justify that claim and reveal that it is the Labour Party that is safer. Again, all the sources are readily available, but few make the effort to find them, and that is what they rely on. It is easier to mislead people who do not question.
So it is up to you. You may think yourself to be a victim if you are deceived or cheated, but you have also let yourself down, and maybe others as well by making a bad decision.
In the end it is truth you are looking for because you can rely on it, and if you find that something does not seem to add up, then it is wise to question everything else.
Don’t be taken for a fool. It isn’t something to be proud of…
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