alt Hacker NewsThe meta strategy seems clear: if the world seems full of grifters, stop being a Mark, and start being a Skeptic.
Or, I suppose, go on thinking this time is different.
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I don't think that's a viable strategy.
If you're a Mark (=trusting person) I don't think you can just decide to become a Skeptic.
I admit I skimmed the article and even if I would read more closely I don't think I would understand it better.
I'll use my intuition for how individuals transition between the roles.
Mark -> Skeptic: requires to be have been grifted and possibly having the grift explained by a Skeptic. Or possibly having someone close to you get grifted.
Mark -> Grifter: I'm not sure it's possible, but maybe the corruption pdf posted[0] is a clue.
Skeptic -> Grifter: desillusion about the point of not grifting since everyone else is doing it too. So maybe late stage corruption[0] or just nihilism based on seeing grifts succeed so much.
Skeptic -> Mark: honestly... Shrooms maybe? Or finding and being chosen into a trusting community.
Grifter -> Skeptic: I think realising that you've hurt someone in an unexpectedly harsh way could help this transition. Otherwise I don't really know besides being short of Marks.
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Don't believe the latest fashion on social media, including the latest thing it's fashionable to be sceptical about. That rule of thumb performed well the last 10 years.