> You would think the more intelligent someone is, the more of a critical thinker they would be IME, many intelligent, successful people are merely manipulated

> You would think the more intelligent someone is, the more of a critical thinker they would be IME, many intelligent, successful people are merely manipulated in a different way, by appealing to their egos. They don't believe they are vulnerable to manipulation; they believe that they can detect if someone is lying and that if something is persuasive to them then it meets a high standard. I've known salespeople who sell to the wealthy and successful; it's just a different sales pitch, AFAICT.