5 ms·
They say it is always easier to con intelligent people, because they don't think they are capable of being fooled.
by the_arcadian 3y ago
They say it is always easier to con intelligent people, because they don't think they are capable of being fooled.
- spyder 3y agoHmm... but intelligent people don't think they're that intelligent (Dunning–Kruger effect) :-)
- droopyEyelids 3y agoThis is fun to think about but I dont buy it. All levels of aptitude/intelligence are equally likely to be conned because a con works by getting your emotions to turn your intelligence to the task of tricking you. For example, by exciting your greed so much you come up with a justification for why an unusual circumstance is genuine.
- lmm 3y ago> For example, by exciting your greed so much you come up with a justification for why an unusual circumstance is genuine. But you might be better at that the more intelligent you are. E.g. I understand there's an established result that professional ethicists and ethics researchers act less ethically than the average person on average, because they find it easier to come up with excuses for how what they wanted to do was actually ethical.
- droopyEyelids 3y agoAgreed! However, you're missing that the higher your aptitude, the higher the bar for tricking yourself. So yes, a very intelligent person can come up with a sophisticated justification to trick themselves. A less intelligent person will come up with a less sophisticated narrative. Both people work on the con till it's enough to pass their bar, which is why I say it's a factor of desire rather than reason.
- kornhole 3y agoIt is easier to con someone who THINKS he is intelligent. A smart person does not think he is smart and knows he can be fooled.
- spookthesunset 3y agoA restatement might be: There is "book smart" intelligence and "street smart" intelligence. People without a lot of street smarts but a lot of book smarts are probably easier to con.