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panlives Inner circle 2087 Posts |
True? If so, why?
False? If so, why?
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes. |
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
No its not always so. A confidence game is often about getting people to trust you and then you **** them over and the mark can be perfectly honest. You though have to first define your terms sir. What do you mean by honest?
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
panlives Inner circle 2087 Posts |
Not my opinion, but some have argued that an “honest man” (in the context of a con scenario) is defined as one who is offered a “deal” that is too good to be true, recognizes it as such; and stays away from the offer…
"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." "The dog did nothing in the night-time." "That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes. |
tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
The world moves by way of fear and greed. Those are the two drivers that motivate people more or less. As in poker people either want to hold on to what they have and fear losing it or want more and that is greed roughly speaking. The con man or anyone can or must use these things if he wants to get someone to do something. Wanting to get something out of a deal is not always dishonest but it can be. The con man might sometimes say about a mark, he was greedy that is why he lost his money. Its hard con someone who or do any sort of business with anyone who does not want anything at all.
Some of pro conmen pull horrible cons and try or need to justify to themelf what they have done.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
Cagliostro Inner circle 2478 Posts |
Just briefly, I think the expression applies to a con where by definition the mark has to do something dishonest for the con to work. In other words the mark has to have some larceny in him before he can be conned out of his money. An honest man will opt out of the scheme as he would be unwilling to engage in a dishonest or underhanded act. Therefore the con won’t work with him.
However, honest people can be cheated. That is different than being conned and happens all the time. I think the distinction between the two concepts is relevant. I don’t know all possible cons, nor am I an expert on cons, but the ones I am aware of (and haven’t forgotten), the mark has to do something underhanded or dishonest for the con to work, hence the expresion, "You can't con an honest man. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The Gambling Spot » » The first rule of a confidence game is that it is impossible to con an honest man. (0 Likes) |
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