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> Utah, reputed to be the fraud capital of America; the state is estimated by some to boast a Ponzi scheme for every hundred thousand people Small tangent, but does anybody in Utah have insight into why this might be? This is bewildering to me.
Very interesting article and it's worth considering how even though we can easily recognise these stories as being laughably fake these days, it's worth keeping in mind that fearmongering stories like this continue to be peddled to people with certain prejudices, and the only thing that's really changed since then is its shape and approach
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> even worse suppressing women and minorities Christianity and faith that everyone was created equal in the eyes of God was essential to inventing the concept of racial equality at a time when science couldn’t prove that assertion. Put yourself in 1850–looking around at societies in the world as they existed then—and make a scientific case for racial equality powerful enough to convince hundreds of thousands of free…
The podcast You’re Wrong About recently did a three-part series on Go Ask Alice with Carmen Maria Machado. Episodes are here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270 or pull them down in your favorite podcatcher.
Just a tangential request: is there any curated playlist consisting of such good podcasts? I have a difficult time discovering interesting podcasts. (Maybe that's an interesting project)
As well as You Are Good, also by Sarah https://www.podpage.com/you-are-good/
> Utah, reputed to be the fraud capital of America; the state is estimated by some to boast a Ponzi scheme for every hundred thousand people Small tangent, but does anybody in Utah have insight into why this might be? This is bewildering to me.
I live in Utah and was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the dominant church in Utah -- which often bleeds into the culture). In my opinion, the large amount of former missionaries (who often participate in door-to-door sales-like evangelizing) in Utah provides an ideal workforce willing to participate in difficult sales. Many of my friends and family went into sales after their missio…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I live in Utah and was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the dominant church in Utah -- which often bleeds into the culture). In my opinion, the large amount of former missionaries (who often participate in door-to-door sales-like evangelizing) in Utah provides an ideal workforce willing to participate in difficult sales. Many of my friends and family went into sales after their missio…
My anecdote agrees: a good friend of mine was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and is now an incredible salesman. He explained that he spent his entire childhood selling something no one wanted and where people would hurl insults at him daily. Now as an adult in business, selling whatever product is 100x easier and he has limitless tolerance for rejection.
At the end of the day, though, I found most people (whether or not they were interested in religion) care about being happy and having purpose and it was/is enjoyable to observe common ground with other humans in that realm.
That being said, lots of people get pissed about religion being shoved in their face and I do not blame anyone as it can be a huge source of trauma.
The podcast You’re Wrong About recently did a three-part series on Go Ask Alice with Carmen Maria Machado. Episodes are here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270 or pull them down in your favorite podcatcher.
Just a tangential request: is there any curated playlist consisting of such good podcasts? I have a difficult time discovering interesting podcasts. (Maybe that's an interesting project)
Buried lede IMO: There's a TV movie of the book, starring Andy Griffith... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBxT53r2AlU&t=2447s ...and mustached William Shatner! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBxT53r2AlU&t=2997s > the state is estimated by some to boast a Ponzi scheme for every hundred thousand people Sorry but looking up the state population that's got to be way, way too low. I'd say 1:10k at the least! But so many…
I was working at a concrete making place, and during lunch break the chief was talking about getting in on a Ponzi scheme, and he said "It's a ponzi scheme but if you're getting in at the beginning it's a good idea." to which his main guys in our group nodded sagely and I masterfully managed to keep from laughing.
So strange. I had never heard of. Go ask Alice, and then last week I was listening to a 5-year-old podcast episode of "I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats" and they were talking about it.
In the same class we had an anti-drug speaker in his early 40s who told us his story: "After high school I lost my way in life, sailed around the world in a sailboat, did a bunch of strange drugs, and slept with 100s of beautiful women. But now I'm clean and my life sucks." My friends and I had finally found a role model.
> Utah, reputed to be the fraud capital of America; the state is estimated by some to boast a Ponzi scheme for every hundred thousand people Small tangent, but does anybody in Utah have insight into why this might be? This is bewildering to me.
So as someone who grew up with lots of Utah Mormons (mother was a convert) I believe there was a strong evolutionary selection pressure for naivety to both become a Mormon and then remain Mormon through all of their “trials and tribulations” in the mid 1800s. If you thought it was all horse shit you wouldn’t have moved 1000 miles to Utah in the middle of nowhere. While members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter…
“Brother So-in-so works for doTerra, Sister So-in-so sells it and says it cleared up her eczema. These people wouldn’t lie to me!”
And so they take whatever they say as truth. I don’t think it’s what I would describe as “childish gullibility”. But too much unchecked trust in members of their circles (still gullibility. But I wouldn’t call it childish). And then it compounds. Well, Bishop So-in-so wouldn’t participate in an MLM if it were immoral so it must be good!
I think this is at the root of the problem in Utah. Between that and the Utah moms wanting to make an easy buck.
Source: LDS myself living in Utah County. My wife and I often discuss why there is just so many MLMs that are clearly (to me) scams that run unchecked.