Accountability for Gullibility

[Pinp]

Is it just me? Or are the rest of you also sick and tired of gullible people acting surprised and offended after they find out they've been deceived?

If a person is walking down the street, wearing a straw hat, Oshkosh coveralls with no shirt, has a shaft of wheat hanging out the corner of their mouth, and no shoes they're OBVIOUSLY trying to project the image that they are gullible fools.

Why should they then be surprised when more crafty "city folk" look at them as objects of disdain who deserve and clearly want to be taken advantage of and deceived for personal gain? Especially when they dress like this:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/abinidab/r-hayseed.jpg

Don't they bear some personal responsibility if they fall victim to one of my clever schemes? I mean come on seriously...how could you NOT be tempted to sell that guy the Brooklyn Bridge? Its only natural.

Now I'm not saying that its excusable for corrupt people to take advantage of the weak-minded. But if gullible people want to keep acting gullible, aren't they at least partly accountable for what others do to them?

 

[quatona]

Is it just me? Or are the rest of you also sick and tired of gullible people acting surprised and offended after they find out they've been deceived?

No, I am not sick and tired of them.

If a person is walking down the street, wearing a straw hat, Oshkosh coveralls with no shirt, has a shaft of wheat hanging out the corner of their mouth, and no shoes they're OBVIOUSLY trying to project the image that they are gullible fools.

No, they just walk down the street, wearing a straw hat, Oshkosh coveralls with no shirt, a shaft of wheat hanging out the corner of their mouth and no shoes. The rest is just your interpretation as a consequence of your cliches and preconceptions.

Why should they then be surprised when more crafty "city folk" look at them as objects of disdain who deserve and clearly want to be taken advantage of and deceived for personal gain?

Because they share my opinion that mind-reading and judging a book by the cover is, well, not a good idea?

Don't they bear some personal responsibility if they fall victim to one of my clever schemes? I mean come on seriously...how could you NOT be tempted to sell that guy the Brooklyn Bridge? Its only natural.

If he buys it from you, he is responsible for buying it. You are responsible for offering it to him.

Now I'm not saying that its excusable for corrupt people to take advantage of the weak-minded. But if gullible people want to keep acting gullible, aren't they at least partly accountable for what others do to them?

No, the person acting is responsible.

Like, you are not responsible for what I think about you after having read your posts. I am.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Isn't this just a variation on "She shouldn't dress that way if she doesn't want attention from men"?

 

[TeddyKGB]

Isn't this just a variation on "She shouldn't dress that way if she doesn't want attention from men"?

"Why should they then be surprised when more crafty "city folk" look at them as objects of disdain who deserve and clearly want to be taken advantage of and deceived for personal gain?"

Identical reasoning. That personal motive can be reliably deduced from appearance.

 

[JGG]

Don't they bear some personal responsibility if they fall victim to one of my clever schemes? I mean come on seriously...how could you NOT be tempted to sell that guy the Brooklyn Bridge? Its only natural.

Nice try.

 

[sparklecat]

Cynicism and distrust are not necessarily virtues. A measure of skepticism is a good thing, but no one is asking to be conned.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

Is it just me? Or are the rest of you also sick and tired of gullible people acting surprised and offended after they find out they've been deceived?

If a person is walking down the street, wearing a straw hat, Oshkosh coveralls with no shirt, has a shaft of wheat hanging out the corner of their mouth, and no shoes they're OBVIOUSLY trying to project the image that they are gullible fools.

Why should they then be surprised when more crafty "city folk" look at them as objects of disdain who deserve and clearly want to be taken advantage of and deceived for personal gain? Especially when they dress like this:

Don't they bear some personal responsibility if they fall victim to one of my clever schemes? I mean come on seriously...how could you NOT be tempted to sell that guy the Brooklyn Bridge? Its only natural.

Now I'm not saying that its excusable for corrupt people to take advantage of the weak-minded. But if gullible people want to keep acting gullible, aren't they at least partly accountable for what others do to them?

I live in WV and have never seen anyone walking down the street look like that. Where do you live?

 

[sister_maynard]

No matter how much their appearance tempts you to be unkind and swindle them, you are ultimately responsible for any harm that person suffers as a result of whatever lies you choose to tell them. Temptation does not excuse swindling.

 

[Pinp]

No matter how much their appearance tempts you to be unkind and swindle them, you are ultimately responsible for any harm that person suffers as a result of whatever lies you choose to tell them. Temptation does not excuse swindling.

Yeah. But if they didn't dress and act like slack-jawed yokels I wouldn't be tempted don't you see? Its their own fault for deliberately tempting me.

By the way yes it is the same rediculous argument that suggests women are in some way responsible for the sexual harassment heaped upon them by men if they don't walk down the street wearing Burkhas.

The only possible way this could ever be an issue is if it were being used as a cover to excuse lewd thoughts of men.

Incidentally I know several men who have never in their life lusted after a woman...and no they're not lying. Figure out how.

 

[sparklecat]

Yeah. But if they didn't dress and act like slack-jawed yokels I wouldn't be tempted don't you see? Its their own fault for deliberately tempting me.

By the way yes it is the same rediculous argument that suggests women are in some way responsible for the sexual harassment heaped upon them by men if they don't walk down the street wearing Burkhas.

The only possible way this could ever be an issue is if it were being used as a cover to excuse lewd thoughts of men.

Incidentally I know several men who have never in their life lusted after a woman...and no they're not lying. Figure out how.

...by being gay or asexual?

 

[Pinp]

...by being gay or asexual?

You win the prize!

But seriously folks I find the notion that victims are in some way partly to blame for their own victimization offensive.

This is the same rot-gut argument that leads to stoning female rape victims to death (while the man gets off scott-free) because she somehow tempted the man. I believe each person should be responsible for their own actions and thoughts and as such should have self-control.

Its obviously no one else's fault.

 

[gwenmead]

I think I see your point (as outlined in post #11), and I agree.

While I'm venturing to guess here that the OP was done somewhat tongue-in-cheek to make your point (the pic is hilarious!), I have certainly noticed a tendency in my own life for people to blame the foolish or gullible for the exploitations of others. Which has never really seemed right to me.

I mean if you're foolish, that might make it "easier" for someone to screw you over, but I've always felt there's a difference between someone foolish and someone outright evil. I mean a person might be a fool for falling for someone who later took advantage of their love and stole all their money, for instance... but I've noticed a certain attitude that says that the way to prevent that from happening is to make sure that you don't act foolish.

I'm always left asking, uhhh.... so what, the person who stole all their money isn't responsible?? And the line of thinking seems to be something like "well, it's easier for a foolish person to wise up than an evil sociopath to stop being an evil sociopath; therefore the focus should be on wising people up instead of wasting time trying to deal with sociopaths."

Which is just stupid. So what it if it's easier? Victim blaming shifts responsibility away from bad deeds too easily. Plus being foolish and getting screwed because of it is humiliating enough without having people add insult to injury by rubbing your face in it, believe me.

I don't actually think there's anything bad about people wising up though. I think it definitely helps. It just seems asinine to me to stop there. I mean maybe a sociopath isn't going to stop being a sociopath, but so what? They need to be held accountable for what they do, somehow.

Anyway. Heh, I've probably gotten too serious now. Ah well. Hopefully I haven't veered too far off the topic... thanks for reading.

 

[Exhausted]

The most important thing is, it's never MY fault.

 

[Pinp]

The most important thing is, it's never MY fault.

(The Deville made you do it)​

 

[sister_maynard]

*snickers* I like the tongue-in-cheek analogy in the OP- do I have your permission to summarize or link to it the next time this sort "who's to blame for rape?" thing comes up on another forum?

 

[Pinp]

*snickers* I like the tongue-in-cheek analogy in the OP- do I have your permission to summarize or link to it the next time this sort "who's to blame for rape?" thing comes up on another forum?

Feel free. My only advice is don't take "no woman deserves to be raped...BUT" lying down.

 

[sister_maynard]

I know. It's a persistent argument that never seems to die, unfortunately.

 

[TooCurious]

(The Deville made you do it)​

Best. Post. Ever.

 

[Moros]

Now I'm not saying that its excusable for corrupt people to take advantage of the weak-minded.

Oh, but it is. Replace corrupt with perceptive. Replace corrupt with intelligent. Replace corrupt with enterprising.

But if gullible people want to keep acting gullible, aren't they at least partly accountable for what others do to them?

Not only are they accountable, but they are masochists to boot. It's not immoral, unethical, or inexcusable to indulge their masochism.

 

[Moros]

Feel free. My only advice is don't take "no woman deserves to be raped...BUT" lying down.

Heh, I first read this as "my only advice is, no woman deserves to be raped but laying down."

Dyslexia + black sense of humor... bad combo.