Ever notice.....

I always hated the people trying to talk you into selling amway products and other pyramid schemes.

I'll link to it again here:
The Original Secret
You can argue with the content, but you can't knock the price (if they haven't pulled it by the time whoever-you-are is reading this). It's probably a pretty smart strategy at this point to offer the original version for free. They've probably tapped most of the market of the initial hype during the past few months (it was evidently showcased on Oprah for a few days) and now they just need to saturate the public at large and get that percentage who will want to buy the new extended version after seeing the original. Get it while the going's good, as much as possible. Probably next is the additional spin off and improved merchandise which will be offered on an infomercial. If someone were to do a documentary strictly on the marketing of this, you'd probably come away with the opinion that it's snake oil--a ton of energy selling something that's just a lot of talk. But if you don't consider all the money and marketing involved, and just concentrate on the content, well...

The major selling point of all these kinds of things is the testimonials. The funny thing about the Secret is that the testimonials are mostly by people who make their fortunes selling something like the Secret. How did Tony Robbins make his fortune and happiness?--by selling everyone the secret to making a fortune and happiness. So you've always got that cynical response glaringly available. But still, is what they're saying wrong?...

The big question to me about the infomercials is how much of the testimonials are just plain fraud? Is there some watchdog agency finding out if Harry and Hazel actually made a hundred thousand in a month using Charlie's technique? Is there some loophole in the laws that allows claims by actors to be fraudulent?

Amway, Shaklee, etc. are pyramid schemes, but the people at the bottom of the pyramid are mostly just a different form of consumer who aren't too upset that they're not higher in the pyramid, and from what I've seen, the people in the middle of the pyramid work extremely hard.

I've watched first-hand an actual pyramid scheme at work where it's only the exchange of money upward. It's a sad thing to see. The salivating opportunists get in early and retire to the Big Island with their early confiscations, and then maybe hang around while it's still somewhat early to see if they can squeeze out some more. The people at the bottom when it finally dies out are usually someone-in-the-middle's aged mother and father, or some poor single mother with three kids shooting more than her savings because those salivating opportunists are telling her she can't lose. The tower of Babel was ultimately an unholy thing.

But positive thinking in general? A key to most successes, isn't it? And is someone who's one of the "winners" with all these secrets going to be someone who hangs around in internet computer forums and defending it all? They're paying someone else to deal with their computer problems while they're drinking daiquiri's on the Riviera, right?

When I was in PSI Seminars, they liked to mention the Mexican crabs they sell in the market without worry in open containers--no worry because when one of the crabs starts to climb out of the open container to easy escape, the other crabs latch on to him and inevitably pull him back.

But maybe someone here is actually sitting right now on the Riviera with their daiquiri and gold-plated MacBook contributing all along because they just plain like it. Maybe it's Tom Owad?

Oh, man.... AMWAY......I knew this Insurance agent (scam) who was a Real Estate Broker (another scam) and sold Amway (can't ya buy soap at the store ?). If nothing else, he was motivated. But his motivation never got him anywhere really. Just made other people more money through his hard work and very little of it trickled down to him.

I've noticed most Pyramid schemes have a very fat and short pyramid with lots of people at the bottom constantly flowing in and out. Very few people in the middle and less at the top.

There really is no "easy money" but millions look for it every day in one way or another. The more money a person makes, the more personal price they pay. The debt comes in different forms but there is always a bill in the personal mailbox. The most common is - people trading their limited time with family for more money. It's sad because they usually realize it someday after it's too late to do much about it.

The more you make, the more it means to you, and the more you loose in the process because it's never enough and you won't stop until it's too late. When someone devotes most of their life perusing money it shows a deep belief that money is the answer to their happiness, or lack thereof is the cause of their unhappiness. I've never seen anyone hit that happy plateau and relax until they are almost dead. And that's usually forced on them by age, health and/or retirement. And there is very little happiness there. Usually a lot of misery and loneliness.

It's one thing to be a productive member of society, but it's another to be a productive member of corporate greed.

WalMart is one of the biggest pyramid scheme's in my opinion. I can't get started on WalMart...... that's a whole other thread.

So what's the freakin' secret then? It sure sounds like the secret is to pretend you have a secret, then sell that idea to the suckers. Does the Secret deliver any real value that makes it actually worth something? Other than mapping out how to fleece other suckers like 'you'?

Cripey, for all its peculiarities, at least Amway provides an actual product, albeit an odd and overpriced selection.

Well, can anyone provide the actual 'Secret'?

dan k

It's a re-hash of Napoleon Hill's writings from the early 1900s.

Basically, it's down to positive thinking and the concept that thinking/actions feed back on themselves (ie negative thinking and actions begat more of the same).

Nothing new...except for the price tag.

The secret to all these get rich quick schemes is buy low and sell high, or sell in quantity things people buy anyway. Its makes sense untill you realize that as an individual it is next to impossible to get enough people to buy things from you consistantly to make any real money (most people just tap their freinds and reletives for a few month untill they cannot sell anymore and quit). The real estate buy low and sell high idea originated back when people figured out how to trade caves for food, it is nothing new. Whats new is that so many people are into house flipping these days that nobody can find a good house to fix up and sell at a profit because everybody is doing it.

The quick way to fortune is fraud or selling people how to get rich quick ideas. The secret to most peoples succes is mostly being in the right area at the right time with a good idea, plus some hard work (or they inherit it). If Bill Gates was a teen today and did not have millions in a trust fund like he did when he dropped out of college he would get nowhere today. Donald Trump had a billionaire father who made his money in real estate, trump has been close to personal bankruptcy many times and people who invested in his businesses have lost a mint.. would you buy his get rich quick book?

Oh, and one more thing. I had a friend (ex freind now) who would go to a courthouse where all the records were not digital and find funds that were owed to people but not collected. He would partner with a laywer and once they found a decent chunk of money he would go to the person who was owed the money and tell them they had some cash they could get if they signed on the dotted line. If there was $25,000 the person whos money it was would get maybe $2,000 and the friend and the lawyer would split the rest. I think that is unethical because of the lopsided payout and the little work that was involved.

The same guy now looks for old people in poor neighborhoods to buy out their houses for way below market value and then sell them to friends from california to rent them out as slum lords.

Like attracts like.

Ask for what you want. Create a vision with lots of details about what you want. The problem with "want" is the connection to ego, and kharma.

I sit here penniless mooching wireless in the Riviera and remember the Daiquiri slinging bartender that took my money a long time ago.

When I was younger than I am now. I remember reading an add in the back of a magizine and it said learn how to make a million $$. Send a SASE with one dollor to this address. I don't remember the address but I did send the dollar along with a SASE.

Do you know what I got in return?? On a 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper were typed these words Do as I did. Did I do it?? No I threw the note in the trash but ya know what I wonder did that person make his million $$

One thing to note, Trump earned his money. The Donald did start out working for his father, at the same $70k salary as the other Joes in the office. Ivana married him when he was at that level, it's a common myth that she married him for his money. He didn't have any back then. He actually built his own wealth, and surpassed his father's fortune.

Just because a man is wealthy, and from a wealthy family, it doesn't necessarily follow that he got his money from his family.

Here is the (almost) fool proof, real deal:

DOUBLE YOUR MONEY IN 5 SECONDS ... NO JOKE!

1. Take a $100.00 bill out of your wallet.

2. Fold the $100.00 bill in half.

You have now doubled your money ... as in it is two layers thick instead of just one layer thick.

[Lame ... but fun if you can time this offer to share this "secret" just right to catch someone taking a mental break!]

NOTE: No where did I promise/say that you would double the VALUE of your money, or that you would be any wealthier, or that this was even worth your time. Any notions that I had a way to double the VALUE of your money are simply notions that are [easily] read into the topic heading only.

Also: I would say I am sorry if I disappointed anyone ... but I am guessing all the readers picked up on the ploy and where is was heading immediately. [I am not sure I would admit it if I did not know there was a catch from the get go ... given the thread this is in!]
LOL

Clarification: I also never suggeseted charging a fee ... or would charge anyone a fee for this "secret."
This is strictly an idle chatter gag ... not a wealth building scam ... offered for entertainment purposes only by me.

Spammers are cut from the same cloth; they rely on the response of a handful of suckers to make the effort of sending out billions of unsolicited emails worthwhile. I'd like to get my hands on a few of those gullible idiots; I'd larn em a thang or two.

Real success in life is kinda like seeing something in dim light; if you look right at it, you can't see it, but if you look for it out of the corner of your eye, there it is. Likewise with success, if you chase after success or wealth for the sake of "success" or "wealth", it'll elude you. But if you seek a higher goal, like excellence or fulfillment, your efforts will be rewarded. Seek first...

Great thoughts to be reminded of. Thanks. The Matthew passage is always worth rereading too--a profound wisdom there.

On a more crass level, "Do what you love and the money will follow." Of course, you wouldn't want these concepts to apply to the pathologically criminal, the obsessive compulsive, the neurotic, the sadistic, etc. So I guess you're very right to link this to some kind of moral discrimination at the same time. The stamp "excellence" is awarded by a group determination, or the belief in some respected other's approval. Unfortunately, it's also often what's seems to be going through the heads of a lot of the suicide bombers in the world--in their minds, a performance of a high form of moral excellence. And then, something about unviolated women as a reward for certain types of adherents. Is there some mention of what the female bombers receive as a reward? Sorry, I hope these observations don't drive this thread in a direction unpleasant. Just thoughts off the top of my head.

I remember reading an article recently about some Social Science study which found that the happiest people in the world were not necessarily the wealthiest--many of whom were some of the least happiest people--but rather, people with some apect of performing service and help to others in their daily lives were found to be the happiest, regardless of income (probably one of the reasons a lot of us hang around Applefritter). I've also read that in the highest wisdom from people who come back from the dead, or from the communications from those on the other side, the consistent message is that the most important things in life are not what you achieve, but rather the small acts of kindness and love you perform everyday and the close relationships you develop with others.

But then there was another study I read that said that wealth definitely did bring happiness, but not wealth in respect to the general population, but only within one's peer group. It wasn't the amount you owned, but the amount you owned in relation to the amount owned by others in your peer group--this brought real measurable happiness.

So, two aspects of human nature.

I've been asked if I wanted to be rich before, my response was "I don't want to be rich, I just want to be comfortable." ie, work as much as I want to (not need to) on whatever I want to do, and not worry about making the bills at the end of the month. Above that level, it's a lot of work just to manage all that money.

Funny this should come up. My partner got suckered in to a storesonline.com seminar just last week, and dumbass me went along for the ride. Man what a bunch of scamming cult-like tools. AVOID

Dry humor and the money thing ... part II :

I have wondered if Tom and Ray [Click and Clack: the Tap It Brothers] have had any "takers" on their "Capital Depreciation Fund" that they "offer" ... along with other plays on words ... between calls on their Car Talk show. They do not tell what ticker symbol the fund might trade under ... but they could probably find a funny for that, also: forme ... as in "for me!"

Here is how the Capital Depreciation Fund (a PURELY FICTITIOUS ... but humorous to people with perhaps a bit of a dry sense of humor, anyway) "works."

Tom and Ray offer a 50% return OF your money [as opposed to ON your money]. Simply send in $100.00 and they will mail you back $50.00 ... thus fulfilling the promised 50% return OF your money. Hence, the name sake capital depreciation fund ... your funds are guarenteed to depreciate 50%.

Presumeably Tom and Ray would simply refund any "investment" 100% ... and continue to wonder why anyone would even send in any money for the fictitious fund.

But for all the mutual funds, etc advertised, it is a pretty clever parody/spoof for people with a bit of a dry sense of humor, anyway.

You need to be a "loyal" listener to Car Talk for about 2 -3 shows to appreciate the the humor the guys fill maybe 1/4 of the air time with (on National Public Radio). Their closing credits include Statistics by Margin O Error (Margin of Error), Reasearch by Paul Murky of Murky research, and others, too.

Surely no one would ever send money in to this fictitious "fund." But then people do things that to --- to many disinterested third parties --- seem at least suspect from the start and only become worse.

[In spite of the quotation of Biblical verses etc. from my finance humor/ploy post, I also offered this one. If taken with the grain of salt as intended (ok perhaps a 1 pound container of salt), it may actually be a bit of a humorous diversion from the serious stuff of day.]

David Johansson