Mike DomitrzPresident, Author, and Speaker on Respect, The Center for Respect, Inc. · Author & Speaker on Respect for Schools, Corporations, & the Military since 1990 (has reached

No one is immune to being conned!

10 Nov 2023 · 1 min

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1:00

In this candid monologue, the speaker shares a personal experience of being duped on a Chicago subway, describing how a con artist lured him into a seemingly solvable game that ultimately drained his money and left him feeling humiliated. He explains the mechanics of such con games—how they appear straightforward, entice confidence, and then exploit the victim. The speaker emphasizes that falling for a con has nothing to do with one's intelligence or inherent vulnerability; even the smartest people can be tricked. He concludes with a warning to incoming students, urging them to recognize that no one is immune to manipulation and to stay vigilant regardless of perceived cleverness.

Chapters

Yeah, they think nobody here would ever— they're too smart to get manipulated. By the way, that's most of us. If you've ever been conned, it's one of the most humiliating things that can happen. I got conned in college once. Somebody went, what do you mean you got conned? I was literally in big city Chicago. And I love Chicago. But we were on the subway. And a con guy started playing a game. And I thought, oh, I got the game. I got it figured out. And soon, I was out of money. No joke. Yeah. That's how a con game works. That's exactly how a con game works. And I'll tell you what, it was humiliating that I got conned. Now, it shouldn't be. These people are brilliant at what they're doing. They know exactly what they're doing and how to do it and how to pray and everything. But I was humiliated. So the idea that you think, I, that can't happen to me. I'm too smart for that. We all tend to do that. So what you want to be able to say to the incoming student is, this has nothing to do with how smart you are. This has nothing to do with how vulnerable you are.