Website owner:  James Miller

Two kinds of people

   There are many people in this world who have no qualms about 
   cheating another person, manipulating him, using him, 
   plundering him, doing him wrong.  Using lie, deception, 
   personal charm, fraud and trickery they use him and plunder him 
   for their own gain, for their own selfish purposes and ends.  
   You find them everywhere.  Highly dishonest people who use 
   other people for their own ends and gain.  An extreme example 
   is the con man who insinuates himself into the affections and 
   trust of an older woman and then strips her of her life 
   savings.  More common are those in various trades who, by 
   trickery and fraud, strip people of their money.  And there are 
   all of those unprincipled lovers who by charm, lie and 
   deception take in one victim after another.  Standing in sharp 
   contrast to such a plunderer, who is void of all principle or 
   conscience in his dealings with others, is the person of 
   integrity and conscience who, restrained by principle and 
   conscience, always deals honestly, truthfully, uprightly with 
   others.  He has regard for others, is thoughtful of others, 
   does what is right in regard to them.  The one type is bound by 
   no rules or restraints in his dealings with others and the 
   other is always constrained by principle and conscience.  The 
   plunderer, manipulator has no honest concern for others.  He is 
   concerned about only one person: himself. 

   Two types:  1. the cheat and plunderer  2. the honest, upright 
   man.  Two ends of a spectrum.  Most people probably fall 
   somewhere in between.  They do some lying and cheating, 
   perhaps, but conscience prevents them from going too far.  

   Jesus taught us to treat our fellow man right, to not wrong 
   him, to not do to him what you would not want him to do to you.  
   Jesus taught us to deal honestly and uprightly with our fellow 
   man, to have consideration for him, to be thoughtful of him.  
   Jesus said the first commandment is: "You shall love the Lord 
   your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all 
   your mind.  And the second is like unto it:  You shall love 
   your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all 
   the Law and the Prophets." Matt: 37-40. 

   What is the difference, down at the most fundamental level, 
   between the cheat and plunderer and the honest, upright man?  
   It is his attitude towards his fellow man.  One is selfish, 
   cares about no-one but himself.  The other cares about other 
   people.  He steps back, places others before himself.  One is 
   arrogant, aggressive, takes for himself.  The other is meek, 
   humble, self-denying, serves his fellow man.  One follows the 
   law of selfishness.  The other follows the law of God. 

   In my experience manipulators are often gregarious, people-
   orientated types, often with considerable charm and the power 
   to make people trust them and like them.  They use their charm 
   and people-skills to manipulate, cheat and plunder. 
                           

   Apr 2008