Website owner: James Miller
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
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