"Bullshit is a very flammable substance."
My Number 1 of Six nephew has a problem. He can't communicate verbally. Oh, there's nothing wrong with his mouth or brain. He says many words, makes complete sentences and does just the right facial expressions and body language to go with his words. But he doesn't use words to communicate, he uses them to manipulate. He'll say anything to get someone to do what he wants them to do. His words can be true, false or totally off the wall. I can't trust anything he says, so there is no point in him saying anything at all.
My Number 3 of Six is not quite as bad. He doesn't like conflict, and therefore will say whatever you want to hear to avoid it. Again and unfortunately, his words are not reliable. He uses them to defend or protect himself, not to communicate. Most of the time, he might as well not talk too. (He's a lot like me in that he doesn't talk much.)
I know a really pretty guy who uses really pretty words (when he wants to). But his words have no more substance than a horse's fart. The last time I talked to him, his words were so pretty I totally forgot they were just bullshit. I acted like they were real words, effectively compressing the bullshit and setting it aflame. I think both of us were a little embarrassed. I should have known better.
Now, thanks to Kevin Mitnick and his book, Ghost In The Wires, I know there is a name for the scenarios outlined above. It's called "Social Engineering". Mitnick social engineers all kinds of people into doing all kinds of things by using words that transform himself into whatever others can trust enough to do his bidding. Of course, it's all a lie. It's all bullshit. Just a mask he wears to accomplish a task.
Like all bullshit, his words caught fire. He ended up running all over the country from the FBI, and eventually spent time in prison. According to him, he never committed a crime. He never used his social engineering or computer hacking skills to steal money or damage any software. He even got mad when his buddies' words turned out to be untrustworthy. He spent eight months in solitary confinement because a prosecutor social engineered a judge into believing that he could start a nuclear war by whistling into a pay phone.
So, even though his words were bullshit, the outcome of those words was real enough. Such is the fate of all social engineers. Once I know that someone is an adept, competent social engineer, I have no choice but to categorically disregard everything they say.
I'm not a good social engineer, and I'm not very good at figuring out which words are real and which are bullshit from others. As a result, I tend to trust people's words initially, but once I find someone's words are unreliable I turn them off like a bad TV show.
Since Mitnick is obviously a very proficient social engineer, and proud of it to this day, I found myself unable to finish his book. What's the point? I wouldn't believe him if he said the sky was blue without external confirmation. The more I read the less I enjoyed his book, and I have no idea how much of it is actual and how much is bullshit anyway. I hate reading books that don't say anything.
But it is cool to put a name with a situation I have faced many times in life.