The Kind of Person, Other People Want to Follow

My favorite example of this, were the Mormons - who followed Joseph Smith - who was nothing but a scoundrel, in my estimation.

He began life as a person who could see buried treasure. At the time, in lower New York State, and in adjacent parts of Pennsylvania, people believed treasure had been buried in the earth - and they dug enthusiastically to find it. Joseph had a special stone he put in his hat, and then covered his eyes with the hat, and the stone then told him where the buried treasure was.

This special skill of his was illegal, however - and he had to depart in a hurry before he could be tried. He was on the move most of his life - because the law (or mob violence) made his life uncomfortable.

However, this also attracted people to him - a lot of people, and more all the time. Thinking back on it - I can see two qualities that made his so attractive. He was a stupid liar.

These qualities were obvious to everyone - especially to his followers. But they were willing to give him their money, and their daughters.

It's hard to believe, that people can act against their own self-interest. But there were many examples of this, in history.

And even now, with the election of Trump. He promised to destroy America, and they elected him to do just that!