I was listening to a couple of guys talking about the movie Elvis, and one of them said, “That Col. Parker [Elvis’ manager] was one smart guy. He got rich off Elvis.” The other guy agreed, adding, “I guess that’s why con men suck in so many victims. Like Barnum said, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.’ And smart guys like Parker are ready to pounce.”
Are con artists like Parker smart? How about cult leaders—con artists all—like David Koresh, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, Khem Veasna, and others? If by “smart” you mean someone is good at manipulating others and getting their money, then, yes, you can make a case for their “smarts.” By that definition you can also throw in folks like Adolph Hitler, Bernie Madoff, Donald Trump, and Alex Jones.
Con artists, however, are not “smart” people; they are shrewd, clever, and cunning people who use their skills to enhance themselves while they ruin the lives of others. They are Machiavellian and sociopathic individuals with no sense of ethics or conscience; they harm others with hurtful, negative, and vicious actions; they are narcissists whose goal is praise, admiration, and adoration from others. They destroy what others build, and eventually destroy themselves through self-sabotaging and self-destructive lifestyles—usually taking their believers down with them. Such destructive actions are anything but “smart.”
When it comes to coping with stress, truly “smart” people do not destroy. They do not act to compromise the welfare of self and others, but act instead to enhance, improve, and enrich the lives of self and others. They are efficient at recognizing what is honest and genuine, and what is dishonest and fake; they accept, and are accountable for, their strengths and weaknesses; they are independent, task-oriented, and capable of solving problems without harming the well-being of others. Those who are “smart” in their coping actions are empathetic and socially compassionate, sensitive to the needs of others, and find meaning in their lives through service to others. “Smart” people are guided by core values, principles that exist outside of themselves—such as community, citizenship, sacrifice, justice, respect, and meaningful work.
A “smart” person will watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery and be moved by the expression of sacrifice of life for the democratic principles embodied in the American Constitution; a “smart” con artist will watch and wonder, “Why? What was in it for them?”
Coping with adversity in your life? Choose your “smart” coping strategy carefully.
Psychology and Stress 