Beware The Charlatans

8 years ago, I was forced to stop playing football and went on the journey of entrepreneurship and investing. I started devouring personal development books and attending courses – all very cliché.

I was impressionable, never seeing ‘success’ being achieved outside of the sporting arena. It was a whole new area of life that needed exploring, and I threw myself at it. Honourable in one sense, terribly naive in another.

Over the next 3 or 4 years, I spent around £40,000 (which I didn’t have) on personal development education. I’m blessed that the education paid off financially because it doesn’t work for most people. I know of people who have spent similar sums of money who went bankrupt.

As I look back now, I see my younger, impressionable self and ask what was going on in my psyche that was so attracted to the personal development industry. How was it marketed to appeal to my desires at the time and what kept me ‘hooked’ for years?

It all plays on a better and brighter future and needs to know something that only that person/company knows. ”You are not whole, and you cannot ‘succeed’ until you have this information. Sign up here for only £997.”

Does this bleed out into other areas outside of business?

Fake Guru’s

The ‘spiritual’ and religious communities are rife with them too. The search for Truth is one of man’s timeless and fundamental premises, so it is relatively easy to pray on this seeking.

If we bow to the feet of these guru’s, we think they will impart their knowledge to us, unattainable through sincere introspection and spiritual pursuit. Although there are benefits of surrounding yourself with enlightened beings and being humble in their company, the answer’s are within, not in any guru.

The reality is that most of these gurus are ego-tripping.

Bow down to me, oh pauper.

Humans also love anything mystical – something they aren’t aware of in their own knowledge base. Fake guru’s from the world over sell the ‘secrets’ of the Universe – as long as you pay them £10,000 of course.

Be wary of any ‘guru’ that makes you feel uneasy when you watch or listen to them. Or any that asks for thousands of pounds – if they’ve achieved enlightenment, then money will be used as a tool to create more Love in the world, not an end in itself.

Real Eyes

The more introspection and self-development work you do, the more you see these charlatans for what they are. As you see your insecurities and become aware of your unconscious mind’s traps, your BS detector will go through the roof. The manipulative techniques used by these types get seen for what they are.

The more you introspect, the more you realise that very few people on the planet are worth listening to – it’s mostly noise.

If you go onto YouTube now you’ll see 18-year-old kids advertising – ‘make a million dollars in 1 month by trading forex’ – these punks actually sell some of their garbage too.

Although this is blindingly obvious, it’s essential to recognise where the deception is a little more subtle.

Things to be wary of in a ‘guru’ (business) –

They’re very expensive (check reviews online)
Flashing cash around to sell you stuff.
Saying the phrase ‘trying to give back’.
Refusing to offer proof of success.
Their age. Yes, young people can make a lot of money. But they cannot have too much life experience; only time and skin in the game does that.

Things to be wary of in a ‘guru’ (spirituality) –

Claiming they are enlightened or a Shaman or the like.
Asking for big sums of money.
Having a cult-like set up (sex with their followers is common).
Love their ‘godlike’ status – ego tripping.
Claim to have mystical knowledge, not found elsewhere.