Man gave $718,000 to psychics, now struggles to pay $500 rent

[GlyphGryph]

@GulliverFoyle

Okay, yeah, I feel a tiny bit bad for him. He’s still a human being. But jeez!

On the other hand, consider the job he was working to make all this money. Hard to feel pity for the bank robber robbed on his way out of the bank, really.

[teknocholer]

Welcome to BoingBoing. It’s nice to know there are ethical psychics out there. I assume you offer a money-back guarantee?

My own, admittedly limited, psychic abilities tell me you will not attract many new clients here.

[Mister44]

@Sjeka_Groves

I am a psychic medium and I find this deplorable.

Really? What are you going to spend your million dollars on?

One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

[shaddack]

[daneel]

@teknocholer

I assume you offer a money-back guarantee?

Surely they’d know beforehand which customers would ask for them?

[LeopardSeal]

@japhroaig

If you make fun of alcoholics, please make fun of people with diabetes or perhaps Stephen fry and bipolar.

Read into it much?

Regardless, addiction does not equal abdication of all personal responsibility for ones actions.

[LeopardSeal]

@Mister44

Really? What are you going to spend your million dollars on?

  en.wikipedia.org

One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who can demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. A version of the challenge was first issued in 1964, and over a thousand people have applied to take it since then, but none has yet been successful. James Randi developed the idea for the challenge during a radio panel discussion when a parap…

The documentary on him was a lot more interesting than I expected it to be.

[anon33466019]

@LeopardSeal

addiction does not equal abdication of all personal responsibility for ones actions

Not any more than cancer is an abdication of ones organs. They are both diseases.

[Sjeka_Groves]

I don’t advertize for clients. Strictly word of mouth in my case. Friends of friends etc. I am not in it for the money nor do i do it for a living. I have a degree in battlefield archaeology. Being a psychic is something i was born with. I do not need use tarot cards or other methods to give a reading. As for money back guarantee don’t need to offer one. If my client is not happy then i take no payment. I also don’t read futures but work in the present. If you can’t deal with your present no point in knowing your future. Free will and all that…

[Mister44]

@LeopardSeal

The documentary on him was a lot more interesting than I expected it to be.

Yes, it was.

[FunkDaddy]

Pssh. I read that as physics not psychics and was disappointed, to top it off @Sjeka_Groves didn’t even bother to warn me of the danger

[Boundegar]

The psychics are so exciting nobody noticed:

Last week, Mr. Rice… acknowledged that he had been drinking again, including the day of the interview.

I don’t suppose it’s possible the psychics weren’t the real problem?

[LeopardSeal]

@japhroaig

Not any more than cancer is an abdication of ones organs. They are both diseases.

I agree that addicts need all sorts of assistance, but that comparison seriously undermines any further discussion. Addiction is not like cancer, addiction is not like schizophrenia, addiction is addiction. Some addicts are more in its thrall than others, but all have at least a small part to play in the decision to fall further into it or resist it. To compare it to something like cancer where one has no choice in the matter is disingenuous at best.

[petzl]

@Ratel

The wonder, as always, is how we wound up with such a dysfunctional economic system that someone who goes to psychics ever got that much money in the first place, while perfectly sane, decent people struggle to pay $500 rent their whole lives.

THAT’S your takeaway? That he “obviously” didn’t deserve that money in the first place? That him having money is somehow a commentary on our economic system?

You really need a new takeaway.

Here, I’ll help you out. Here are some better, shinier takeaways: It’s a commentary on our educational system. It’s a commentary on the lack of skepticism and critical reasoning in a society where religion and climate change denial are promoted. It’s a commentary on the human condition (referring both to the parasites doing the conning, and their hosts who are so very susceptible). It’s a commentary on the lack of empathy (or even understanding of this dynamic) by many of the people in this thread.

[anon33466019]

@LeopardSeal

To compare it to something like cancer where one has no choice in the matter is disingenuous at best.

I violently disagree with that stance. No snark, no sarcasm, no hyperbole.

Additiction is NOT a choice. Any more than depression is.

[LeopardSeal]

@japhroaig

I violently disagree with that stance. No snark, no sarcasm, no hyperbole.

Additiction is NOT a choice. Any more than depression is.

I didn’t say addiction was a choice, but to get out of it requires an active choice and participation by the addict. It’s still not cancer.

Edit: Also to get into it in the first place, but I’ll try not to split hairs.

[teknocholer]

@daneel

Surely they’d know beforehand which customers would ask for them?

And revise their reading accordingly? That would work.

[quote=“Sjeka_Groves, post:20, topic:74443”]
My job is too to [no charge ]… help them understand they are in control of their destiny and need to act as such.[/quote]

To think I could have been charging for this advice all these years. I would have been quite confident offering a guarantee. Hindsight, eh?

[anon33466019]

@LeopardSeal

Also to get into it in the first place, but I’ll try not to split hairs.

nope. nope, nope, nope, nope. if you want to have an honest conversation about addiction i’m game. but that comment is the equivalent for addicts of, “shouldn’t wear that dress”. i am sure you are a fine human being and this is not personal, but nope.

[GulliverFoyle]

In fairness, he’s not the psychic.

[Sjeka_Groves]

Years of experience and intuition is what makes one good at what they do. Doesn’t matter what job you are in. Understanding people is a big part of this kind of work. Part intuition part psychology.