Making money off of the superstitious.

[Thurlor]

I'm trying to come up with various methods by which I could wrought superstitious people of their money (based on their stupid beliefs).

Examples;


- Release a black cat in a neighbourhood and collect money to capture it.
- Find houses that have had a murder/suicide occur within them and offer to buy the house (at a reduced value).
- Remove all wood from an apartment building then charge the tenants to access wood.


Would it be considered acting in bad faith if I don't share these superstitions?


Any other ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Brontosaurie]

Be a burglar.

They stupidly believed they were sufficiently protected.

You will not find a valid distinction between that and what you're thinking of doing.

Your choice, then. Personally i would've opted for burglary if i was at such a point of moral destitution. It's easier and more straight-forward.

 

[Absurdity]

Be a burglar.

Or a banker.

 

[Perfectly Normal Beast]

tell people that your invisible psychotic sky friend will smite them unless they pay you to appease it

edit: sorry, apparently this is not an original idea

 

[Pyropyro]

Make an ad based forum which caters to people who think they're smart.

 

[onesteptwostep]

Make a donation fund for Israel.

 

[Thurlor]

@Brontosaurie

I fail to see the link between burglary and taking advantage of people's superstitions. From where do you get the notion I am morally destitute?


@Perfectly Normal Beast

Whilst you are correct that religions are superstitions I was trying to focus on the non-religious superstitions.



@Pyropyro and onesteptwostep

I don't get it.

 

[Thurlor]

If it is wrong to take advantage of people's superstitions would it also be wrong for police to charge a person with jay walking if they crossed a road to avoid a black cat or a ladder?

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

Sell snake oil.
(seriously, though, my friend worked in some chakra-good-vibes-etc juice type store. They literally would sell bottles of filtered water that they'd blessed with positive energies and whatnot)

- Remove all wood from an apartment building then charge the tenants to access wood.

wat
I'm not familiar with whatever this superstition is

If it is wrong to take advantage of people's superstitions would it also be wrong for police to charge a person with jay walking if they crossed a road to avoid a black cat or a ladder?

Have you honestly ever met a cop that's given a shit about someone jaywalking?

 

[Brontosaurie]

Or a banker.

Oh, yes. A lot less likely though.

 

[Brontosaurie]

@Brontosaurie

I fail to see the link between burglary and taking advantage of people's superstitions. From where do you get the notion I am morally destitute?

I don't get it.

They were stupid and readily exploited.

I didn't mean to claim that you're morally destitute. It was a conditional. You're probably not gonna carry this through. If you do you aren't any better than a burglar. Not that burglary is some sort of dealbreaker, just saying.

 

[Thurlor]

@Cheeseumpuffs

I was referring to the 'touch wood' superstition.

Regarding police and jaywalking, two of my friends have been charged with it. I suppose it depends on where you are.

@Brontosaurie

You're right, I probably won't carry this through. It is merely a 'what if'.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

You could always sell hexagonal water. I see people drinking that bullshit all the time.

 

[paradoxparadigm7]

It's done all the time, aka faith healers. Personally, I wouldn't have the stomach for it as I'm repulsed by those who deliberately take advantage of scared people for personal gain.

 

[rainman312]

You could always sell hexagonal water. I see people drinking that bullshit all the time.

I hadn't heard of this so I looked it up. Some of the videos on it are hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmtcffS07H8

 

[PaulMaster]

You will not find a valid distinction between that and what you're thinking of doing.

The valid distinction is that burglary is illegal, creating substantial risk for the operator.

Selling "snake oil" (or whatever) is virtually risk free.

 

[Hadoblado]

I recently had my astrology done by an enthusiastic aunt. She was a little put out because apparently everything points to me being the second coming of Jesus or w/e. When it comes to the spiritual, I'm the bee's knees. This was awkward for her because we butt heads on whether this stuff is real, meaning, if her claims are worth anything at all, I am the messiah and she should listen to me when I tell her that it's not real.

How to monetise? Well, if the techniques she used are widely accepted (they actually looked fairly impressive with a whole bunch of charts and stuff), I could ride the wave into becoming fully guru, lead people along with my ill-gained mystique, gather a following, make up some reason I need their money, then do a full reveal later. Arguably I'd have done them a favor because I'd have taken money that would have gone to some other conceited fool, but also capped their loss (if I did reveal). Probably better to just commit to either making money or exposing fraud though.

So ummm... yeah... just be Jesus like me :P