Gullibility | INFJ Forum

Gullibility

TinyBubbles

TinyBubbles

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Oct 27, 2009
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Would you consider yourself gullible? Do a few heartfelt words and a sincere expression tend to sway you? Think of real experiences in your life, like when people have tried to make excuses for a lie, or when salespeople have tried to sell you goods you didn't originally want or need. Or when beggars have approached you with a sob story and cupped hands, pleading for change. Or when people talk about conspiracy theories - about the government, about alien abductions, about foreign affairs - how likely are you to believe such things?
I hope this isn't too vague a concept to conceptualize.
 
Not at all likely. I'm quite suspicious, really. If people lie to me, I know, but rarely call them out on it - I simply learn not to trust them in future. I try to listen to the paranoid and let them express their fears, if I have the time. I often give beggars the benefit of doubt, if I have spare change. On the other hand I usually instantly hang up on or walk away from salespeople, or if I'm in a mischeivous mood, will lead them on for a while before dashing their hopes. I have occasionally been known to answer the phone pretending to be a pizza restaurant or even a massage parlour, to help screen out the salespeople and amuse myself.
 
Elf said:
I have occasionally been known to answer the phone pretending to be a pizza restaurant or even a massage parlour, to help screen out the salespeople and amuse myself.
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Lol! I've got to try that sometime :)
 
I myself don't think I'm gulible however I do have apersonal bias. With that being said I don't repsond to a circumstance in a way that would not be percieved as gulible.

examples:

A)My friend comes to during lunch with 15 mins to our next class, he has not done his homework. He tells me that he didn't understand it and hasn't completed it due to his lack of understanding. He asks me to give him the answers and that he'll figure out the math later.

I would not give him the answers but instead walk him through the homework before class so that he could turn it in for a grade.

B) A homeless man comes up to me and says he has no money for food.

instead of giving him money for food, I would instead take him to a Mc. Donalds and buy him a samwhich.
 
Elf said:
Not at all likely. I'm quite suspicious, really. If people lie to me, I know, but rarely call them out on it - I simply learn not to trust them in future. I try to listen to the paranoid and let them express their fears, if I have the time. I often give beggars the benefit of doubt, if I have spare change. On the other hand I usually instantly hang up on or walk away from salespeople, or if I'm in a mischeivous mood, will lead them on for a while before dashing their hopes. I have occasionally been known to answer the phone pretending to be a pizza restaurant or even a massage parlour, to help screen out the salespeople and amuse myself.
Click to expand...

:lol:

I'm mostly suspicious and distrustful.
 
I don't consider myself gullible. There's always this underlying feeling of distrust. However, as I'm mostly nice, friendly and helpful (even if it is to get easily rid of somebody pestering me by giving what they want or whatever) people might get an idea that I can be fooled easily. It's not that I pretend or fake my expressions and actions intentionally to give people that impression, it just seems easier to behave like that. It's my own self-preservation mode.

Conspiracy theories and such are always met with high suspicion. I never fully take anything at face value, I always leave some room for possible interpretations. I like to gather information to make up my own mind about things.
 
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I don't even acknowledge salesman. If they approach me in the street I keep walking. If they knock on my door I casually close the door on them without a word. Same with the phone calls.

Same with beggars as most of the beggars where I live are actually heroin addicts. If I know for sure they are really homeless and in need of food I give them
 
Depends on the situation.

If a homeless guy walks up to me I'm suspicious. A girlfriend and I would take them to dinner and watch them suffer (cause they just wanted some booze) I set my mind on suspicious when I walk into a car dealership. If a person presents a crazy theory on the Internet, I assume they've lost associative competence. If a dude tells me that he has a government plan to Save the World, I just sigh and assume the worst.

But with friends who have odd experiences, I tend to be gullible. Especially if I get the sense that they have strong logic and analysis skills. So to the extent that I trust friends, I am gullible. Some of these experiences one friend had, if I just read about them on the internet, I would immediately disregard as psychosis.
 
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Yes... Even if I am suspicious, I change my mind constantly. I hate the idea of not believing someone when it could be the truth. My dad has told me that I attract pathological liars, which seems to be true, because I have been hurt a lot by pathological liars.

So now I just put on a suspicious and disbelieving front. I hope it's working, because I don't think I have any pathological liars in my life right now...
 
I'm not really prone to believe tall tales or stories about alien abduction or anything, but I've been hustled out of a fair amount of money in my past.
 
Poetic Justice said:
Conspiricies happen. Obviously they aren't all true but some are. How has any story that suggests a government is up to something untoward been labelled as something only crazy people believe in? Governments want you to think that so the are more likely to get away with things
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That is so interesting! Conspiracy theories, in general, are a topic of much debate. When you have people with a great deal of power and ability to manipulate information, it's easy to expect abuse. You're exactly right though, even if some of them were true, most are lumped together and those who perpetuate them are disregarded as "crazy people"
 
I can be gullible with beggars, but I'm not sure if it's out of pity or the need to not feel bad about myself.

Conspiracy theories usually meet with an inward groan of "here we go again....
 
Meh, I don't really consider myself gullible. I don't fall for sales ploys, fast talkers, or things of the such.

However, I don't like to discredit people just because I don't think it's true. Generally I give the person time to explain what they're talking about, and feel it out from there.

I give money to people on the street. I've met more interesting people that way than almost any other way. I don't care if they're "hustling" me. I give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I don't give out money to panhandlers in big cities, nor do I take the time to talk with them. Our city doesn't really have that problem, so I generally just give. I like having cigarettes and letting people bum one on the street. (smoking seems to bring out the best conversations in people)

I generally have a good sense when my friends/family are telling the truth, but I admit I've been fooled a couple of times.

So yeah, I just rambled, and I'm probably ignorantly gullible.
 
I don't think I'd classify myself as gullible, overall. I tend to be very suspicious and always on the lookout for inconsistencies or deception. I tend to preliminarily accept people as they present while continuing to observe and note my findings. Almost always I find what seems to me concerning motivations or inconsistencies, but I think because I see it in so many people, I'm tolerant of it. Sometimes people surpass my threshold and I withdraw for protection. Sometimes people outlast my suspicion and gain a level of trust, worthy or not.
 
i also hold with the general consensus that suspicion seems to be almost unavoidable for newcomers or sales people, though i must say i am gullible in the sense that a little friendliness goes a long way with me. even if someone has overstepped a boundary it is hard for me to remember it after a few kind words. pretty sure my friends know this too, and it def makes me feel gullible at times
 
I remembered something I forgot earlier, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt before making any discnering judgements.
 
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