Knocker Shockers — 3 Reasons Why

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Chapter 11

The Three Reasons Why People
“Knock” MLM

In the 1990s, with tough consumer protection laws, crusading media scrutiny and government watchdogs ready to pounce at the first sign of illegality or impropriety (real or imagined), people can only accuse a genuine MLM business (plenty are not, sadly) of being anything but legal, honest, ethical and legitimate for one of these three reasons:

1. Ignorance

They simply don’t know the truth. People in this category are usually willing to listen to the facts without feeling threatened by them. They rarely make accusations. They tend, instead, to express concern. They just want to know the truth of the matter. This is the only respectable reason… so these people are not really “knockers”.

2. Prejudice

This is nothing more than ignorance with a hostile attitude. These people rarely want to know the truth. They merely grab hold of whatever they want to be true, especially if it justifies their own lack of achievement or gives them the illusion of moral superiority. It’s irrational, illogical, uncontrolled emotion, but it justifies (rationalises!) their uninformed opinion. Their minds aren’t just devoid of the facts… they’re shut tight against them!

To even attempt to get them to see reason is intensely threatening to their emotionally-dependent position, and they’ll defend it vehemently. The odds are that they haven’t even attempted to verify what other, equally prejudiced people have told them. This is much worse than being ignorant… it’s downright stupid! (It’s also the most common motive of accusers.)

3. Malice

We can only guess at the true motives driving these people and their mischief-making, but there’s always a hidden agenda. They know the truth but, for reasons of their own, seek to hide it behind half-truth and distortion. While prejudiced people are dangerous because of their emotional instability, malicious people are even more dangerous because they often load the guns for the prejudiced to fire!

If you’re ever confronted by someone who accuses Multi-Level Marketing of being nothing more than illegal Pyramid Selling, or any of the other old, tired fallacies discussed in this section, ask yourself which of the three is their reason? And are they intelligent, ethical, honest, principled and courageous enough to face the truth? Or have they invested so much irrational emotion in a thoroughly discredited fallacy that they fear they’ll lose face if they change their position?

The only honest, intelligent response will be to take an unbiased, objective look at what you’re offering and judge accordingly.

Of course, if they’re too emotionally dependent on their own fears or prejudices to change, tell them not to worry… you understand. (This will really terrify ’em!)

To go to any KnockerShocker in this series, click on these links.

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