Vladimir_Golovin comments on Let them eat cake: Interpersonal Problems vs Tasks - Less Wrong

70 Post author: HughRistik 07 October 2009 04:35PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (568)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Jack 09 October 2009 12:16:33AM *  13 points [-]

In Analogy City there are a large number of people who have no education or work experience because they grew up on welfare and never had the opportunity for much of an education. A group of the nations best salespeople decides to do some community service and teach some of these people how to sell things on the street. Among what they teach:

  1. Don't wait to be turned down. Wash that car's windows and then demand to be paid, don't ask first. Take their picture, demand money. Hand them a homemade craft, then demand to be paid, etc.

  2. Be aggressive. The customer's money is your money, it just isn't in your pocket yet.

  3. Look extra poor so that rich people feel sorry for you and give you more. Employing young children is ideal.

  4. Go to neighborhoods Xington, Yville, and Zburg because thats where the unsuspecting rich liberals targets live and they won't be jaded enough to turn you away.

Nothing that is taught is illegal, quite. But some of the people in the city feel that teaching these methods is, nonetheless, irresponsible and dangerous. Do these people have a valid complaint? If they decided to replace the old salesperson teachings with something else would you be surprised if these new teachings included admonitions not to be too aggressive or to give services without asking the customer if they wanted them?

(I seem to hold the uncommon view that both feminism and the teachings of most PUA types are compatible and good things. But insofar as the PUA culture includes beliefs like "men are owed more sex" I don't think the reactions of Alicorn and others are that off-base.)

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 09 October 2009 08:27:21AM *  0 points [-]

In Analogy City there are a large number of people who have no education or work experience because they grew up on welfare and never had the opportunity for much of an education. A group of the nations best salespeople decides to do some community service and teach some of these people how to sell things on the street.

I'd like to read more on this, but I couldn't figure out from your comment whether it refers to a real-world event or it's just pure fiction -- all Google searches I tried lead to this comment. If what you wrote above is based on a real event, could you post a link to it?

(To clarify -- I'm interested in salesmanship proper, not in getting laid.)

Comment author: wedrifid 09 October 2009 05:33:41PM 5 points [-]

Analogy City is hypothetical.

Comment author: Vladimir_Golovin 09 October 2009 06:22:20PM 0 points [-]

Yes, I understand that -- I was wondering about the "Among what they teach" part.

Comment author: Jack 09 October 2009 06:58:12PM 2 points [-]

Yes, as far as I know I made the whole thing up. There are programs at shelters which teach the homeless and recently homeless job interview skills and sometimes a trade. But I don't know of anything involving salesmen.

Comment author: wedrifid 09 October 2009 06:29:42PM 0 points [-]

The 'Among what they teach' part was constructed more by translating objections through the analogy than by any significant reference to the reality of salesmanship. I do not think you can glean too much information about salesmanship from the comment in question.