Grandiose Grifters

Grifter: a person who engages in petty or small scale swindling

The nature of a grifter is manipulative. Artful swindling is their craft. When they go to work it is with the consciousness of knowing that they are planning to take by trickery what belongs to another. The swindled get nothing in return for their precious investment, except of course a drained bank account, a bruised ego, and perhaps the painful realization that they were naive and in some cases, greedy enough to believe the lies that were swapped for truth. 

Have a magical day!

Illusion is a powerful mind cultivator. We can tell ourselves what we want to believe and from there, live in a state of deluded reality. Our own little Disney land of pretend and make believe. Have a magical day!

I have asked God to remove my illusions, my delusions, my own brand of swindling and swapping out truth for lies. Grifting is something we may very well learn early in life. It is a form of manipulation that humans use to get what they need or want, when perhaps, they believe it is the only way ... 

So I told a lie

Hearing the word no can start the process of a grifters kind of approach to life. I recall wanting to use the car when I was going to university. I knew the only way I would get a yes from my father would be to say I was going to the library to study. So I told a lie that I made come partially true. He said yes to taking the car. I went into the library, did a sharp and sassy U-turn, and then went to hang out with a friend, the one I planned to meet but needed some wheels to get to! 

Manipulation

I learned early that my father was a no man, and I had to be sneaky to get I wanted. The problem as I see it in this scenario, is lack of trust. I wasn't doing anything wrong in wanting to spent time with a friend, but my father was controlling of the car, and his reasons and my reasons for using it were different. My reasons didn't qualify as reasonable or justifiable to him ... this left me feeling like a smart ass kind of get around you to get my own way liar! Not a nice feeling at all ... manipulation always undermines relationship, eroding the foundation with half truths and outright lies.

Moral of this story is I needed my own wheels. Not just so that I could come and go freely, but so that I didn't have to betray myself in relationship with my father who did not negotiate when he had made up his mind. Back then, I valued truth. Back then, I learned that telling it didn't always work in my favour, and I was willing to pay the price of an integrity hit to have my own way. But the price was massive now that I look back, because the visiting with a friend was tainted with guilt ... we can never freely enjoy an experience when it feels like it is something we have stolen or lied to have.

Zero compassion

The difference between an actual grifter and me, is I have a conscience. True grifters have zero compassion for their victims, and see them as hapless helpless fools, putty in the hands of the manipulators.

Now, dear reader, let us be very clear, shall we? A grifter starts as a petty thief and hones his skills over time. It may take him or her twenty to thirty years to become a master manipulator, a grandiose grifter on a global scale. Does this seem like a familiar theme? Can you think of anyone or many someones that fit this description?

At the heart, at the root of a grifter, is the taking of what belongs to another. The shameful thing for the deceived, is that they willingly handed over what was precious to them. In return they received stolen health in physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually, profound ways. 

The petty thief is petty in more ways than one. The narrow view they have of putting themselves first at the expense of others is a meanness of spirit that rankles the souls of those that are grieved over the hurt and misery they cause. The smallness they display is lowliness, and demonic in its rancour. They belong to their father the devil, and they will get the devils reward. 

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8)

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Matthew 23:33)