Life's Harsh Lessons 'Make You More Gullible' - Study

[kalibex]

"People who have suffered life's hard knocks while growing up tend to be more gullible than those who have been more sheltered, startling new findings from the University of Leicester reveal.

"A six-month study in the University's School of Psychology found that rather than 'toughening up' individuals, adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence meant that these people were vulnerable to being mislead.

"The research analysing results from 60 participants suggest that such people could, for example, be more open to suggestion in police interrogations or to be influenced by the media or advertising campaigns.

The study found that while some people may indeed become more ‘hard-nosed’ through adversity, the majority become less trusting of their own judgement."

Link = http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/05/nparticle.2006-05-23.9962988556

[Jacobin]

1. That's counter-intuitive

Wonder what's up with that?

[MadHound]

4. I hear you. Hell, I've been through the wringer of life,

And I'm certainly less trustful, more cynical and less open to suggestion. As are the people that I know who have also been through the "school of hard knocks".

Sorry, but I'd have to call BS on this one:shrug:

[Hubert Flottz]

8. "Everything changed after 9/11"

Today's Up = Yesterday's Down

[PublicWrath]

12. Yes, I agree, it's crap. The life events they are using in the study

seem to be general personal tragedies. I think of hard knocks as disillusioning experiences that train us to protect ourselves, that teach us to be skeptical about people and systems, and circumstances that forge self-reliance through necessity.

[NYC]

10. Less trusting of their own judgement.

...The study found that while some people may indeed become more ‘hard-nosed’ through adversity, the majority become less trusting of their own judgement."

[Warpy]

2. Well, that certainly explains why working people who were

kicked in the teeth by OPEC inflation in the 70s and then blamed for causing it (wages too high) were such suckers for Reagan, BushI, Clinton, and now Stupid.

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Exactly, the repugs waged a war on the poor

and then as their Coup de Grâce convinced the poor to vote for them.

[rock]

3. Yeah, right

[Nostradammit]

6. You spoiled rich kids make me sick.

:)

[Epiphany4z]

5. I don't buy it

been kicked plenty.That is to say I grew up hard...and I like to believe I am not the gullible sort. Many of people I know who had similar backgrounds to mine don't strike me as gullible. I actually think it makes you less gullable...you don't take anything at face value as a matter of survival.

[MuseRider]

11. My background as well

and I am the most gullible person I have ever known. I was 35 before I realized my mind was as good or better than most. Perhaps it depends on the type of kicking? I was not only a convienient punching bag but I was just a dumb worthless girl. I know better now but I still find I question myself all the time making me often very gullible. The only saving grace is that I also take nothing at face value, my gullibility is most often in ideas, I would never trust anyone enough to end up physically vunerable again. Hmmm, interesting study.

[Jim Warren]

9. Interesting study none the less

Thanks for posting it, never would have seen it otherwise.

I think some will confuse hard-nosed as not being gullible.

Key sentence.

"The study found that while some people may indeed become more ‘hard-nosed’ through adversity, the majority become less trusting of their own judgement."

Explains some freeper behavior.

[ismnotwasm]

13. It makes a certain sense

But 60 people is hardly a basis for a solid study. Besides the circumstances surrounding any adversity matter as well as the support system in place. Not to mention economic status, race and culture.

One of the healthiest things I've ever learned is when it hurts say ouch.

Certain people get hard. They get streetwise, or what they consider streetwise. Yet they'll still do stupid shit that ends them up in prison, maimed or dead. Gullible by reason of being bullet proof (it won't happen to me) Or Gullible because adverse outcome is the goal, (such as prison, or some sort of violence)

I've met people so screwed up that they had NO defense against life's happenings. And it seemed to start in childhood. I've always called them the lost ones.