The Second Easiest Way to Lose False Friends

English: A simple binary tree diagram illustrating the hierarchical structure of a multi-level marketing compensation plan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The easiest way to lose supposed friends is, of course, to loan them money. As little as fifty or a hundred bucks will generally do the trick. And being rid of them is a bargain at the price. As a bonus, the minority who pay you back in a timely manner are almost always real friends.

The second easiest way is to flatly turn down a supposed friend who’s involved in a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme–Amway, Herbalife, etc. My close friends are neither naive enough nor unethical enough to involve themselves in such pyramid scheme-like crap, but every once in a while someone I’m not especially close to will hit me up to buy overpriced MLM junk, playing the “friend” card. I simply tell them, “Don’t take it personally. I like you, but I never buy from multi-level marketers,” To date, almost every single one of them has immediately vanished. (The one in a hundred who’ll stick around is probably an actual friend, just naive. In my case I can only think of one exception–and hello Stephen, if by chance you’re reading this.)

Try refusing the next time a “friend” tries to take advantage of you via an MLM scam. I have a strong hunch your experience will be the same as mine.

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