
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.
May I also suggest that the MLM principle also applies to invitations to religious groups aimed at dragging you in (missionary positions?) to the faith based group and their misguided, bunt “well meaning” efforts to get hymning to buy the falsehoods by showing you the pea is actually under the middle shell in the shell game of life?
LikeLike
so true, wrote about this here http://mdickinson35.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/pyramid-scams-herbalife-juiceplus-marketing-jobs/
LikeLike
Yes, and don’t we all wish it wasn’t.
LikeLike