# Magically, anything you say will be believed by any hearer. What do you do with it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823 "2012-10-15T22:10:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/21 "2012-10-16T02:00:46Z")
I’d keep it and use it to spread strife and discord. Every day would center around finding new ways to fuck with people. I don’t see myself using it to gain money or sex since I’ve been able to get those things without supernatural abilities…but the idea of being able to, through clever use of this power, throw whole societies into turmoil sounds intriguing. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/22 "2012-10-16T02:13:17Z")
…considering how much of my meager social interaction is online, anyway, I don’t think this’ll actually effect my life that much. On the days when I could bring myself to get out of bed in the morning, though…yeah, I’d try to keep it. Mostly to do good, maybe with a bit of greed and impishness mixed in. I wouldn’t go around telling random people on the street they need to give me all their money then kill themselves with a highway flare, or anything. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/23 "2012-10-16T02:14:35Z")
I would just go around telling everyone that yesterday was Wednesday, regardless of what day of the week it really was. How much fun would that be? ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/24 "2012-10-16T02:18:08Z")
You know, you learn a lot about people when they answer a **Skald the Rhymer** thread/poll. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/25 "2012-10-16T03:19:47Z")
You mean, people don’t already believe everything I tell them? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/26 "2012-10-16T03:35:52Z")
Wow, Monday comes right after Wednesday? That’s a serious typo on my calendar, then. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/27 "2012-10-16T03:38:35Z")
Oh, and I finally decided on my answer to the poll. I picked “other”: I _would_ keep and use the power if I trusted the source, but I know that any mysterious power granted in any connection with **Skald** is guaranteed to be a monkey’s paw. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/28 "2012-10-16T04:05:36Z")
This sort of trick doesn’t work on Jabba. You’ve been warned. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/29 "2012-10-16T04:11:08Z")
How would this situation resolve? I walk into an engineering conference… Me: I invented cold fusion! Give me a billion dollars! Scientists: Excellent! This is exciting! Let’s see it! Me: I…already showed it to you. Scientists: Oh…I…suppose you did. I would like to get to work reproducing it. Me: Er…you don’t need to! How long would I be able to lie to them before short-circuiting their natural curiosity? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/30 "2012-10-16T04:49:20Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > This sort of trick doesn’t work on Jabba. “Really? OK.” “Everybody _but_ Jabba? Jabba is planning to kill you; you have to shoot him now, before he kills you himself!” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/31 "2012-10-16T05:18:32Z")
This power actually exists and I use it to practice law. However, it does not always work. But it usually does. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/32 "2012-10-16T05:21:35Z")
I’m a lawyer. With this power, I’d be an unbeatable lawyer. And a very rich one. I’m keeping the power. And making some serious bank. Athena may not be happy, but Thor won’t care, and I’m more of a Thor guy. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/33 "2012-10-16T05:32:13Z")
after convincing several filthy rich people to give me large sums of money I would buy the most over the top sound system ever in the history of the world and start holding religious events, tell as many people as possible they need to be there with their friends and family. start by telling the gathered crowd they need to turn off all recording devices, destroy any remotely controlled recording devices, after the show you will tell your friends and family who missed it that they need to come see the show but not why or what was said. Evolution is the truth and you need to study it the universe is 13.7 billion years old and you need to study how we know this there is no god, there never was a god. voting for people who deny these facts is something you should NOT do. voting for people who have been shown to lie, take corporate cash, or pander to the people are unworthy of public office. The scientific method is the only way to find the truth. you need to learn the scientific method and understand it. idk thats just off the top of my head. I would travel the world doing this, making sure to hit up the governments of every country I could in the process, as well as the biggest crowds possible. (edit) and Jessica Alba…mmmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/34 "2012-10-16T05:44:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “Really? OK.” > > “Everybody _but_ Jabba? Jabba is planning to kill you; you have to shoot him now, before he kills you himself!” Where were you when Lucas was writing Return of the Jedi? ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/35 "2012-10-16T11:33:51Z")
Best. Negotiator. EVER. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/36 "2012-10-16T13:45:48Z")
Nope, not going to keep it, it’s inherently unethical, as all forms of mind control are. Yes, the Jedi too. Mind-rapists, the lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/37 "2012-10-16T16:35:54Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > I selected both the “good” and “not so good” versions of using it, but it occursed to me - can I convince people who speak other languages (even if I have to go through an interpreter)? I’m going to say no. > [@Chronos](#): > > This sounds dangerous, to me: They might retain their emotional state, but believe that that emotional state _is_ calm. With the result that any further attempts to calm them will only make them worse. This. Since the power can’t directly affect a person’s morals or emotional state, I think telling a suicidal person, “You are perfectly healthy” is going to have unintended consequences. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/38 "2012-10-16T17:05:56Z")
My dreadfort is going to be epic. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/39 "2012-10-16T17:06:48Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > My dreadfort is going to be epic. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823/40 "2012-10-16T17:11:28Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Nope, not going to keep it, it’s inherently unethical, as all forms of mind control are. Wait – so are you saying I _shouldn’t_ just rewrite the neural circuitry of the seven genocidal ethnic cleansers in my dungeon–the ones who all got off on technicalities though each was personally responsible not only for multiple rapes and murders but orchestrating same on an organized basis in Rwanda and Bosnia? > [@](#): > > Yes, the Jedi too. Mind-rapists, the lot of them. You just insulted Aayla Secura. I’m going to need you to take that back. It’s like the Gilmore Girls rule in that I just made it up but am applying it retroactively. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magically-anything-you-say-will-be-believed-by-any-hearer-what-do-you-do-with-it/637823.md?page=3)