Gullibility, namely being duped or manipulated by other people, is a very common form of social incompetence, and one that can have very serious consequences for the victim. All of us have been duped on occasion by someone whom we trusted, and we all know people whose extreme gullibility has gotten them into serious difficulty. Stephen Greenspan will look at various forms of gullibility: religious, political, financial, etc. and what contributes to gullibility, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly. While not guaranteeing a cure for City Club members, he will teach us something about what to do to protect ourselves and others from being duped and victimized.
Stephen Greenspan, PhD is a developmental psychologist who is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado. His 2009 book Annals of Gullibility is the first comprehensive book on the topic of why and how people are duped. His featured essay in the Wall Street Journal on why people (including himself) were duped by Bernard Madoff achieved widespread media attention, including a recent interview on CBS 60 Minutes. You can purchase his book at Amazon.com.