One of the biggest reasons people get victimized, whether it is in a personal relationship or in business is that they are always sidelined. Be it kindness, sex or any other form of manipulation and deceit, it serves as a blinder over their eyes that makes it difficult, and almost impossible for them to see the truth. Some may take too lightly their capacity to be deceived. It would not be called deceit or manipulation if it were not effective. It is easy to see when we look at the situations some other people go through, but when it happens to us, it becomes much less obvious and harder to detect.
One tip to avoid being deceived is to always be skeptical. Some people are too trusting at the beginning of any relationship, preferring to put off judgment of the other person. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is much more practical to look at everything up and down before even a drop of trust comes into the picture.
On the other hand, some people can be too suspicious, which might seem like a good thing when you look at it, but thinking about it more closely, you will find that it makes you more predictable as the manipulators will know what you are looking for, and manufacture ways to either fake it, or go around it even before you get to that point. Being predictable will always put these crooked people a step ahead of you.
When it comes to business, always have everything investigated and put writing. Verbal agreements or informal contracts are a big no-no. Having everything legalized gives you much greater protection from abuse, as you have something legally binding to lean on.
Background checks help. It may seem to be a costly move, but if you intend to invest feelings, time, effort and money towards a certain pursuit, be it a personal relationship or a business opportunity, then you should make sure that all those resources are going towards the goals you have in your head, and not being used by people with other, more selfish and crooked purposes. A background check is all that stands between you and a potential criminal.
When it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Some people get themselves into situations where they just can’t believe their luck. 99.9% of the time, when things seem too peachy that it just blows your mind, it is probably your worst nightmare disguised as your dream come true. I have seen it, and I know.
Never open up completely. Revealing everything, whether it is business strategies, financial information, and other sensitive facts and figures and data can seriously put you at risk. Even in situations and relationships where there is already some degree of trust involved, never, ever put all your cards on the table. Always have a backup plan and an ace up your sleeve.