More than ever, it is easy to be a charlatan. Big thanks to globalization and capitalistic-oriented economies. Although history has seen many charlatans, it is nothing compared to the numbers we are seeing now. And the problem is that most people want to be one.
Charlatans are performers, much better actors than actual actors. They play their part to perfection, leaving no stone unturned. But among all, there are a few we see every day. The Oscar-worthy ones. Let’s follow the success stories of two popular charlatans, Jay Shetty and Mel Robbins.
For any charlatan, there is a compelling and relatable story. The story has three aspects: the infamous dip, the revelation, and the transfer of so-called knowledge.
The Infamous DIP:
In the case of Jay Shetty, he was feeling a lack of something at his job. During a meeting, he heard some spiritual words by a guru and went to India to become a monk (there are inconsistencies in his story; his family were (or maybe ‘are’) practitioners of ISKCON beliefs).
For Mel Robbins, her life was upside down. She changed jobs, from law to analytics. Her husband’s restaurant was in 800,000 USD debt. She was procrastinating and unproductive. In short, a horrible life.
The Revelation:
During his stay in India as a monk, he got enlightenment and (allegedly) acquired tons of wisdom. He got clarity that his life’s purpose is to share the word. He believes that living as a monk instilled discipline and other *insert self-help terminology here* in him.
One day, Mel Robbins was watching a rocket launch, and the announcement was 5.4.3.2.1, and then boom. The 5-Second Rule came into the picture. The rule transformed her, and she became productive. In other words, she put her life together.
Transfer of so-called Knowledge:
After coming back to the UK, Jay Shetty started making cringe-fest Facebook and YouTube videos before writing his book, Think Like a Monk. He used to pump those videos by ads and claimed 3 billion views across all platforms. We don’t know for sure how many of them are organic views. Once he hit the saturation point, he didn’t look back.
Mel Robbins, more or less, had the same path. She gave a TED talk about the rule, but real fame came from her book, 5 Second Rule. She cultivated the fan base by making YouTube videos, appearing in interviews and podcasts, and eventually starting her own podcast.
The central issue with charlatans is that they give advice for living. They don’t bear the consequences of their advice, but rather we do if we follow them. Generally, their advice seems to be common sense and harmless, but some preachings do irreversible damage.
It is not a surprise that charlatans live a double life. They don’t conceal it, either. A man who claims to be a modern monk doesn’t need an 8-million-dollar house. He doesn’t have to do BMW brand promotions. He doesn’t need to have expensive clothing, watches, and other materialistic things.
You might think I am nitpicking, but Jay Shetty himself said the quotes, like, “Real success is internal,” or “We don’t have to be materialistic,” or other bullshit. You preach something, and you don’t follow the very things you said. Talk about behavioral and character inconsistency; Jay Shetty is the master of it.
I am not shocked when people defend charlatans. They say people like Jay Shetty helped them become better humans. I get it. Replace Jay Shetty with someone else; their advice would have worked the same. Because charlatans don’t conjure up mighty insights or acquire wisdom through experiences, all they do is recycle the generic advice, what we already know.
Obviously, people like to hear them because charlatans don’t go against your beliefs. They don’t offend you. They tell you things that you want to hear. They want to make you feel good about yourself so that you will engage with your content and buy their books. A real teacher gives you a reality check, not boastful words.
The fact of the matter is charlatans don’t expose themselves to reality. Their experiences are limited; they say things, usually with exaggeration, about what they read or heard. To put it sharply, they don’t have skin in the game. Why is it important? Getting success is all about failing and picking yourself up again. In the process, you get scars.
Imagine a finance bro who advises you on where to put money, but he makes money by selling courses. He doesn’t face the consequences, but you do. You lose money, but he makes it. You may not recover from the loss; he goes on to make more money.
These scars are the evidence that you encountered reality face-to-face. I would rather listen to a failed person who tried than a charlatan who just talks. A failed person has insights; he/she knows what went wrong and what could have been done better. In the case of a charlatan, he/she hardly has any real insights.
But the problem isn’t with charlatans; it is with people who follow them. People are having hard times; they seek words of comfort and validation. They need to feel they belong somewhere. They need to see that someone out there thinks the same way they do. What people forget is that charlatans like Jay Shetty perform for them. It’s a play.
As long as desperation exists, more charlatans rise to the surface and cause harm to the society. Ask yourself this: does this man have real repercussions for what he/she is saying? As Nassim Taleb says, “Don’t tell me what you think; tell me what you have in your portfolio.”
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