Merchants of deception

by alcyone 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  alcyone

  Has anybody read this book?

  
  https://archive.org/details/MerchantsOfDeception

  it is story of a man who worked for Amway. It is so interesting the story is quite similar to experiences of JWs - it was mentioned a couple of times here in the forum Amway internal workings resemble WTS.

  I went through this book when i was fully believing WTS is the truth and i can recall how much i was distressed: 'what if i am in the same position as the author of MoD, only i am not able to realize it?'. I had really serious doubts after reading this book.

  For example his business was not bringing results, but instead of reconsidering the business model, he tried again and again to twist reality into Amway system - perhaps he is not working hard enough, if he will persist, results will come, ...

  The same as a jw is able to convince himself repeatedly that doctrine changed so many times and failed so often is still the truth.
  
• 

  Saintbertholdt

  Will read the book and report back.

  Amway people are crazy. They can only talk about Amway.

  Love their Glister toothpaste (tm) smiles though.
• 

  hoser

  We had a relative that did amway that tried to get our family to join. It didn't work though because I guess one cult was enough.
• 

  alcyone

  Some quotes from the book:

  As a matter of fact, within it, we were told there was a "100% success 
  rate and outside of it a 0% success rate."

  Is it not similar to WTS?

  This is something we all experienced when realizing ttatt:

  In my torment, it was by the grace of God that I made a decision that changed my 
  life. I decided to 'unplug' from the system in ways that would be invisible to the group. I 
  stopped listening to tapes every day and reading books from the approved list. I felt they 
  were keeping me from being able to have clear thoughts.

  I remember when i read it i started to wonder: 'what would happen if I decided to unplug from WTS?' Amway is keeping people in the same constant indoctrination as the WTS - 'read our books every day, listen to the motivaitonal tapes'.

  This looks like KMS meeting:

  Kathy and I began studying the follow-up pack that described the mechanics of 
  starting your own business. The literature advised that to have a successful meeting, we 
  needed to invite at least twice the number of people that we expected to come. In the 
  follow-up pack, we also were given "inviting" techniques and instruction on how to 
  handle certain questions that friends might ask. I was very clearly coached to make 
  certain not to use the words "Amway", "products" or "selling" in the phone calls to 
  friends.

  In the same manner as in the WTS world Amway instructs its followers to avoid controversial stuff when opening conversation. The same as when JW does not mention shunning, rejection of higher education or some bizarre doctrines as '7 trumpets interpretation'.

  It is interesting Amway imposes some rules preventing free discussion among the members:

  "Never cross line" was a core principle that referred to not having business-related 
  or personal conversations with distributors that were cross line from you. It was 
  recommended that you had little or no social contact with these people as well. The 
  reasoning was that this could cause confusion and inadvertently damage both of your 
  businesses.

  So similar to WTS making taboo sharing of negative information.