How could they believe such stupid stuff?
There’s an ancient story about making turtle soup. It seems an aspiring cook couldn’t seem to make the soup. Every time he put the animal in boiling water, the animal felt the heat and leapt out. An experienced chef watched with amusement for some time. Eventually he could no longer contain his wit. “Let me show you how to trick Mr. Turtle,” he said slyly. Exasperated the young cook stood aside and let him have his way. The chef proceeded to fill a pot with cold water, place the turtle inside, replace the lid, and began to warm the pot gently with a low flame. “Now Mr. Turtle will just fall asleep as he begins to feel warm,” he snickered. “And you and I can share an exquisitely rich broth at his expense!” No one sets out to castrate themselves, commit suicide, or even blow their life savings. Only a very slow, painful process of mind control carried out by sociopaths for their own ends can do the trick.
