If anyone ever told a believable lie and then called you gullible, that’s stupid.
The point of “messing with someone” is to toe the edge of what is believable to see how they react. If you end up straying into the realm of “totally unbelievable” without an incredulous reaction, then the label of “gullible” is deserved.
It’s like a friendly duel of wits. An opportunity to sharpen each other’s blades without any stakes. Probably a social survival mechanism.
As a kid, I had a small dictionary, so I checked whether “gullible” was in it in order to mess with my little sister. It wasn’t there, but I still got in trouble when my mom overheard me telling my sister, “Did you know gullible is not in this dictionary?”
If anyone ever told a believable lie and then called you gullible, that’s stupid.
The point of “messing with someone” is to toe the edge of what is believable to see how they react. If you end up straying into the realm of “totally unbelievable” without an incredulous reaction, then the label of “gullible” is deserved.
It’s like a friendly duel of wits. An opportunity to sharpen each other’s blades without any stakes. Probably a social survival mechanism.
A funny one my friend pulled on another friend:
“Did you know the word gullible isn’t in the dictionary?”
“Wait really?”
As a kid, I had a small dictionary, so I checked whether “gullible” was in it in order to mess with my little sister. It wasn’t there, but I still got in trouble when my mom overheard me telling my sister, “Did you know gullible is not in this dictionary?”
I was miffed because I was telling the truth.
Wow! How fascinating! No wonder I don’t want friends!
Duel with yourselves, liars.