A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual operating alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty, honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility, naïveté or greed.
Read more about Confidence Trick: Terminology, History, Vulnerability To Confidence Tricks
Famous quotes containing the words confidence trick, confidence and/or trick:
“The notion of a universality of human experience is a confidence trick and the notion of a universality of female experience is a clever confidence trick.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)
“Our government is founded upon the intelligence of the people. I for one do not despair of the republic. I have great confidence in the virtue of the great majority of the people, and I cannot fear the result.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“Nor let his Love enchant your generous Mind;
‘Tis Natures trick to propagate her Kind.
Our fond Begetters, who would never die,
Love but themselves in their Posterity.”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)