May 3–10, 2001

loose canon

"And then…"

by Bruce Schimmel

Some truths are so pervasive that you tend to forget how powerful they are. Such is the case of "And then…"

Tell someone a good story and they’ll follow you anywhere. And it doesn’t even have to be true.

Ask any confidence man, politician or sleazy preacher. They know that facts are not always necessary to an effective story. All that’s really necessary is a credible "And then…"

The con man says, "Give me your money, and then you’ll be rich."

The politician asks for your vote, and then you’ll be free (or rich).

As for the sleazy preacher, if you produce your prayers, you’ll then be saved (or free, or rich).

I was reminded of the power of "And then…" once again this weekend, when I gave a ride in my small airplane to a friend. An older woman, she hadn’t flown much in light aircraft, which can be scary if you don’t know what’s happening.

But then the "And then…" principle did its magic, diluting her fears to a case of mild curiosity. I told her what it would feel, look and sound like at every stage of the flight, and — Behold! — each prediction came true. For the moment, I was the undisputed master of the "And then…"

Now of course in telling your story, it is helpful to have verifiable signposts along your route. This is admittedly easier when your narrative follows an actual path. (Airplanes, after all, must take off, fly and eventually land.) Each waypoint, each "And then…" is rooted in fact, which the viewer can verify along the way.

Which is what makes the art of the con man, politician and preacher even more remarkable. With few (or sometimes no) verifiable signposts along the way, these spinners of tales must teach you to deceive your own eyes. They do that by asking for certain tokens. In giving them your money, your vote or your prayers, you are effectively confirming your desire to deceive yourself. You are confirming that the "And thens…" that they promise are signposts that you promise to believe to be real.

Gambling is a bit like that. Everybody can be a winner, and the little payoffs, the quarters that clatter from the chute, are signs and premonitions that a big payoff is coming, the mother lode of "And thens…"

And stocks, too. Dividends paid out or spikes in prices are lovely ways to keep your faith alive along your pilgrimage to Financial Independence.

It’s amazing how the "And then…" principle can be applied to a variety of phenomena, from religion to finance. I think it might be applied even to romance — though I’ve yet to figure out that last one.