The Doctor and the Engineer

Jeevan Sivasubramaniam Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.



A man who was unemployed for a long time decided to open a wellness clinic. He puts a sign outside the clinic: "A cure for your ailment guaranteed for $500; we'll pay you $1,000 if we can't help you."

A scammer thinks this is a good opportunity to earn $1,000 and goes to this clinic.

Scammer: "I have lost my sense of taste."

Man: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth." (An assistant brings over a vial with a dropper and proceeds to drop three drops into the scammer's mouth.)

Scammer: "Ugh! This is Gasoline!"

Man: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500."

The man pays but gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days later to recover his money.

Scammer: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything."

Man: "Nurse, please bring the medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Scammer: "But that is gasoline again!"

Man: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500."

The scammer leaves angrily and comes back after several days, more determined than ever to make his money back.

Scammer: "My eyesight has become weak."

Man: "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so I guess I owe you. Take this $1,000." (The man hands the scammer a stack of five $100 bills.)

Scammer: "But this is only $500."

Man: "Congratulations! You've got your vision back! That will be $500."

Moral of the Story: The biggest lies can be undone by the simplest facts