Today’s email is dark and disturbing. I mean it. Read at your own peril.
Many years ago, late one night, I was watching TV and I saw a fragment of a courtroom drama starring Robin Wright. (She also played Buttercup, if you’ve ever seen the Princess Bride.)
In the movie, Wright’s character is testifying against her violent and abusive ex-boyfriend. Even so, she is still in love with the guy. She even interprets his acts of violence as signs that he cares.
I’ll admit, this made me morbidly curious. It had a ring of truth to it. But after all, it was just a movie.
Then a couple days ago, I shared a Rolling Stone article about get-rich-quick master David Bendah. And while I was looking at that article, I saw something in the sidebar. The number 1 trending article on Rolling Stone right now:
“Marilyn Manson: The Monster Hiding in Plain Sight”
It’s same story as that movie I saw long ago. But it’s real — or at least that’s what many of the women Manson has been with claim, including in court.
One of Manson’s exes reports being locked in a cramped, soundproof space that Manson called the “Bad Girls’ Room.”
The first time it happened, she was screaming and kicking to be let out.
In time, she says, she learned to stop fighting, because Manson enjoyed her struggle.
In other words, this happened many times. This grown, independent woman was locked up in a soundproof closet space as punishment… she was humiliated and horrified… and she came back for more.
Another woman, actress Esme Bianco from Game of Thrones, claims Manson abused and raped her for 2 years.
The final straw, Bianco says, was when Manson started running around his all-black, meatlocker-cold West Hollywood apartment, smashing the walls with an axe, and screaming that she was “crowding him.”
2 years of rape and abuse. And it had to take an axe for a successful Hollywood actress to finally get out.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to blame the victims here.
I just think that looking at extremes in life shines a light on more everyday situations.
For example, how conflicted we all are.
There are bad situation in life. And yet, so many hooks, physical and mental, keep us from packing up and leaving.
There are also many possibly good future outcomes. And yet, so many hooks, physical and mental, keep us from moving towards these outcomes.
So that’s my takeaway for you.
Maybe there have been times when you’ve made people an amazing offer. And you couldn’t understand for the life of you why people weren’t running to take you up on it.
Well, there is the chance that your offer was not as amazing as you thought. Or maybe you botched the marketing.
But even if you get everything just perfect, only a few percent will ever respond to even the best offer.
Why?
Well, for reasons like this, the conflicts that exist in us, even in the most extreme situations.
And if you keep this dark and disturbing truth in mind, and find ways to address it, you might have a chance to sell — and maybe help — a lot more people.
Or not.
As another example, I have an offer for you. Marketing and copywriting and persuasion lessons… delivered to your inbox in small, fascinating packages, each day… all for free. Will you take me up on it? Well, I won’t be surprised if you don’t. But if you want to, here’s where to go.