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A comment on ‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied about his lifetime of lies. Parent comment

Re:‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied abou... by foobarbecue on Sunday March 19, 2023 @05:10PM (#35223687)
Nobody said he claimed he was an inventor. I think we all agree that he was a pioneer, but not an inventor.

Recap (paraphrased):

"Jobs never invented anything"

"He was a pioneer"

"pioneer != inventor"

"You have to show proof that he claimed he was an inventor!"

"Nobody said he claimed he was an inventor."

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Re:‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied abou... by pohl on Sunday March 19, 2023 @05:25PM (#35223810)
It was said above that he was “playing the role” of being an inventor, and this observation was directly juxtaposed against a con man.
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Re:‘Catch Me If You Can’ conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied abou... by foobarbecue on Sunday March 19, 2023 @05:59PM (#35224117)
Ah, I see. Yeah, I wouldn't accuse him of that.

I was taking the "reality distortion field" talk to refer to the cultlike status Job's fandom reached at its peak, where the "famous for being famous" effect came into play. I don't think he qualifies as a con man, and I don't think he claimed personal credit for the inventions of others (he never "took the initiative and invented the internet" like Al Gore).

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