Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December - January 2014 | Page 73

INSPIRATION
And these are just a few examples...
How deep does the deception go?
Increasingly, scientists, archaeologists and
researchers are discovering evidence that seriously
challenge the validity of the very history of
humankind, propagated by those with vested
interests in maintaining a certain historical
perspective.
It was a rare and wonderful privilege to interview
best-selling author Graham Hancock, who
specialises in unconventional theories around
ancient civilisations, stone monuments, ancient
myths, astronomical and astrological data from the
past and altered states of consciousness.
A British writer and an extremely successful
investigative journalist, Hancock is the author
of major international bestsellers The Sign and
The Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods and Heaven’s
Mirror. His books have sold more than five
million copies worldwide and have been translated
into 27 languages. His public lectures and TV
appearances, including the three-hour series Quest
For The Lost Civilization, have labelled him as an
unconventional thinker who raises legitimate
questions and offers increasingly popular challenges
to the entrenched views of orthodox scholars.
Hancock says that his work is based on a simple
philosophy: “Never simply believe everything we
are told by institutions that have ulterior motives to
keep us in the dark. Don’t become a passive receiver
of information, especially when that information
reflects the mainstream perspective. Always ask
questions. Do your own research and come up with

your own conclusions. And then make connections
between the conclusions you come to, which will
reveal new possibilities.”
Hancock also let us in on an exciting new
development: the imminent release of Fingerprints
of the Gods 2, a follow up to the revolutionary
rewrite of history that was the original Fingerprints
of the Gods. Directing probing questions at
orthodox history and presenting disturbing new
evidence that historians have tried - but fa iled
- to explain, the book changed preconceptions
about the history behind modern society.
Hancock promises that Fingerprints of the Gods
2 incorporates more exciting discoveries and new
evidence that history is not what we have been led
to believe.
If you prefer a lighter read, Hancock’s latest book
War God was recently released. While presented
in fictional format, it is distinctively Hancock, with
rich detail and solid research that brings to life a
different perspective on the conventional story
about the conquest of Mexico.
For those who prefer their perspective-changing
information and knowledge in bite-size chunks,
visit www.grahamhancock.com for a regular dose
of alternative news.

The truth is out there
Seeking out knowledge of what we don’t know
and the truth about what we think we know, is
not a past-time for conspiracy theorists and antiestablishment fanatics.
It has become a critical life, business and
investment skill, because what we don’t know may
well be more relevant that what we do know, and
even what we know may well not be the truth.
Understanding this provides us with three crucial
skills that all investors should have: seeking out
what you don’t know; discernment when evaluating
information and the ability to recognise that there
may be another perspective.

What you don’t know

GRAHAM HANCOCK

www.reimag.co.za

Finding out what you don’t know is absolutely
crucial to making good decisions – in life, in
business and in investment. This is why, in property
investment, a due diligence is crucial: it allows you
to uncover what you don’t know, for example, a
pending land claim or an irreparable structural
flaw. What you don’t know is potentially much
more important than what you do know.

Discernment
Discernment regarding your sources of knowledge
and information is also crucial in every aspect of
life, business and investment.
On countless occasions, the banks, the media
and the big corporates have been exposed for their
deceit. Be wary of information and knowledge
disseminated by those who have vested interests
in keeping the public in the dark, and spreading a
certain version of a story.
Having discernment regarding your sources
of information is also a crucial investment skill,
particularly if the source has a vested interest.
Be wary of an estate agent’s opinion regarding
the price you should pay for a property, and of a
financial advisor’s assurances that a retirement
annuity is far better than acquiring property.

Perspective
Alternative knowledge and information provides
a different perspective that is unique from the
mainstream perspective created and propagated
by governments and big corporations. And from
a different perspective comes the ability to see
possibilities that others simply do not see. The
ability to see possibilities and opportunities that
others simply do not is the number one asset of all
great property investors.
What also comes with a different perspective
is the ability to think outside the box. Beware of
the mainstream, conventional information and
commonly accepted knowledge which is designed
and disseminated precisely to keep the masses in
the box.

Pinch of salt
The ability to uncover what you don’t know, to
question both the source and the information and
knowledge you receive, as well as to entertain a
new perspective – even if you take it with a pinch
of salt - is absolutely crucial, in life, in business and
in investment.
Take time this holiday season to discover what
you don’t know, to verify the truth of what you
know, and to gain a new perspective. It will pay off
handsomely in the ability to see possibilities and
opportunities that those who blindly believe the
established, accepted and conventional, will simply
don’t know they can’t see.

RESOURCES
Graham Hancock

December January 2013/4 SA Real Estate Investor

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