Last night I had a nightmare....

An elderly couple of neighbours were approached on their doorstep by a notorious fraudster who persuaded them to invest in one of his financial scams, offering them the most luxurious prosperity in their twilight years. They made an immediate initial deposit as a downpayment pending a much larger sum to be invested a short time later.

The couple's daughter Cassandra was however warned by a friendly neighbour about the fraudster. She contacted the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. Cassandra was desperate and did everything she could to warn her parents to cut their losses and not to make any further investment. While her mother was persuaded by her arguments, Cassandra’s father was far more reluctant to admit that he has been conned, grew furious and accused his daughter of wanting to steal his money.

At this point, another neighbour, known for his volubility, instant opinions on a variety of topics, and his penchant for psychiatric gobbledygook, intervened directly to advise the family that it would be best to continue with the investment, despite its fraudulent nature. He argued that this was because the threat to the old gentleman's mental health and self-esteem of being compelled to admit his error would be so devastating as to threaten the break-up of the family. Financial ruin and destitution would surely be preferable.

At that point, I awoke in a cold sweat, so I can’t tell you how the story ended.