Beyond true or false: 9 different possibilities for Raniere’s claims on bio

A problem to solve for the man who says he is noted as one of the top three problem solvers in the world, or the people who follow him. His bio is not quite right.

At best it is poorly presented. At worst it is dishonest.

There are several claims that Vanguard (AKA Keith Raniere) makes on his webpage keithraniere.com that would in all likelihood not withstand scrutiny by any scholarly body.

A humble college professor could not make such claims as Raniere makes without substantiation. His students would call him on it.

In recent weeks we have suspected that some of Raniere’s claims are:

1. True; provable
2. Half true; provable.
3. Opinion stated as fact.
4. Expressed foolishly. (would not withstand intelligent scrutiny or acceptance by intelligent people, not because of whether it is true, but by how it is expressed. i.e illogical, fantastical; incomprehensible etc.)
5. Accidentally misleading (poorly expressed).
6. Deliberately misleading; not technically a lie (but a lie by omission)
7. Provable lie
8. Questionable, but verifiable (lack of information or sources cited on bio; may be hard or easy to verify. May be true or not true; can be proven or disproved.)
9. Questionable; not verifiable. Lack of information, no sources; may be true but cannot be proven.) Raniere’s word being the only source. Raniere may know if it is true or untrue or may have forgotten, or through mental illness, imagines something is true when it is actually not; is a delusion.

For each of his claims in his bio, I plan to categorize under one of these 9 possibilities (there may be more) and discuss why they belong in such a category.

I will also suggest ways readers can ascertain if Raniere is telling the truth and/or if his claims are accurate.

I am convinced that no one should follow a teacher who claims to possess higher knowledge or can teach deeper philosophical truths, who lies about his qualifications as a teacher.

Does anyone disagree?

If your teacher is lying to you about something so important as his own qualifications  – how do you trust such a teacher?

Frank Parlato