If you believe everything I’ve told you so far, just because it’s written down in black and white, then think again. Yes, I believe it all, but you should be thinking it through for yourself. How do you know you can trust me? You’ve never met me, you don’t know who I am, you don’t even know what I look like. Just because I’ve had a book published doesn’t mean I know everything.

Look, you can’t go through life never trusting anyone, but neither is it helpful to be too trusting. And the best insurance against going too far either way is to think for yourself. So thank you for buying (or borrowing) my book and please feel free to read it. I hope you’ll find, when you think it through, that it makes enough sense that you don’t consider your time or your money wasted. But don’t believe everything I write just because I’ve written it.

I’ve talked about how to recognise the ways people might prod you into thinking their way instead of your own. But there will always be people who come up with new and clever strategies or people who know you so well they can find your weak spot instinctively. The thing is, if you can make your own decisions for yourself, you don’t need to trust or mistrust other people. It doesn’t matter, because you’re not in their hands, you’re in your own. Of course there are other scenarios where trust might be an issue but, when it comes to persuasion, thinking for yourself is the trump card that sidesteps it.

One way to avoid being gullible is always to give yourself time to think, since thinking is the solution. Never allow anyone to force you into a faster decision than you’re happy with. Too much pressure is usually a sign that they’re worried you’ll change your mind if you have time to think. You know those special one-day-only offers – sign your name here today and you’ll get a big discount or a free thing. My absolute rule is that I never trust that kind of offer and I rarely trust the assertion that the offer won’t still be there if I go back tomorrow.

I never trust a bargain either, until I’ve thought it through. If I want the thing anyway, it’s just a bonus that it’s so well priced. If I don’t really want it, even a few pence for it would be a few pence wasted.

Oh, one other thing to think about … charities, while largely worthy causes, do know every trick in the book when it comes to getting money off you. And their armoury also includes guilt, whether overt or implied. Now I’m a big believer in giving to charities, but all of us have only so much we can afford to give to charity each year. So think through the charities you really want to support – wildlife, army veterans, old people, children, the environment – and give that money to them, whether it’s a regular subscription or an occasional donation. Don’t be sucked into giving that money to other charities just because someone shakes a tin in your face and makes you feel guilty. If it’s any more than a handful of loose change, go away, and think about whether you want to support them. You can always make a donation online or come back tomorrow. If you think that’s harsh, no problem. At least you’re thinking.