Looking for the best word to use....

[Bull]

I can't think of a good word, but they are everywhere, in every aspect of life. I think a lot of these type of people need to convince themselves completely, or to a large degree, of what they attempt to convince others. They have to keep some type of self esteem, or some rationale in their minds for their way of being. They somehow need to leech off others, but they are capable to a degree. They might even look down on those who would openly leech, without offering anything in return. I think it makes them more effective liars. They are capable enough, and knowledgeable enough, that they can "talk the talk" and even "walk the walk" to a point. I think that somehow, mentally, they create an elaborate belief system, which allows them to rationalize their behavior, and that part mainly comes in after they stop walking the walk, and start leeching more and more. They somehow feel they have earned whatever it is that they try to get from others, and that others are to blame or are in the wrong somehow, by not helping them out. It's like, "I've proven myself. You know I'm not a leech. I just have x,y, and z excuse for being in this situation right now." That type of thing I think. Sorry I can't come up with a word. But it is a bad thing. It might be too complicated for just one word. Maybe sociopath, or whatever was mentioned earlier is the most accurate word. I think you have those types, and then you have the fakers, or "posers." The B.S.ers. I have never been able to figure those types out. They get self confidence or something, not from actually being this thing they claim to be, but by convincing someone else to believe this falsehood. It's pretty sad and pitiful in this type, and pretty dangerous and destructive in the other.

[Bearman202]

Opportunist? They see an opening and go for it. Other people's feeling, wants and desires don't mean much to them.

[WiseOwl]

Being from the south, I thought of Kudzu. Maybe Survival Kudzu. For information to those not blessed to be living in the south, Kudzu is a parasitic plant that latches on to other plants, ground, fences, trees, houses...slow moving animals and people, until it completely takes over and is very, very hard to get displace/kill. It looks similar to ivy but with larger leaves and can grow 2 feet overnight!

DIESEL FUEL!!!!!!!

[snarlbuckle]

Regardless, I'm sure most of you will agree with me when I say that I can almost 'smell' them coming. At the very least, you start becoming wary of the person very quickly when he or she keeps wanting things and doesn't pull his or her weight. Call them jellybeans for all I care, but what I want to know is exactly what to do about them. So far my only course of action once I catch a whiff is to steer clear by any means possible, even if it means being rude. Someone please let me know if there's a better way to deal with the situation.

[LizardKing]

What I'm looking to describe is the kind of people that could easily fool a lot of like minded folks out there. They know how to talk the talk. They know how to fit in. They know how to manipulate to get what they want.

Their only TRUE concern is themselves. Once they get their hooks in, you'll never get rid of them.

What's the word I'm looking for? Ideas?

The word I've used to describe people like this is simply 'user'. They make a minimal contribution to a situation and then sit back and expect to receive.

[Pop_45]

A new word.

I thought of calling them a tick, but a tick will at least let go and fall off when it gets full. Same for the leech. Maybe we should create a new word for the situation. I would submit "poservivalist" (copywrite 2011, Pop_45).

Protus, I hope you get another laugh out of it. :D

[protus]

I thought of calling them a tick, but a tick will at least let go and fall off when it gets full. Same for the leech. Maybe we should create a new word for the situation. I would submit "poservivalist" (copywrite 2011, Pop_45).

Protus, I hope you get another laugh out of it. :D

i get a laugh outta of a lot of things. ;)

posersurvivalist....hmmmm...youve been hanging out with Ex to much at that other forum LOL.

[monkeybird]

"poservivalist" (copywrite 2011, Pop_45).

IMHO POP wins. Poservivalist is perfect!

[ebb]

I dont think that poservivlist is it because many of them havent even seen the need to be servivalist yet. They will be out in numbers that boggle the mind soon. I was thinking of putting the name of my old carpenter partner here on this thread but none of you know him so it would be lost on you. But he had a nickname in high school thaty may work "Pin head " Ebb

[claymore]

Other than being called a threat to your survival, I'd call them an "illusionist".

[CLT46910]

opportunistic squatter

[Klayton]

Parasite: cannot live without the host... yep thats it...

[hua man]

An Example?

Make an example of them. (Best left to your own ideas.)
An example of what to watch out for.
An example to others for what will happen.

[Grantmeliberty]

A cancer. Cancer is totally and self-destructively selfish. Cancer seeks only to eat and multiply with no connection to its higher purpose in the body, in the case in point, no obedience to the Heavenly Father, only to satan. Cancer steals the nourishment from the host, frequently cannot be effectively stopped by the immune system, and excretes poison which helps weaken and kill the host.

[Boyd]

I use the word "taker" sometimes in this regard, "leech" other times.

I'm thinking we need a better word to describe this sort of this.

Working on an article on the bigger danger of people like this versus the classic survivalist bad guy of "looter" or "raider."

What I'm looking to describe is the kind of people that could easily fool a lot of like minded folks out there. They know how to talk the talk. They know how to fit in. They know how to manipulate to get what they want.

Their only TRUE concern is themselves. Once they get their hooks in, you'll never get rid of them.

I'm thinking specifically of the classic thread you see come up on survival forums with the theme of "would you take in someone you don't know at your retreat."

A lot of well meaning but naive people answer yes, and I honestly think a few of them would to the right people. The people I'm looking to describe with this word I'm looking for would know how to "talk the talk" and might actually be able to show a few skills that would impress a newer survivalist. Just like the welfare mooches, these folks would then feel "entitled" to your stuff.

Some of them you would have to kill to get rid of. Most of us aren't capable of that unless we felt threatened, which of course would be too late to act.

There ARE folks like that out there, I've met some of them. The main goal is to never let them get an inch.

What's the word I'm looking for? Ideas?

politician ..