I do get asked this question sometimes, often by random people at social occasions. It is a very valid question and I think all BaZi practitioners (and Feng Shui practitioners out there) should have an answer to this question. It’s only fair.

I am also prompted to write this article upon reading the comments of Justice Johnson Lam, the presiding Judge in the Nina Wang probate case. His Lordship, in his judgment, saw fit to include the following comment:

Justice Lam also had some sobering words about feng shui. “As far as Hong Kong is concerned, any person can run a feng shui class or hold himself out as a feng shui practitioner or master,” the judge wrote. “There is no independent objective assessment, and thus no quality assurance whatsoever.”

– New York Times ‘Feng Shui Master is denied billionaire’s estate’

But before I get to the answer (and address Justice Lam’s point), I would like to pose this question:

How do you know the [insert profession of choice] is a Quack?

How do you know the doctor is a quack?

How do you know the lawyer is a quack?

How do you know the plumber is a quack?

How do you know the dentist is a quack?

* see definition of ‘quack‘ and ‘quackery‘

HOW DO YOU KNOW INDEED?

One argument is that all of the above (including the plumber) have certificates. Guess what – those can be faked or forged. Equally, not all doctors graduate from  good medical schools. There are LOTS of lousy doctors out there.

And dentists. And engineers. And accountants. And lawyers.

But no one accuses someone who has failed in their duties in these profession as a ‘quack’. It is simply assumed that they know what they are doing, but are simply not very good at what they are doing.

So we don’t call them quack lawyers. They are just not very good lawyers.

WIKI defines ‘quackery’ (which obviously is the practice of a quack) as “”a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess; a charlatan.”

Non-quackery in essence is defined as possessing SKILL, KNOWLEDGE or QUALIFICATIONS.Quackery is the opposite: the lack (or the pretense) of the SKILL, KNOWLEDGE or QUALIFICATIONS to perform a particular job.

By this definition, lawyers can engage in quackery. So can doctors. Plumbers. Gardeners. Bodyguards.

A plumber who pretends to know what he is doing (when he doesn’t) IS A QUACK PLUMBER.

ANYONE REALLY CAN BE A QUACK!

Now, as Justice Lam has pointed out, it is indeed difficult to ascertain if someone is qualified, skilled or knowledgeable in the field of Metaphysics because it lacks an independent verification body. However, I would argue also that most professions have bodies that serve to verify the credentials of an individual, but those bodies often comprise of individuals from that profession itself.

So, yes, the Bar Councils and Bars around the world serve to determine if a lawyer is qualified to practice law or not. But are they actually able to stop quack lawyers (by arguable definition, LOUSY lawyers)? Well, that depends on whether the Bar (or guild or association) is looking to serve the interests of it’s members (who may not want more people in to create competition) or to serve the interests of the public (who technically would want more choice since this means, prices go down) or to serve the interests that the public may not know (ie: lawyers are expensive for a reason).

And it goes on.

In a sense, the Metaphysics world is democratic. It says – here is all the knowledge. You can learn it if you want. But you live and die by your results. And the theory is that if you’re lousy, then you won’t survive. By contrast, the world of qualified professionals (like lawyers and judges) who pride themselves on their degrees as quality assurance, arguably can survive even if they are crap at their jobs. (seriously, how many of us know vaguely mediocre if not borderline only competent individuals in our own professions?)

And they are able to do so for the SAME reasons that quack FS and BaZi consultants can keep going on. Because no one really knows or understands, what they are doing and so cannot ask intelligent questions.

It’s like in the old days. If a doctor told you this was what was wrong with you, you accepted his judgment, took the medicine, and went home. If a lawyer tells you to plead guilty because you can’t win on the law, most people actually do that.

How is this different from quack FS and BaZi consultants?

It’s no different. Just that one group quacks with a professional qualification and some letters behind their name and a frame piece of parchment, and the other group does so with transcendent metaphysical mumbo-jumbo and a bit of smart psychology.

Its easy to abuse the trust of people out there, who sometimes when they come to a BaZi or Feng Shui practitioner, are hoping for a miracle.  But hey, isn’t it the same with doctors?

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Why else are doctors now furious that patients come to their clinics having googled their symptoms in advance and asking smart questions? (okay, not always smart but sometimes smart?).

Quackery isn’t just restricted to Metaphysics. It’s EVERYWHERE.

If you’ve had a lousy plumber come and screw up your plumbing, you will understand what I mean. Quackery, like stupidity, does not discriminate across professions.

But coming back to my original point, how do you know if a BaZi consultant is a Quack?

I think the most obvious clue is in the prescription.

Obviously, if it involves any kind of ritual which involves getting naked/burying a box of gold in the backyard/sleeping with the practitioner, then not only should you be hearing the sound of a duck in your ears, you should be RUNNING FOR THE HILLS.

If it involves BUYING SOMETHING, this may not be quackery per se. It could be the consultant knows what they are saying, but are trying to make a few more bucks off you. However, if the prescription is ENTIRELY DRIVEN by buying something or many things, then…you should probably hear a quack or two in the background.

If the prescription is to buy something from the store outside and this is the ONLY THING YOU CAN DO TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM…

…the hills are alive with the sound of ducks and you should…RUN LIKE HELL.

To return to my original question: how do you know the BaZi consultant is a quack?

Well, honestly, unless you are informed, it is very hard to tell a real quack, from a moderate quack, from the Real McCoy.

Here are however some thoughts on what the Real McCoy might look and sound like – I do not provide any guarantee that they will enable you to for sure suss out the quacks (remember, quack here being not just someone who is clueless, but someone who may have read the book but not figured out the lesson), but they might go someway in helping you ask more intelligent and informed questions:

• A decent consultant should be able to at the very least, read your character with sufficient clarity, and pinpoint your bad traits with accuracy.
• A decent consultant should be able to determine the area of your current difficulties (ie: what is the nature of the problem) but also, the REASON for this problem, ie: either due to your character, or due to your actions, or due to the interference of a 3rd party
• A decent consultant should be able to offer you a solution that does not involve BUYING SOMETHING FROM THEM. This solution should be action orientated. Meaning it should start with the words ‘DO or DON’T DO THIS’. Which should be a specific type of action.  Or ‘TALK TO THIS PERSON’ with a specific person identified. Or ‘SEEK HELP FROM YOUR BOSS/SPOUSE/FATHER-IN-LAW – a specific identifiable person.
• A decent consultant will reason out the basis for their advice, not just in vague elemental/technical terms, but with reference to YOUR CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY (one reason why you should/should not do something) and also, your LUCK PILLARS/CURRENT ANNUAL LUCK
• A decent consultant will explain the options available to you and the implications of deciding, one way, over another.
• A decent consultant should also be a worldly person, who can understand different situations, environments and professions and has the ability to anticipate possible challenges a person might face in a given job/environment/organisation. This way, they can provide advice of greater depth. (in short, if you are seeing someone who has spent all their life doing only Metaphysics, they might not be a quack, but it’s questionable if you’ll get advice of any decent quality)

You are not necessarily getting a good consultant just because the consultant happens to tell you what you want to hear, or make you feel happy, or somehow justify your illusions of grandeur about life.

Unless of course, your idea of a good doctor is someone who doesn’t tell you that you’ve got some horrible illness and drastic action is needed if you don’t want to die.