I suppose we’re all guilty of self-indulgent thoughts from time to time. It’s part of human nature and we are, after all, “human, all too human” as Nietzsche once said.
(That’s right, chumps, we’re referencing Nietzsche now – no more puerile puns on this blog)
But there are self-indulgent thoughts and then there’s the Amir Vehabovic School of Self-indulgent Thoughts.
The name doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, and sounds a bit like a tropical disease that causes inflammation of one’s undercarriage/sensitive bits. But this Vehabovic is no disease – this Vehabovic is a Bosnian lad who harboured a morbid fascination with his own popularity.
Maybe Facebook hadn’t quite reached Bosnia yet; maybe Amir wanted to check whether any hot Bosnian babes would declare their graveside love for him… or maybe he’s just a terrible, terrible human being, but something compelled the 45 year-old cry-baby to stage his own death so he could find out just how popular he is/was.
According to Reuters, Amir forged a death certificate, paid for a decent coffin, bashed out a Will and arranged a pretty fancy funeral service. He then hid in the bushes to count the attendees.
Only Amir’s mother turned up. Needless to say, he didn’t like them apples.
So what do you do if you’re an egomaniac who’s just faked your own death and you’re feeling like you just got punk’d? You bust out your best fountain pen, sit your business end down at your favourite writing desk and give 45 of your nearest and dearest a strongly-worded letter they’ll never forget reading.
Reuters informs us that the letter reads: "I paid a lot of money to get a fake death certificate and bribe undertakers to deliver an empty coffin. I really thought a lot more of you, my so-called friends, would turn up to pay your last respects. It just goes to show who you can really count on."
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, volatile property prices and fragmented families have led to a recent boom in inheritance disputes – but the strife is often less about money than wounded feelings.
But it’s not surprising that inheritance disputes are so common. In the UK alone, 75 per cent of the population doesn’t have a Will.
The Independent published an article earlier this year, quoting psychologist Mark Roy of the University of Central Lancashire: "a Will can be an act of absolute aggression: it's like having the last word - you're gone, nobody can come back and say anything to you. Disinheritance is a profound, major life event."
“The advice is to write a proper will but also for people to try and explain their decisions before their death.”
