PSYCHOMANIPULATION - Tomasz Witkowski

up with a clear case of a tyrant and an oppressed victim. The method of the fait accompli is even
more insidious than that of “all or nothing”. In the latter case, there is always the possibility of
making “a superhuman effort to overcome these irritations”. In the case of the fait accompli,
there is no such option. The victim has two possible choices:
1. To accept things as they are, which is equivalent to acquiescence in the fait accompli, and is
certain to result in similar instances in the future.
2. To fight for his right to take part in decisions, as a result of which he will however appear as
the guilty party.
Unfortunately, use of the strategy of the fait accompli is not confined to marital quarrels.
Take the case of a company in which each of the members of senior management is competing to
improve his reputation in the eyes of the staff. One of the deputy managers whose
responsibilities include the company’s policy on employees’ pay goes on holiday for a week.
When he comes back, he finds that the managing director has given all the heads of departments
a substantial pay rise, besides new and better company cars. You can imagine what kind of face
the deputy manager will have when he comes back from holiday, and what kind of thoughts will
cross his mind. However, what can he do about it? Even if he dares to question the decision to
award pay rises, he will certainly not do so in public. After all, the fact that they were awarded
during his absence makes it look as if he was the one standing in the way of any increases. On
the other hand, what if he decides to accept and publicly express his support for the managing
director’s decision? He is unlikely to do so, as it would make him look like a sycophant and a
flatterer, without any opinions of his own. Besides, if he does so, people will ask what prevented
him from awarding the pay rises himself, as he was entitled to do. Whichever way we look at it,
he, as a victim of manipulation, is in a fix, and all the more so as his reactions are likely to be
very closely observed. As for the manipulator, he gains the recognition and gratitude of his staff.
After all, he is the one who apparently took advantage of the deputy manager’s absence to
oppose his policies on salaries and to intervene on behalf of the employees.
A more common example of faits accomplis are illegally built houses. Until recent changes
in the law, one could build almost anywhere without taking much notice of planning permission.
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