Social and Psychological Manipulation - Dean Amory
Unlike people who are trying to influence, persuade or convince others, manipulators work with unfair means to get what they want. They do not respect the personal rights of their victims. They violate the victim's integrity, work with hidden agendas and deliberately use dishonest tricks like faulty reasoning, coercion, blackmail and lying in an attempt to control the victim's actions. Manipulation is about suiting the manipulator's advantage or purpose only, often at the expense of the victim. Yet, it is often difficult to know when you are being manipulated: manipulators do all they can to convince you that you are the one who is to benefit most from their actions and that they are acting in good faith. If we were aware that we are being manipulated, would we allow ourselves to fall victim to it - and how would we defend ourselves against it? That is where this book comes in handy: it explains the tricks manipulators use and teaches you how to best defend and
Unlike people who are trying to influence, persuade or convince others, manipulators work with unfair means to get what they want. They do not respect the personal rights of their victims. They violate the victim's integrity, work with hidden agendas and deliberately use dishonest tricks like faulty reasoning, coercion, blackmail and lying in an attempt to control the victim's actions. Manipulation is about suiting the manipulator's advantage or purpose only, often at the expense of the victim.
Yet, it is often difficult to know when you are being manipulated: manipulators do all they can to convince you that you are the one who is to benefit most from their actions and that they are acting in good faith.
If we were aware that we are being manipulated, would we allow ourselves to fall victim to it - and how would we defend ourselves against it?
That is where this book comes in handy: it explains the tricks manipulators use and teaches you how to best defend and
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Manipulators can be very persistent.<br />
They<br />
a. Decide what they want <strong>and</strong> resolve not to quit until they get it.<br />
b. Mentally accept the consequences of failure, but do everything in their power to avoid failure.<br />
c. Vow to learn something from every experience through self-examination.<br />
They will not hesitate to compromise on some detail in order to start a pattern of concessions <strong>and</strong> know<br />
the importance of getting a “yes” on a small concession <strong>and</strong> work their way up from their, by always<br />
adding to the concession<br />
They are careful to avoid painful moments of decision. In case of doubt, they will readily assume their<br />
victim agreed <strong>and</strong> take appropriate action: “I’ll call him now <strong>and</strong> make the necessary reservations …”<br />
They know that nobody likes to feel he owes a debt to somebody else <strong>and</strong> thus - In order to prevent<br />
them from feeling ungrateful - often, succeed in making their victims “pay in advance” for the favours<br />
they are going to do them: “I will help you out if you first help me with this little problem that I’m<br />
having”<br />
Manipulators master the Laws of Influence<br />
Manipulators instinctively use Cialdini’s laws of influence.<br />
Robert B. Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology <strong>and</strong> Marketing at Arizona State<br />
University.<br />
He is best known for his book on persuasion <strong>and</strong> marketing, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.<br />
Influence has sold over 2 million copies <strong>and</strong> has been translated into twenty-six languages. It has been<br />
listed on the New York Times Business Best Seller List. Fortune Magazine lists Influence in their "75<br />
Smartest Business Books."<br />
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (ISBN 0-688-12816-5) has also been published as a textbook<br />
under the title Influence: Science <strong>and</strong> Practice (ISBN 0-321-01147-3).<br />
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