Psychological Manipulation : Requirements

Psychological manipulation or Mental Breach (my way of calling it) has 3 known proviso stated by psychologist Simon et al :

1. A manipulator must conceal their aggressive intentions and behaviours.
2. A manipulator must be an expert in knowing the psychological vulnerability of their marks in order to determine the best tactics to be most effective against their "Victims".
3. Manipulators must have a sufficient level of ruthlessness to have no qualms about causing harm to the victim "if necessary".
   

A manipulator (the good ones anyway~) in my own words, is the perfect predator of mankind-they will use your "weaknesses" to their own advantage with ruthless precision!


*P.S From no.3---> Try not be a cold hearted moron!...because if you are, then go and see a psychiatrist because YOU ARE A PSYCHOPATH!



©Naughty Productions 2010

What Is Reverse Psychology

Reverse Psychology

Is the act of motivating someone to do something by telling him to do the exact opposite of it according to Wiki...For example you tell your friend “I bet you can’t arrive before 6”... this might motivate him to do the opposite to prove you wrong since most of us just loooove to prove that the other person's wrong...wouldn't you agree :)

Reverse psychology normally preys on a person's ego, as when it is used, it can make the 'subject' feel incompetent. Thus, effectively persuading the person to perform the desired action. "Feed the ego" with the negative of what you actually want...like the above statement!

So...in order for reverse psychology to be perfectly executed...you must make that person think that you believe in what you are saying and that you are not just saying it to motivate him/her.

Now...if you've watched cartoon in your life (not that I'm saying you never did!)...you may see that its full of reverse psychology. For example :

• A large, red button with the sign "Do Not Push"...and then they'll push it or,

• "Do not jump in!" or "You will die!"...although jumping in is the only way to win...lol
  

or from The Simpsons:

Homer's Brain: Don't you get it? You've gotta use reverse psychology.

Homer: That sounds too complicated.

Homer's Brain: OK, don't use reverse psychology.

Homer: All right, I will!

©Naughty Productions 2010

The Power of Deduction : Analysis

Think of a jigsaw puzzle. When you have all the pieces, and they are all the right way up, you can then start to analyse where they go and how they fit together. The more pieces you have the easier it will be to infer what the big picture will be. So the more angles you have observed a problem from, and the more facts you have gathered about it, the more likely you are to be able to see the final solution. Tp put it into human perspective, the more details you can find on/about someone, the more you will know about the person!!

You take the pieces of info about that person and you begin to think about how they fit together, how they relate to one another, how one links to the other and what affect that has on the overall picture. The most important thing you need to know is that everything is connected!

“Each fact is suggestive in itself. Together they have a cumulative force.” - From someone but I've forgotten who hihi...

Example:-

Situation
Perhaps you run a ladies department store and through market research you learn that women who visited your store have a poor impression of the store... You can’t understand it, as you are pleased with your customer service. So seeking to improve your store’s image profile and build business, you observe everything and everyone in your store trying to find the flaw so you could fix it. So, you gather all the facts. Then you analyse it.

The Problem (continue from above)
You realise that beggars and hawkers are targeting people outside the store. What’s more, the street at the side of your building is strewn with rubbish. Prashant the doorman, who you always thought was polite, turns out to be Mr Horny and regularly hits on or makes suggestive,unwelcome comments to female customers.

The Solution
So these pieces of the jigsaw a.k.a the problems above are affecting the overall picture. And the solution is to change and eliminate the pieces from the picture. Time to take out the trash I would say...hahaha

You have the street cleaned up, and find a better way of getting trash collected from the rear of the building. The beggars and hawkers are moved on by your security personnel. Prashant the bugger is fired. The ladies start to love your store again.

©Naughty Productions 2010

The Power of Deduction : Observation Pt 2

While we strive to be as objective as possible, the way a thing appears is always affected by the position from which we view it (experience can be very useful at this point). To alleviate this flaw, we must try and observe situations and problems from as many different angles as possible. So, if you have a theory about a situation, I suggest you make a few more theories and then...choose the best one...follow your intuition because its usually correct!

True observation can only occur through a certain amount of self-annihilation! In other words, “you” have to shut up! You need to get yourself completely out of the way so that you can perceive clearly. So get quiet. Get still. Look and see what is there. Then move. Take up another position. Look again and again. Remember...there's always something to observe! I would say that I'm a careful person, I double check everything that I theorize about someone twice before I make my conclusion. As you progress, all this processes will take no more than 30 to 60 seconds!

By observing, "YOU" are learning! When you see with fresh eyes, unclouded by what you think you know, your powers of observation become like that of a wild animal. You are far more alert. Your vision is sharper. There is no interference. The “walk-around” trance of listening to the incessant prattle (endless babbling) of your mind is at once burst like a bubble. Think of it like as if your subconcious mind is trying to communicate with you. If you are able to "talk" to your mind you will be very much stronger...try it!

End of Observation...Have Fun!!

©Naughty Productions 2010

The Power of Deduction : Observation Pt 1

"Holmes, you see everything." Watson said.
"I see no more than you, but I have trained myself to notice what I see." Sherlock Holmes


Observation





Whenever you are faced with any new situation or problem, you must first observe it. Observation requires patience of course as well as detachment. Think of one of those beautiful, intense glares from Sherlock Holmes as he pans a room taking in every detail (especially the tiniest little detail). If you are emotionally involved your observation you will be clouded by your emotional being.




You must become as detached as possible. Just allow what is there to present itself to you. Open up your senses. Really listen, let the sounds impact upon you. Notice the smells. And look with the eyes of a hawk. Sharp. Precise. Missing nothing. Be alert to every movement, every clue, anything that is out of the ordinary.



"...go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone.".

If you are emotionally reacting to a problem, you have already prejudged the problem. You have narrowed your mind by defining the problem as “bad”. Pretend you know nothing at this point. You do not know whether the problem is good or bad. For every problem carries its own story and and awaits its observer to interpret it. Simply observe…simple! For example if you are trying to understand someone...whether you knew them or not, I suggest you do not judge them base on facial value as it will definitely make you bias towards them.



"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." - Sherlock Holmes

End of part 1 :p

©Naughty Productions 2010

How To Spot Potential Manipulators?

Here are – in a very generalized way – some signs indicating that you could be dealing with a manipulator...remember people these are all universal techniques!

They Don't Respect Your 'NO!'

Many manipulators just won’t accept a 'no'. They’ll still try to convince you, win you over, intimidate or seduce you into doing it. This can be done in a very charming way, in an authoritarian way, in a teary way, in a cool way, or whatever other way. The fact remains that they are in truth... by not respecting your 'no'.This should make your alarm bells ring (Ding-Dong!). Always pay attention when someone refuses to hear no. Big red flag.

They Don't Respect Your Will

Same as with a no but applicable to all kinds of other decisions as well. If someone does not accept your decisions, perk up your ears. Smelly orc in sight. Unless of course you suck and they are trying to help!

They Don't Respect Your Personal Space

This can happen on different levels: on the physical level... (they come too close or they systematically imitate your posture), on the intellectual level... (they either try to make you change your mind in a pushy way or adopt your every opinion as theirs), on the emotional level... (they stick to you or always imitate your feelings), etc. This is no proof for manipulation but in my experience, people who disrespect other people’s personal boundaries also often tend to use manipulation to get what they want. But keep in mind that this point is only applicable to amateur manipulators! Experts know exactly what to do without making you feel uncomfortable.

They Make You Feel Uncomfortable

Manipulative people often make us feel uncomfortable “for no reason”. Might seem irrational to you, but trust your intuition. Your gut knows. Your work is to listen to these feelings instead of discarding them if they’re not rational. Again...this is only applicable to amateurs!

They Are Never Straightforward

While trying to manipulate you, of course manipulative people aren’t being straightforward! That’s how manipulation works. But in my experience they also tend not to be very straightforward people in a more general way. For example, when they express themselves, this could happen in an indirect way, like saying “It’s getting late” instead of “Time for you to go”. There’s nothing bad with being polite and subtle – just pay attention and check out if that’s a recurrent pattern in this person’s general communication style.

Do they make indirect suggestions instead of clearly asking for what they want? (”This box is so heavy!” instead of “Would you please help me carry this box?”) Do they state their opinions in a direct way, or using allusions and hints? (”Do you want to come shopping clothes with me some day?” instead of “Your clothes look lame.”) Do they express their feelings openly, or do they give you cryptic cues and expect you to get it? When you ask how they are, do they say “I’m okay” but look like they’re attending a funeral, or do they say “I’m sad”?

All this in itself is no manipulation of course. It’s just a sign that this person could be prone to using an over-average amount of manipulation in their communication.

*Expert manipulators can be a very straightforward person too...that's why in my opinion, manipulators = bullies.

We’ll talk about how to defend yourself when confronted to manipulators in one of my next posts =)

Courtesy of Ariff

©Naughty Productions 2009

Manipulation, Manipulators and The Manipulated (Intro)

Manipulation is crown jewel of communication techniques. What manipulators have in common is that they have a hidden agenda that they pursue without clearly saying it. Many people use manipulation to get what they want. Nevertheless, it can be very difficult to defend oneself against it, or even to recognize it. Its like checkmate in chess terms.

So chances are good that you do have contact with manipulators (or are one yourself) since there are many of them around us. Using it for good or bad, that's their problem.

What is Manipulation?

Manipulation can take many forms: emotional blackmail (making you feel bad in case you don’t do what is expected from you), flattering you or telling your things in order to make you do something specific, testing you, etc. In all cases, manipulators try to gain control over your feelings and/or behavior by playing in some way on your weaknesses.

The goal for them is to get what they want. When they are successful, you end up doing what they want, even if it is something you would not have chosen to do out of your free will.

For example, if you feel particularly proud and valuable when you are needed, someone knowing this can deliberately play victim in order to make you help them. If you secretly think that you are lazy and feel bad about that, and someone suggests that you’d be a lazy bum if you don’t help them move on Saturday, chances are good that you will spend your Saturday carrying transport boxes.

Manipulators do or say certain things in order to influence your feelings in such a way that you react the way they want you to react. The manipulator usually says things in an indirect and subtle way. The underlying, unspoken message, which is what they’re really telling you, is expressed between the lines, not in a clear and direct way. Manipulators don’t say what they want openly. They insinuate, suggest and hint. Many manipulators are mentalist as they are master manipulators of thoughts and behaviour.

They may look, sound or do stupid things, but everything is done to reel in the big fish-which will be you or someone else.

How Does It Work?

The Candy Method : This method flatters your ego and promises to fulfill your desires. The underlying, unspoken message is “If you do X, you’ll be great/cool/a good person/the result will be to your advantage/, etc.” So, since you want to be great, cool, a great person and all that, you do it, without even noticing that the decision wasn’t entirely yours. Ideally, the promised “reward” is something important to you. That you will get this reward isn’t said clearly though, it’s just suggested. Just enough for you to understand it. (I'm still wondering what's with the equations)

*Sorry guys and gals but unfortunately I cannot tell you more about the procedure as it is extremely dangerous if fallen into the wrong hands. But I can tell you that its called 'The Spiderweb Effect'. Maybe I should think of a way to write in a 'non-danger' manner.

How Do They Do It?**

As I said, the real message is not expressed directly. It can be camouflaged as the expression of an objective truth, a personal feeling, or a simple question. Let’s say for example that your boss wants you to work overtime, and you refuse. Manipulative answers could be :

1. “But how are we going to do without you?” (Real message: “You are letting us down, and the project might fail because of you”),
2. “I thought I could count on you” (Real message: “I am disappointed with you. You’re not a good employee.”)
3. “I understand… Go and have fun, we’ll manage somehow! (with a sad or strained look)” (Real message: “You are an egoist.”)

*On general terms..this will make you feel guilty or shameful which makes you change your mind. Unless of course you are Heartless.

Courtesy of Ariff
©Naughty Productions 2009

** Adapted from The Definitive Book of Body Language