Manipulation is a way to control people without their knowledge. The desired effect is achieved thanks to the evoked emotions, which in turn lead to the actions desired by the manipulator. They manipulate both one person (spouses, relatives, parents, bosses, marriage swindlers) and a large number of people (electoral technologies, financial pyramids, large fraudsters).
Who lends itself to manipulation and why
There are always people who easily and imperceptibly succumb to any kind of manipulation (as the classic wrote, “Oh, it's not difficult to deceive me - I'm glad to be deceived myself!”). There are others who can never be fooled: to any attempt to manipulate them, they will respond with a polite smile and leave, leaving the would-be swindler disappointed. Why are some able to distinguish a sincere emotional impulse from an attempt to manipulate, while others are not?
It's all about how critical a person is to what he sees or hears. For example, finding a website on the Internet asking to help pay for an operation for a child that does not contain any medical information, many, without hesitation, will transfer a feasible amount, succumbing to the overwhelming pity and feeling that they are doing a noble deed. Those who think a little about what they saw will have doubts.
It is interesting that even those who readily allow themselves to be manipulated, from time to time, no, no, and even a flicker of suspicion, or even an understanding, that something is unclean here. But the emotions evoked by the manipulator are too strong ("after all, he would not profit from holy things!"), And his words are too tempting. As a result, the voice of the rational fades away, giving way to belief in miracles and exceptions to all possible rules.
Why do people manipulate others
In fairness, it should be noted that there are often cases when the manipulator himself acts unconsciously. After all, this model of behavior (like any other) with a high degree of probability was learned in childhood, using the example of parents or other close relatives. And therefore, having already matured, a person may not only not understand that he is manipulating, but also sincerely not believe that in a situation that has arisen, one can behave somehow differently.
Those who deliberately manipulate others tend to be well versed in human psychology. Just as a maniac does not attack the first comer, but carefully chooses a future victim from a crowd of people, so the manipulator "works" only with those who are most likely capable of succumbing to his plan. It can be either one person, whose weaknesses of character and worldview are well known to him, or a whole team - the target audience, most of all inclined to trust the next swindler. Therefore, manipulation tends to work best with those who are not accustomed to being critical of information that evokes strong emotions in them.
