Perhaps by those around you, by your company, by your community, by society, by a government, by your Lemmy instance,… It doesn’t matter.

Please describe your experiences below. (no judgment) 😎

  • kava@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    We are all manipulates by our governments and companies trying to sell us things. On a smaller scale we are manipulated by the people in our lives. Even non-maliciously. Persuasion is a normal part of life.

    • average650@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Sure, but usually the term manipulation has a negative connotation.

      In a sense, when my kid asks for fruit, they are manipulating me. But that’s not what anyone means. They mean a kind of devious persuasion.

      • kava@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yes, I understand and agree. But for sake of argument… Fundamentally, what’s the difference? I try to make you believe what I want you to. Maybe I’m selling you a used car. Maybe I’m trying to have sex with you. Maybe I want you to give me a fruit.

        The government wants to justify a war, think tanks want you to support certain policies, advertisers want you to buy their product.

        I think the only real difference is scale and “maliciousness”. Your kid doesn’t have the capacity for large scale manipulation and his goals aren’t particularly harmful. However someone like Goebbels has both the capacity and very harmful goals.

        • dezmd@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Fundamentally, what’s the difference?

          Ethics and morality, be it learned, instinctual (empathy), or incidental.

          • kava@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            So if I manipulate you into doing something because I thought it was in your best interest, it isn’t manipulation anymore?

            Let’s say I know you’re drunk and don’t want you to drive. I trick you into giving me your keys by pretending to want to put away your coat. Is that manipulation?

            Some would say it’s ethical because you’re preventing potential harm. Some would say it’s unethical because you are lying and deceiving someone and essentially forcing them to do something against their will.

            I honestly just think manipulation goes hand and hand with communication. Almost anything we say is an attempt to sway people to our viewpoints, consciously or not. Manipulation isn’t bad or good, it just is.