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Persuasion And Influence- Protect Yourself From Exploitation By The Authorities
Unfortunately, most people seem to think that whatever an authoritative figure says is always right even though the authoritative figure has made a glaring mistake. Have you watched the movie “Catch me if you can”? It is a movie which depicts the life story of Frank Abagnale Jr, a skilled imposter and master check forger. In the movie, there is this scene where Frank, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, impersonates as a doctor and is called upon when a boy is brought into the hospital after a bicycle accident. When the junior doctors asked for Frank’s opinion, he merely replied “Do you concur?” which is a statement that doesn’t make any sense in that context. However, after Frank leaves, the junior doctor thinks that he has screwed up. I watched this movie with my friends who all found the junior doctor’s response amusing. However, what they didn’t know is that many of them, and in fact most of us as well, are constantly exhibiting the same behavior like the junior doctor. The junior doctor doubted himself because he felt that Frank was the authority and thus, even though the statement was out of context, he perhaps felt that it was his fault that he couldn’t comprehend what Frank was trying to tell him rather than Frank making a mistake. “The expert is always right” was the thought that was going through his mind at that time. There are people who understand our trust in authoritative figures and sadly, some of these people actually exploit this trust that we have without us even knowing it. So what could you do to protect yourself from these exploiters? Well, before deciding to trust an authoritative figure and make decisions, question the expert’s credentials and if the person is really an expert with the evidence to prove it, ask yourself if this expert is an expert in the topic at hand. For example, Jackie Chan has recently been promoting a Chinese brand of shampoo. If you’re looking to buy this shampoo just because Jackie Chan recommends it, stop right in your tracks first. No doubt Jackie Chan is an expert, albeit in martial arts and acting. However, he is not an expert in the topic at hand, which is hair care. Thus, before deciding to buy the product, isolate the fact that Jackie Chan is promoting it. Ask yourself if you really need this product and really scrutinize the contents of the shampoo to make the right decision. Some experts also argue against their own interests so as to provide a balanced argument that is more persuasive and believable. For example, they could mention both the pros and cons of their argument or product when trying to convince us. By mentioning the bad side or their argument or product, they establish themselves to be more trustworthy and make themselves seem as though they were “on our side”. Hence, we will come to trust and believe in their arguments or agree to their requests. This, coupled with the fact that they are an expert, will make them even more persuasive. When encountered with such a situation, you should ask yourself how the expert stands to benefit from you. From there, ask yourself if the expert is being truthful merely for the sake of being truthful or is the expert attempting to look truthful and trustworthy all in an attempt to persuade you to comply with him or her. What’s dangerous is that these techniques are subliminal persuasion techniques, meaning that we will not even realize that these techniques are being used on us. Now that you know how these techniques work and how to defend against them, put this knowledge into practical action the next time you encounter such situations. It could save you time and money. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Vincent Kyle Ng is the founder of a website ( www.thesecretofpersuasion.com ) that aspires to help others by giving advice and information on the latest strategies in the fields of persuasion, influence, public speaking, relationships and much more. |
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