ProNihil

I have been reading alot lately ( amongst psychological circles) on what exactly it is that allows one person to have some kind of power over others. I believe this to be related to explainable psychological principals. What do you guys think about this. Is there a "path" so to speak, to study in order to learn how to act in order to attain power over others? How does the alpha male of the pack do it? How do people do it?

sourdough

speak softly,and carry a big stick!

Mad Kally

Attractive with a good personality?

Seraphim

Act like you have (or have access to) ALL the answers.
Learn to manipulate other people's weakness (including fears) and ignorance.

That's how cultists are doing it.

Mad Kally

I KNOW! MY MOM AND DAD USED TO MAKE ME GO TO CHURCH!

sweep

obviously. I can tell by your foot long post. d'you thinkk you could flesh it out for poor old me? I would get out my social psychology book but then I might be guilty of doing a lot of reading.

Friar Bellows

For starters...

Speak loudly and speak often, even if you have nothing to say.
Have an opinion on every subject, even if you know nothing about it.
Make friends with as many people as possible, even if you don't like them.

ProNihil

I'm not sure of what your purpose was in the above quote, but I probably could flesh it out for poor old you.

As many of the regulars on II Discussion Forums seem to be educated and interested in a wide array of subjects, I thought it might be fun to get their opinions on the subject of interpersonal influence, as related to group dynamics.

I can see that you are well read sweep, due to your foot long reply. So how about joining the discussion and putting forth some constructive ideas.

callmejay

Be big and tall. Be assertive and confident (faking sometimes works.) Have a deep, booming voice. Put other people "in their places."

Oxymoron

A bit anachronistic and naive, but Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people" says that to persuade people of your point of view you have to find a way to make them want to have it. This means structuring your arguments in terms of their value systems rather than your own.

This skill requires an ability to quickly see the world as others see it. Or, rather more easily, select individuals with a particular world view and hit them with a pre-prepared script

Add to this skill good looks and self-confidence, and you have a dangerous individual.