Mad Kally

I'm not sure if I could pull that one off. Maybe some stilts and a megaphone?

Philosoft

Nope. Deadly laser-beam eyes.

Dr Rick

That's how I do it...

Rick

ekorczynski

As an almost purely blatant assertion (but I'm sure that someone somewhere has rigorous supporting data), much of it seems to rely upon the residual parent/child emotional programmings. Remember that Hitler was called "the Father" in German. We all start out in life as completely helpless and completely dependent, and someone skilled in triggering an association with a parent can induce you to act submissive.

Politicians, Priests, and other professional liars generally have to do this to maintain their positions. Business leadership in the U.S. today seems to demand such manipulation too.

If you can keep up the facade with a straight face and a firm handshake then the only limitation seems to be having to sleep with yourself at night.

Storm the reality studio,
edo

Nowhere357

I think the "battered woman syndrome" give a good clue. It's easy to think that it is just stupid to keep going back, but it happens to good, intelligent women, too. To stick with this example, say you wanted to beat your mate and have her come back for more. There's no trick to the beating, first you have to find someone to submit.

The alpha male wolf is top dog so gets the lions share.
That is, at their first feeding, he won the scramble. He's probably the best hunter too, so the others follow, coordinate attacks better, and they all benefit. At any time, the pack can take down the leader, if he begins to falter.

With people, intelligence (and wisdom) becomes more and more important in a leader, but the leader isn't the one with the highest IQ, best composite IQ-pyhsical strength test, or anything like that. The leader can score low in all those categories, in fact. Start with one group (of people), soon it's groups of groups, and then (huge gap in my understanding) political parties appear.

To lead the party, you must win friends and influence people! Psychology is the study of why people behave the way they do, right? So what are the psychological tenets that leaders use to control people? Oh wait, that was the original question!

christ-on-a-stick

Heh... so we noticed. Being a doctor helps too. People like doctors. Doctors are like GODS!!! Like Alec Baldwin in "Malice".....

Er, sorry, tangent...

I find that I am most persuasive and can occasionally charm the pants off people and get them to do my bidding when I am a) extremely confident - basically walk into a room like there's no question that you belong there - b) complimentary in such a subtle way that they don't realize I'm buttering them up and c) use a certain voice. It's hard to explain but it can be very effective. Relatively low and well-modulated. High-pitched = bad.

But I only use my power for good, not evil, I promise!

I almost forgot d) with men, a low-cut shirt usually helps too. Kidding...sort of...

Mad Kally

There's a bottom half of every class. Just ask an RN. Since I'm an RN I have already answered the question. Ever heard of the SWAG procedure? (no offense Ricky)

Kally

Primordial Groove

I have not. Care to enlighten me(us)?

Mad Kally

Scientific Wild Ass Guess.



Dr. Rick was at the top of his class. But they all use swag now and then. Rick has so many fibro optic tubes to insert in most every orifice, he may not need to use that procedure as much as some other doctors.

ps418

I doubt there's any general purpose way to manipulate people, because people are different. In general, its hard to manipulate anyone on matters about which they have strong feelings. But in general, the way to "get power" over someone is to understand what they want (e.g. sex, money, esteem) and don't want (e.g. to feel physical or psychological pain), and try to convince them that they need you to get what they want and avoid what they don't want.

With really gullible people, for instance, you could try to pass yourself off as a portal to metaphysical truth and a deliverer from death and suffering, which has certainly worked astoundingly well for religious leaders in the past. With men, of course, sex is a very effective tool for control.

The alpha male does it by use of physical force, as far as I know. Not much help to a human, since you can't go around beating people in order to control them, at least not without risking your own safety and freedom (e..g. losers who beat their spouses, parents who beat their children).

Patrick