Persuasion, Manipulation, and Seduction, Essay Example

Persuasion

“How would you like this for that”, “if you perhaps tell him you’ll do it then you’ll get a little bit of money”; these are things that are likely to come up as phrases used to persuade someone to do something that a person wants. Persuasion is used in different ways to get whatever a person wants or whatever benefit that they can reap from the interaction whatever it may be, a person who is looking to tell someone how they feel is likely to persuade that person to hear them out in exchange for doing something for them. Certain people sees persuasion as a means of an equivalent exchange, to get something of equal value, a person has to give up something of equal value. According to Codoban (2006), “persuasion has become a tool of masterminding an exchange, it has become the key element in effective communication” (Codoban, 152, 2006). It can be argued that persuasion is the only way that human communication is practically possible become it always has a way of making people who are looking for something for nothing to do something, an example of this is when someone is asked to do a favor for someone else they don’t like. A person’s attitude is later changed when the person being asked to do the favor does it because there’s something in it for them, suddenly that person goes from not wanting to do it to helping out that person in every way they can. Only two types of people use persuasion, those who know people they can’t stand but really need and those who don’t have a friend in the world. It is the only way they can get people to come around to their side of thinking or doing things, persuasion messes with a person’s perception and mental behavior of that person but with persuasion they can be made to order. For example, Bobby and Michelle don’t like each other. Michelle is going out with Bobby’s friend Ron; Bobby didn’t like Michelle from the moment they met, Michelle needs a favor that only Bobby can do. Bobby wasn’t going to do to it but Michelle offered to give Bobby $100, Bobby did the favor. Persuasion can be a powerful tool to do and get whatever is needed.

Seduction

Seduction is a lethal weapon that can be used to trap or bait someone into doing something that they do not want to do, it has been used to get people to do everything from move an entire apartment to moving it down the street. It is a known fact that when a person is being seduced into doing something, they are usually doing it to feed their desires as well as short term happiness. For example, a man’s wife can’t get him to do chores around the house because he believes it to be woman’s work alone. However, she baits him into doing it by seducing him with whatever his heart desires or whatever it is that he really wants. It can be argued that seduction plays a vital role in getting whatever a person wants because seduction clearly speaks to a person’s desires; an object of that person’s desire that they can’t be without, seduction is clearly focused on the person alone not what they can be made to do pushing the right buttons. Valentine’s Day is a seductive holiday in the aspect that there are stores and places that are decorated to remind people that getting your lover something is the key to getting your “needs and desires” met, responding to human desires is what seduction is all about. It can be said that seduction is the way to keep a person from saying no to anything that they don’t want to do. A woman might make the promise of dressing a little scantily clad for her man in exchange for him doing some things for her. In some cases, seductive promises are often times empty ones that are made are usually just used to prod someone into doing something. It is not unheard of for a friend to get another friend to do something like completely restore a car or their car with promises of giving them that particular car, but not doing it; the validity of seduction is redirecting a no into a yes but not completely holding up the ultimate end of a bargain.

Manipulation

Manipulation is a form of persuasion that usually appeals to a person’s sense of guilt and personal feelings, an example of this is when a person who needs something says something like “if you love me, you’ll do it” or “all the time that I’ve had your back, you can’t do this for me one time”. Manipulation is a means of getting a person to do something based on person’s ability to make someone else prove something or appealing to their guilty conscious. According to Paramo (2009), “Manipulation isn’t a weapon to use lightly, it’s a form of communication that allows one person to give in to another person’s ways and personal feelings” (Paramo, 2009). It can’t be argued that manipulation only works on the type of people that cannot say no or bring themselves to let that person down, it’s also a known fact that a manipulative person can manipulate a person they know will give them anything from money for a haircut to money to pay the rent. The human communication aspect of manipulation is a person using manipulation for, what they consider to be, their definition of the greater good. For example, Sidney just won $2,000 playing the lottery and Sidney’s sister Sinclair is a waste of a life who just leeches off other people. Sinclair asks Sidney for a $500 loan, Sid says no because Sinclair won’t pay the money back and she knows it. Sinclair makes Sidney feel bad by reminding her about the bully who Sinclair beat up for Sid who took her oatmeal crème pie money in the 4^th grade. Sidney loansSinclair the $500 then Sinclair is happy about her ability to manipulate her younger sister. People who have siblings who are in a better situation than they are will always use manipulation to get a piece of what their sibling has in exchange for continuing to be there for them, it can be said that manipulation isn’t just used by siblings but used by people who are just too lazy to do things for themselves or no good. Manipulation is the key to “easy street”, nothing is off the table when manipulation is used.

References

Paramo, M. (2009, November 23). Communication Matters. Retrieved October 4, 2015, from http://communicationmatters2all.blogspot.com/p/persuaion-manipulation-and-seduction.html

Codoban, A. (2006). From persuasion to manipulation and seduction. (A very short history of global communication). Sciri Conference, 14(1), 152-152.