22 manipulations: how not to be led by your opponents. Part 1
Hey! My name is Airat Mukhamedyarov, I'm the head of Educational Technology and Design in the
BEsmart studio. We teach to react quickly in discussions, and avoid being manipulated.
BEsmart studio. We teach to react quickly in discussions, and avoid being manipulated.
1. Strawman
What’s this?
What’s this?
Misrepresentation or fabrication somebody’s argument.
Example:
Example:
- It is necessary to legalize same-sex marriage because everyone has the right…
- Do you suggest allowing soldiers to kiss in the ranks?
- We are not discussing public expressing of feelings, but same-sex marriages, let's get back to this topic.
- Do you suggest allowing soldiers to kiss in the ranks?
- We are not discussing public expressing of feelings, but same-sex marriages, let's get back to this topic.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
At the moment when the opponent asks you to comment a fact that you did not say, return the discussion to its original course, highlighting that you did not say it.
2. False cause
What’s this?
What’s this?
The absence of a causal relationship between explanation and conclusion.
Example:
Example:
«American scientists have found out that the higher the level of Mozzarella consumption per capita, the higher the number of defended PhD theses in construction.»
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
If you are not sure that the opponent's conclusion in the discussion relates to an explanation, ask the opponent about it – will he be able to explain the causal relationship?
3. Appeal to emotion
What’s this?
What’s this?
The construction of an argument is not based on explanations and evidence, but on attempts to evoke empathy in the opponent and pressure on his emotions.
Example:
Example:
There are thousands of children in the world who are starving and crying right now because we are negligent about consumption.
Imagine, these children cannot fully play and move, they get sick more often. Some of them are dying. How can we allow this in the 21st century?
Imagine, these children cannot fully play and move, they get sick more often. Some of them are dying. How can we allow this in the 21st century?
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
It is necessary to return the conversation to a rational channel – to show that there is no evidence base behind the images. This can be done through open questions to the argument: “Do children really get sick and die because of consumption problems, and not because of social and political problems, and global warming?”.
4. Slippery slope
What’s this?
What’s this?
A small permission leads to the resolution of all the most terrible things.
Example:
Example:
- If I let you take a day off, then you get outta hands and stop working at all.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
Point out that there is no causal relationship between the theses in the opponent's argument.
Read in this article how to make a strong argumentation structure.
Read in this article how to make a strong argumentation structure.
5. Ad hominem
What’s this?
What’s this?
Shifting the focus of the discussion from the main topic to the personality of the opponent.
Example:
Example:
- It is necessary to make penalties for tardiness, because this will increase the efficiency of the entire company by 86%.
- How can we trust you if you were 15 minutes late today!
- How can we trust you if you were 15 minutes late today!
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
The opponent's personality does not affect the strength of the argument. Use an exaggeration:
- Even if I am the most late person on the planet, this does not affect the evidence given above in any way.
- Even if I am the most late person on the planet, this does not affect the evidence given above in any way.
6. ”I just don’t trust you”
Example:
Example:
Your opponent is not able to fight your argument rationally and drops out of the discussion with the words “it's nonsense.”
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
To return the discussion to an argumentative course: “Yes, there are prejudices that prevent listening to arguments, but the rational criteria and evidence that we have named will reduce the risk of error when making a decision.”
7. Special occasion
What’s this?
What’s this?
Using an exception to the general rules as an example, refuting statistics.
Example:
Example:
- Global warming exists.
- But for the period from 1997 to 1999, scientists have not revealed a decrease in glaciers.
- But for the period from 1997 to 1999, scientists have not revealed a decrease in glaciers.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
If there is a phenomenon that stands out from the general logic, then it would be a good idea to talk about it. It is necessary to explain why the general logic will work in other cases and why it does not work in a special case.
“The UN Secretary General said that in 2021 the temperature of the planet became the highest in the last 3 million years, and glaciers are melting at a rate above 1 million tons per day. This indicates that there is global warming after all.”
“The UN Secretary General said that in 2021 the temperature of the planet became the highest in the last 3 million years, and glaciers are melting at a rate above 1 million tons per day. This indicates that there is global warming after all.”
8. Loaded questions
What’s this?
What’s this?
Adding facts to the question in order to get the opponent to emotions or force him to give out information that he did not want to give out.
Example:
Example:
-According to statistics, approximately 30% of women have been physically abused by their partners.
- According to your words, every second or third person is guilty of domestic violence. For example, have you already stopped beating your wife?
- According to your words, every second or third person is guilty of domestic violence. For example, have you already stopped beating your wife?
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
Do not play along with the opponent and do not give a reason for discussions. For example, if the question is closed, avoid a direct answer, justifying why you will not answer it.
"This is an incorrect question – I have never resorted to violence, so I cannot answer in the affirmative or negative. Let's get back to a normal discussion, we stopped at statistics...".
"This is an incorrect question – I have never resorted to violence, so I cannot answer in the affirmative or negative. Let's get back to a normal discussion, we stopped at statistics...".
9. Burden of proof
What’s this?
What’s this?
The burden of proof is on the one who takes a position without denial. Shifting is a mistake.
Example:
Example:
If a person claims that unicorns exist, then the burden of proving their existence lies on him.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
If the burden of responsibility is shifted to you, and you take a position of denial – point it out, since it is impossible to prove the absence of anything.
10. Ambiguity
What’s this?
What’s this?
The use of words that have many meanings, in order to misrepresent the truth.
Example:
Example:
Different people can mean different entities by saying the same word – “kindness” or “creativity” everyone understands in their own way.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
If you use an abstract word in a discussion, decide in advance what exactly you mean in order to avoid using it in different meanings.
11. The gambler's fallacy
What’s this?
What’s this?
It is an erroneous judgment that if tails fall 9 times in a row, then the tenth time will definitely be heads.
Example:
Example:
Every day at 17:00 the farmer feeds the rooster, the rooster gets used to it and waits for food every day at 16:55. Years later, the farmer comes at 17:00 and cuts off the rooster's head. Did the rooster make a mistake? After all, for many years 17:00 was the feeding time.
How to avoid manipulation?
How to avoid manipulation?
Make sure that the events are related to each other. If you see that there is no relationship between two events, point this out in the discussion.
In next article I will tell you about another 11 manipulations and ways not to to be led by them. Subscribe to our powerful mailing about soft skills to get to know more about non-toxic and effective communication.
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