We occasionally ask ourselves why did we do what we did during the day. (Was that understandable?)
Of course, this is a good thing, because we all learn good from bad, by experiencing / observing consequences that arise from different actions. It is why the concept of incentives and punishments form the core of human behavior. It is also why fields as diverse as Economics, Law, Psychology and such arise, though of course, the diversity is only in their name, the main premise is that they study how these two concepts govern human behavior (and subsequently are able to... manipulate them).
It is mere manipulation of this concept that makes or breaks a human civilization. It may seem oblivious to many, but when people draw up long term plans for the economy, draft new laws, advertise the latest kookoo krunch *or whatever product blek* on telly, it's all in motion. The silent machine works in the background, like the diffusing of gas, the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, the billions of bacteria eating each other in the fight for survival; we don't notice those, do we? If we do we'd probably be overloaded with thoughts - maybe not in the Bruce Almighty "AAAAHHHH stop asking me questions!!", but in the super short attention span ("Did you say something?") kinda way. People have theorized this is how terrorists are controlled, by some form of extremism, that "rewards" them in ways we may not even begin to imagine.
Then it comes back to us. Sometimes we have that gut feeling we did something, an event obviously/indirectly manipulated by another person - either someone we know directly, or don't. A competitor. A new friend. A loyal ally.
Manipulation, some may argue, is a dirty word. I mean, who likes to be called a manipulator, or perhaps worse, a manipulated person? But like a chameleon that cleverly disguises to avoid potential predators, and to ambush unsuspecting prey, it comes in many forms as well, some of them sinister, some of them for the benefit of the person. Sinister ones? I don't think those need much elaborating, though keep in mind sinister can be grossly misinterpretted as self-preservation attempts (e.g. to avoid being caught as Mafia, one tries to frame others via subtle manipulation of the thoughts of others); and then again it can be simply that - sinister.
Benefits? Have you heard of parents promising gifts galore in exchange for good results? I believe Phoebe has ran an article on this before, but it has been long ago, and I am not too sure about the exact contents as such. It ran along the lines of promised rewards, and initial disappointment of not receiving such rewards despite acheiving the best - but then later in life when realization sets in, one is thankful for such encouragement.
It works both ways, in my opinion. Let's not call it manipulation, if some of you don't like it :P Call it behavior modification for all I care. The concept is there, and like all tools, whether it is good or bad, depends on how the person uses it. The question now is how are you going to use it?
Of course, this is a good thing, because we all learn good from bad, by experiencing / observing consequences that arise from different actions. It is why the concept of incentives and punishments form the core of human behavior. It is also why fields as diverse as Economics, Law, Psychology and such arise, though of course, the diversity is only in their name, the main premise is that they study how these two concepts govern human behavior (and subsequently are able to... manipulate them).
It is mere manipulation of this concept that makes or breaks a human civilization. It may seem oblivious to many, but when people draw up long term plans for the economy, draft new laws, advertise the latest kookoo krunch *or whatever product blek* on telly, it's all in motion. The silent machine works in the background, like the diffusing of gas, the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, the billions of bacteria eating each other in the fight for survival; we don't notice those, do we? If we do we'd probably be overloaded with thoughts - maybe not in the Bruce Almighty "AAAAHHHH stop asking me questions!!", but in the super short attention span ("Did you say something?") kinda way. People have theorized this is how terrorists are controlled, by some form of extremism, that "rewards" them in ways we may not even begin to imagine.
Then it comes back to us. Sometimes we have that gut feeling we did something, an event obviously/indirectly manipulated by another person - either someone we know directly, or don't. A competitor. A new friend. A loyal ally.
Manipulation, some may argue, is a dirty word. I mean, who likes to be called a manipulator, or perhaps worse, a manipulated person? But like a chameleon that cleverly disguises to avoid potential predators, and to ambush unsuspecting prey, it comes in many forms as well, some of them sinister, some of them for the benefit of the person. Sinister ones? I don't think those need much elaborating, though keep in mind sinister can be grossly misinterpretted as self-preservation attempts (e.g. to avoid being caught as Mafia, one tries to frame others via subtle manipulation of the thoughts of others); and then again it can be simply that - sinister.
Benefits? Have you heard of parents promising gifts galore in exchange for good results? I believe Phoebe has ran an article on this before, but it has been long ago, and I am not too sure about the exact contents as such. It ran along the lines of promised rewards, and initial disappointment of not receiving such rewards despite acheiving the best - but then later in life when realization sets in, one is thankful for such encouragement.
It works both ways, in my opinion. Let's not call it manipulation, if some of you don't like it :P Call it behavior modification for all I care. The concept is there, and like all tools, whether it is good or bad, depends on how the person uses it. The question now is how are you going to use it?
2 comments:
damn long, man. this drive me crazy to read it, i juz simply go through on it, then many ? marks r floating on my head. anyways, i've found two words tat u misspelled, hehe, haha, hoho, gigi, gaga......
ah cehhhh, caught more mistake pls. HAHAHAHA
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