A to Z: Dark Psychology Glossary Terms | Part II

Dark Psychology Terms

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A-Z Glossary of Persuasion and Related Concepts

• Actors (in Mentalism)

  • In the context of mentalism and mind-reading tricks, actors are individuals who play a significant role in the overall outcome of an effect, typically pretending to be volunteers or crowd members. They are paid to make the trick appear real and must be aware of the trick's mechanics for it to succeed. The overuse of actors is criticised for diminishing the genuine creative aspect of mind reading and mentalism, as these effects are often tailored for television cameras and limited angles rather than live audiences.

• Adjusting

  • Adjusting is defined as the process of settling a matter or bringing it to a satisfactory state where all parties agree on the outcome. In the context of insurance claims, it means determining the amount to be paid.
  • Knowledge is crucial leverage in adjusting, as a lack of information hinders effective negotiation. An adjuster functions as a negotiator.
  • Types of adjusters include:
    • Company Adjuster/Independent Adjuster: Hired by the insurance company, paid from policyholder premiums, and represents the insurance company.
    • Policyholder Adjuster/Public Adjuster: Hired by the policyholder, paid from the settlement, and represents the policyholder.
  • Policyholders have the option to act as their own adjusters, hire a public adjuster, or delegate authority to the company adjuster. Honesty is paramount, as exaggeration or fraud, even minor, can lead to claim denial or drastic compromise. The ultimate goal in adjusting is not for one party to defeat the other, but for the enlightened needs of both sides to be met cooperatively.

• Advertising and Propaganda Themes

  • These are strategies used to eliminate competition and comparison by making a product or service appear unique, even if it's a commodity. They aim to get prospects to invest themselves emotionally in the outcome and in the seller. Themes enable mass persuasion in various communication channels like sales, marketing, and public relations.

• Altruism (in Selling)

  • As an emotional lever in sales, altruism involves emphasising the benefits of an offering for others, such as employees, customers, or partners. Salespeople should highlight how the product or service can save time for individuals, address problems, or facilitate projects for the greater good. When appealing to altruism, terms like "benefits," "widespread," "give," "help," "ameliorate," and "improve" are effective.

• Aura (Human Energy)

  • Referred to as human energy, the aura is described as the spiritual body of all living things.

• Bargaining Power

  • This is the main ingredient in adjusting and negotiation, emerging naturally as facts become known. It dictates the extent to which each party might need to adjust their needs. A stronger bargaining position helps prevent giving away too much.

• Bluff

  • A type of lie where someone pretends to have or not have something, exemplified by poker players using it to deceive others.

• Bold Face Lie

  • An obvious and unbelievable lie.

• Calibration

  • A person-specific method to detect lying, where you pay keen focus on particular facial movements or body language an individual exhibits when you are certain they are lying. This involves allowing some lies to go undetected initially to observe these "tells". Once these tells are identified, it becomes possible to detect future lies.

• Coercion

  • The removal of free choice, typically characterised by an ultimatum (e.g., "do it or else"). It is a key component of manipulative appeals, contrasting sharply with persuasion, which involves influence without force and always preserves the individual's ability to accept or reject a position. An invitation that cannot be refused is deemed coercive and manipulative.

• Cognitive Dissonance Theory

  • This theory posits that individuals experience an unpleasant state when they hold contradictory beliefs, which they then alleviate by aligning one belief with the other. In sales, this means prospects might buy based on emotion and later rationalise their decision.

• Commodity Product

  • A product or service that is difficult to differentiate from others, such as salt or basic website design. Advertising and propaganda themes are used to make these unique in the minds of prospects.

• Compulsive Zombie Pattern

  • A psychological phenomenon where individuals become uneasy and feel tension when interrupted while pursuing an important goal, compelling them to seek closure. This intense urge, akin to emotional resistance against stopping, keeps them engaged until the goal is completed, similar to the feeling of incompletion if one were to leave a movie before its twist ending.

• Confidence (in Persuasion)

  • To be convincing, it is important to show 100% confidence in your belief and maintain an attitude that your idea will be accepted.

• Congruency

  • A state where different aspects of one's life are integrated and mutually supportive, forming a harmonious whole. It is regarded as a success principle.
  • Achieving congruency involves:
    • Centring life around universal principles: Such as kindness, love, fairness, honesty, and responsibility.
    • Identifying and honouring personal values: By asking "What will that give me that I wouldn't otherwise have?" to uncover core motivations.
    • Paying attention to bodily feedback: Uncomfortable feelings indicate incongruence, while peace and joy signal alignment.
    • Eliminating incongruent activities: And engaging in activities that bring joy and fulfilment.
  • Congruent individuals, whose actions align with their values, convey an unconscious message of trustworthiness to themselves and others, enhancing their attractiveness and ability to achieve goals.

• Consultant (Sales Approach)

  • This sales approach combines elements of the "guru" and "buddy" approaches. A consultant salesperson presents themselves as an expert who genuinely considers the customer's best interests, possesses deep product knowledge, and effectively matches products to needs through targeted questioning. It is highly effective but demands considerable time and effort, requiring both knowledge and the ability to forge emotional connections with prospects.

• Convincing

  • The act of persuading someone to believe or accept an idea or thought, which is crucial for human interaction and has significant economic implications (influence). It often involves bypassing the brain's "subconscious rejection" mechanism. Effective convincing relies on facts, reliable sources, good body language, a trustworthy voice, and confident attitude. Repetition is a key technique for tapping into the subconscious.

• Co-workers (in Congruency)

  • Being kind to co-workers, employees, and bosses is identified as a universal principle that brings benefits in one's work life, contributing to overall congruency.

• Cosmic Energy

  • A type of energy that is drawn upon to open oneself to tuning into an object in psychometric practices.

• Creating Desire

  • The most effective way to persuade people is by making them want to do things, rather than forcing them or attempting mind control. This involves tapping into a person's "primary driver emotion" and associating it with the desired action. Strong desire, characterised by excitement, anticipation, and vivid imagination, is described as a powerful "vibration request" that, when combined with "allowing" (focusing on desire with positive feelings), leads to creation.

• Customer Personality (in Sales)

  • Sales techniques often incorporate understanding different customer personalities to tailor the approach.
  • Friendly types may hesitate in decision-making, requiring reassurance.
  • Wary types need ample factual information and time.
  • Extroverts can be enthusiastic but easily distracted and slow to buy, necessitating concise presentations and enthusiastic follow-ups.

• Deceit

  • An element of fraud, involving deliberate intent to mislead or trick. Fraud is defined as deceit, trickery, or sharp practice.

• Decision Making (Human)

  • Most human decisions are unconscious, serving as mental shortcuts to process vast amounts of information (millions of options per waking moment). Consciously evaluating every decision is impractical. People rarely make decisions based purely on logical evaluation; instead, they are primarily emotional beings making decisions based on emotions, even if they believe they are logical. Over 90% of purchase decisions, for example, occur at a subconscious level.

• Dermoptic Perception

  • An area of psychometry also known as "sight through touch," referring to the ability to see by touching the skin's surface. Some individuals, particularly those with sight impairment, develop this sensitivity naturally. It's believed to involve tapping into electromagnetic energy. While sometimes argued to be related to telepathy or clairvoyance, tests often show no such accompanying abilities. People with dermoptic perception can distinguish colours and textures by touch. Exercises like dipping fingers in water or feeling substances through envelopes can help develop this ability.

• Dialogue

  • An exchange of opinions or ideas, or a free interchange of different points of view. In negotiations (adjusting), dialogue helps each side recognise strengths and weaknesses and make claim adjustments.

• Dominant Hand

  • The hand that gives or relays information. In psychometry, it should be avoided for receiving impressions to prevent inadvertently transmitting information.

• Earth Energy

  • A type of energy composed of matter that flows between animate and inanimate objects, and is the energy used to tune into when performing psychometry.

• Emotional Differences (Men vs. Women)

  • Women are deeply in touch with their emotions. They are attracted to strong men whom they believe they can improve. When an attractive man reveals vulnerability, a woman's "inbuilt mothering nature" is activated, leading to a desire to help him, which can quickly escalate to love. This is posited as a reason why women might stay with aggressive or inattentive men, believing they can help the "frightened child inside".

• Emotional Levers (in Selling)

  • Sales pitches need to appeal to emotions, as every decision is emotional. The specific emotion to target depends on the buyer's personality and the product's value proposition. Key emotional levers include:
    • Greed: Emphasising personal benefits, ROI, professional consideration.
    • Fear: Highlighting costs of inaction, negative consequences, and what stands to be lost (loss aversion).
    • Altruism: Stressing benefits for employees, customers, and facilitating greater good projects.
    • Envy: Name-dropping competitors, framing benefits in competitive terms, sharing industry reports.
    • Pride: Framing outcomes in terms of self-image, displaying client awards, offering company features.
    • Shame: Gently alluding to past mistakes, sad futures, or letting others down.

• Envy (in Selling)

  • An emotional lever in sales that taps into a company's competitive drive. Techniques include name-dropping competitors who use your product, framing benefits in terms of what competitors are gaining, and sharing industry reports that highlight competitors' successes. Words like "competition," "best-in-class," "lagging," "leading," and "edge out" are used to appeal to envy.

• Exaggeration

  • A type of lie that involves stretching the truth. It can also be a tactic used in convincing others by "faking" facts.

• Exaggeration (in Adjusting)

  • A significant mistake in adjusting insurance claims, along with fraud, that can lead to the denial of an entire claim or a drastic compromise, as it provides arguments against the policyholder.

• Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)

  • Also known as the "sixth sense", ESP refers to the ability to obtain or receive information mentally, beyond the five traditional senses (touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell). It is believed that all people possess some degree of ESP and can develop these abilities, leveraging the 90% of mental capabilities thought to be unused.
  • Early scientific research by Rudolph Titner and J.B. Rhine coined the term and focused on laboratory studies (parapsychology).
  • ESP is used to gather information about the future, past, and present, and is documented as assisting law enforcement in solving crimes.
  • Methods to develop ESP include hypnosis, meditation, and binaural beats.
  • While its existence is debated scientifically, supporters and critics present evidence. Critics argue for a required physical mechanism for its detection and point to a lack of evidence in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Controlling ESP is crucial due to the potential for overwhelming sensations, emotions, and thoughts; self-hypnosis can aid in managing this information influx.

• Eye Contact (Lie Detection)

  • When people lie, it is generally difficult for them to maintain direct eye contact and a "straight face" (relaxed facial muscles). Even skilled liars will briefly look away at the point of lying. In contrast, prolonged eye contact from a listener can generate feelings of combativeness or threat, making them less susceptible to persuasion.

• Fabrication

  • A type of lie that involves giving a statement as true despite not knowing whether or not it is actually true.

• Face Touching (Lie Detection)

  • When people touch any part of their face while speaking, particularly their eyes, nose, or lips, it can be an unconscious indication of lying. However, this can also simply be a sign of nervousness.

• Facts (in Convincing)

  • Using facts to back up an argument is fundamental to convincing others. It is advised to either use genuine facts or "fake" them by presenting slightly exaggerated or seemingly measurable statements. Possessing more knowledge than the subject also aids in convincing.

• Fear (in Selling)

  • A potent emotional motivator in sales, as negative messaging often performs better than positive. Salespeople can leverage fear by helping prospects realise the cost of inaction (e.g., "How long can you stay in business?"), sharing "scary stories" of companies that didn't buy, emphasising personal consequences, and playing on loss aversion (people react more strongly to losing something they have). Words like "consequence," "lose," "worsen," "degrade," "suffer," "cost," and "harm" are effective.

• Fraud

  • Defined as deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or a breach of confidence perpetrated for profit or to gain an unfair or dishonest advantage. It is always intentional and deceptive, primarily for personal gain or to intentionally harm another individual. Fraud is both a criminal and civil law violation.
  • Common channels for fraud include: mail, phone, internet, business transactions, and computers. The internet has significantly increased fraudulent activity by allowing identities and locations to be hidden.
  • Examples of criminal fraud: False advertising, bankruptcy fraud, false insurance claims, forgery, identity theft, investment frauds, and tax frauds.
  • Proving fraud requires demonstrating deliberate deception and misrepresentation of facts, and that the seller knowingly acted dishonestly. The deceived party's failure to conduct thorough investigation can weaken their court case.

• Greed (in Selling)

  • An emotional lever that taps into a person's motivation for money, promotions, and rewards. To appeal to greed, salespeople should emphasise personal benefits (e.g., career advancement, looking good to a boss), highlight hard ROI (Return On Investment) in financial terms, and share stories of clients who achieved professional recognition or raises due to the product. Effective words include "reward," "valuable," "exclusive," "all yours," "distinguishing," "profitable," and "gain".

• Guru (Sales Approach)

  • Salespeople adopting this approach aim to become experts in every aspect of their industry, positioning themselves as authoritative problem-solvers capable of addressing any prospect's question or issue. This method demands extensive effort in acquiring and maintaining relevant knowledge. It is effective for selling and generates referrals, as customers are likely to send others with questions to a reliable expert.

• Hard Seller (Sales Approach)

  • This unethical sales approach involves coercing someone to buy a product they don't want or need. Methods range from bullying and manipulation ("buy this now or you'll feel stupid," "I'll lose my job") to outright deception (false safety claims). The hard sell damages a company's reputation and leads to customers who will not return. Ethical salespeople are advised to avoid it.

• Human Energy

  • Also referred to as the aura, it is the spiritual body of all living things.

• Human Lie Detector

  • The skill of being able to discern when someone is lying, which is described as being easier to learn than typically perceived. It involves identifying both generalised and person-specific indications of deceit.

• Hypnosis

  • A method that can be used to develop ESP abilities. Specifically, self-hypnosis can help individuals control the overwhelming sensations, emotions, and thoughts that might arise from heightened ESP, by promoting relaxation and calm thoughts. It can also help adjust the rate at which information is received, preventing mental or emotional overload. It is also mentioned as a last resort in general persuasion techniques.

• Image (in Sales)

  • One of the three core drivers (PIP) influencing buyer decisions, alongside Performance and Price. Image is constantly evolving. For consumers, it relates to what a purchase signifies personally. Some images may become "anti-conspicuous," reflecting changing consumer preferences.

• Inertia (Resistance to Persuasion)

  • A type of resistance characterised by an objection to change itself, regardless of the specific change being advocated. Individuals exhibiting inertia are not interested in the proposed change and prefer to maintain the status quo.

• Intention (in Manipulation)

  • A primary factor in discerning manipulative messages. If a person attempts to present an idea or behavior that is not in the best interest of others, they are engaging in manipulation. This often stems from a lack of equality in perspective, treating others as mere objects rather than human beings.

• Internet Marketing (Persuasion)

  • Persuasive writing is a key technique to sell products and services online. Effective persuasive writing for the internet includes:
    • Starting with a keyword-rich title to attract readers.
    • Using clear, concise, and simple language.
    • Explaining benefits and the logic behind the solution in detail.
    • Connecting emotionally by sharing personal experiences of overcoming similar problems.
    • Always closing with a clear call to action.

• Lie

  • According to Webster's dictionary, a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive. People lie for various reasons, including nefarious intentions (e.g., avoiding punishment, causing harm) and wholesome intentions (e.g., protecting self-esteem, preventing harm).
  • Different types of lies include: Omission/halftruths, bluff, exaggeration, perjury, white lie, bold face, fabrication, and noble lie.

• Lie Detection Signals

  • Common behavioural cues that may indicate lying include:
    • Avoiding questions by reflecting them with a truthful but irrelevant statement.
    • Stiff body movements and gestures kept close to the body.
    • More than average sweating (though also a sign of nervousness).
    • Providing excessive information as a desperate attempt to be believed.
    • Unusual eye movement, such as right-handed people looking to the left when fabricating a lie (and vice versa for left-handed people).
    • Mismatched verbal and facial expressions.
    • Becoming defensive when questioned, trying to assert "honesty".
    • Looking away or placing objects between themselves and the questioner.
    • Giving answers either very quickly (pre-planned) or very slowly (mental review to create the lie).
    • Repeating the exact words and phrases from the question.
    • Speaking in a monotone, avoiding pronouns or contractions, or giving indirect answers.
    • Joking around to lower tension.
    • Responses that are emotionally vapid, relying on logic and reason rather than emotion.

• Manipulation

  • Defined as controlling or influencing a person or situation cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously. While it can yield short-term results, it is ultimately exposed.
  • Techniques include: Guilt, fear, intimidation, ego attacks, regret, forcing a desire to be liked/loved, and lies.
  • Manipulation makes individuals feel used, drained, or violated. It involves making people responsible for one's own success, coercing them into unwanted actions, making them believe falsehoods, or fostering inadequacy if they disagree.
  • Manipulation is a "perversion of persuasion," focused on deceit rather than truth. It is employed when the manipulator has nothing genuinely worthwhile to offer.
  • Key identifiers of manipulation include:
    • Intention: The idea presented is not in the best interest of the other person.
    • Withholding Truth: Distorting or omitting information, exaggerating advantages.
    • Coercion: Removing free choice through ultimatums.

• Mentalism

  • A type of performance that involves mind-reading tricks and other effects, often employing actors to create illusions for television audiences. True mentalism, however, is appreciated when it mystifies real people in close-up settings without reliance on actors or elaborate, hidden apparatus.

• Mind Control

  • A real concept, not confined to movies, involving coercive persuasion, thought control, or brainwashing. It dates back to antiquity, with modern techniques evolving from World War II experiments.
  • Two primary methods:
    • Psychological and Physical Trauma: Exposing victims to immense trauma to shatter their psyche, alter personality, and reprogram them to perform specific functions without conscious awareness of the changes. Programmers use special computer codes or triggers (words, actions).
    • Trauma-based (Electronic Inductions): Developed by Dr. Joseph Mengele, this technique was eventually abandoned but was used by the military and Nazis.
  • All these methods are described as unethical forms of manipulation.

• Noble Lie

  • A type of lie told when the overall benefit of the lie is considered greater on a grander scale than knowing the truth.

• Omission/Halftruths

  • A type of lie where one tells the truth but leaves out important points.

• Passion (in Convincing)

  • To be convincing, one must be 100% behind their idea and refuse to settle easily. Memorising "key sentences" that express intense passion is suggested to reinforce conviction.

• Perception

  • Our perception fundamentally shapes our reality, with individuals interpreting the same event differently based on their beliefs and emotions. To change one's world, a shift in perception is necessary.
  • How it works: What we perceive defines our beliefs, which determine what we accept as true, thus becoming our reality. Our brain processes only a fraction of incoming data, deleting or distorting information based on existing beliefs, values, and memories.
  • Perception influences not only our reality but also our emotions, attitude, outlook, and immune system. We can manipulate our minds to create desired realities and block unneeded facts. Being aware of our perception is crucial, otherwise external forces may shape it for us.

• Performance (in Sales)

  • One of the three core drivers (PIP) influencing buyer decisions, alongside Image and Price. For consumers, the concept of "bigger is better" for purchases like homes is diminishing. For businesses, claims about product/service performance will be rigorously tracked and proven, and investments without clear, near-term returns will be avoided.

• Perjury

  • A serious felony involving lying under oath or affirmation in a court of law.

• Personal Approach (in Persuasion)

  • A helpful technique in persuasion where using an individual's first name or contact title can show friendliness and respect, making them more receptive to what you have to say. Conversely, arrogance or rudeness leads to poor outcomes.

• Persuasion

  • A process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. In marketing, it's about convincing consumers a product is superior.
  • Key aspects:
    • It is a conscious activity with purposeful intent to benefit the prospect genuinely.
    • It leads to long-term, win-win scenarios.
    • It involves careful preparation, proper framing of arguments, vivid evidence, and emotional matching with the audience.
    • Persuasion is the pursuit of truth and the foundation for positive change in society (e.g., public health, conflict resolution, charity, democracy).
    • It is inherent in human communication, often becoming almost invisible.
  • Contrast with manipulation: Persuasion always involves free choice and does not coerce or deny individuals the right to choose. It helps present offerings in an easily digestible way and helps people find the courage to act wisely.

• Persuasion (Men vs. Women)

  • Gender influences persuasion due to emotional and intellectual differences.
  • Men: Are visually stimulated ("Men are a switch"), typically making rapid, binary decisions about attractiveness. They tend to fall in love quicker due to less data processing. They are attracted to confidence and self-esteem, which is why "bad boys" (perceived as alpha males) often appeal.
  • Women: Operate with "hundreds of shades of gray" ("Women are a dial"), seeking deeper qualities like reliability, power, and confidence in a partner. They process more data before committing and are drawn to men who exude confidence, seeing them as "alpha males" and good father material. Their "mothering nature" can be activated by perceived vulnerability in attractive men, escalating to love.

• Persuasive Writing

  • A marketing technique to sell products or services online. It aims to convince the reader of a particular point of view. It requires a good, keyword-rich title, clear and simple language, detailed explanation of benefits and logic, emotional connection with the reader, and a clear call to action.

• Price (in Sales)

  • One of the three core drivers (PIP) influencing buyer decisions, alongside Performance and Image. While not always the primary factor, price must be reasonable and make sense to the buyer. Its importance increases if the product's direct correlation to the buyer's core offering cannot be proven. Consumer fear of the unknown regarding ability to buy can keep them from purchasing, even if demand exists.

• Pride (in Selling)

  • A powerful emotional tool in sales, as buyers who perceive high identity value in an offering are more likely to advocate for it. To appeal to pride, salespeople can frame outcomes in terms of the prospect's self-image (e.g., becoming known as a saver), display awards won by clients due to the offering, and offer to feature the company in marketing materials. Words like "imagine," "respect," "powerful," "reputation," "prominence," and "prestige" are effective.

• Primary Driver Emotion

  • Described as a "magic bullet" in creating desire. If one can tap into an individual's primary driver emotion and associate it with a desired action, it can powerfully motivate them. This requires a deep understanding of psychology.

• Principles (in Congruency)

  • Deep, fundamental, universal, and timeless truths that govern all parts of life. Examples include kindness, love, fairness, honesty, integrity, and responsibility. Aligning one's life around these principles is key to achieving congruency and living a harmonious, successful life.

• Psychometry

  • The art of interpreting psychic vibrations contained within objects, also known as "the psychic touch". It involves the ability to read an object's history or the history of those who have handled it, often reflecting past or present states. It can be used in missing persons cases to gain intuitive impressions from personal items.
  • Common items include jewellery and watches, which hold information about the wearer's thoughts, emotions, and life events. For clear information, the object should ideally have been worn only by the person getting the reading.
  • Practice involves: Holding the object in the receptive (non-dominant) hand and verbalising all thoughts, feelings, and symbols received. It is a skill that can be developed and is considered a useful tool for inner development as it requires concentration and contact with the inner self.

• Quality (Glow Quality in Convincing)

  • To convince people, it's important to give the impression of being important and unique, or to "glow quality and refineness". This can involve using hands to emphasise points, wearing high-quality clothes, and using expensive products (e.g., luxury car, high-end computer, expensive watch) to project an image of success and seriousness.

• Reactance (Resistance to Persuasion)

  • A type of resistance defined as a negative reaction people have to being told what to think or do. It is resistance to the influence attempt itself, leading individuals to counter the persuasion regardless of its content, in an effort to re-establish their freedom to choose the opposite.

• Receptive Hand

  • The non-dominant hand, which is used for receiving impressions in psychometry. For most right-handed individuals, it's the left hand, and for left-handed individuals, it's typically the right hand. It is important to consistently use this hand for psychometric work to avoid transmitting impressions from the dominant hand. A simple test involving feeling energy flow between hands can help determine which is the receptive hand.

• Repetition (in Persuasion)

  • An excellent way to persuade people, especially when introducing new ideas or products. Over time, repetition helps individuals become accustomed to something new, developing curiosity and acceptance. It is also identified as the easiest way to tap into the subconscious, potentially leading to "mini-trances" where individuals are more susceptible to ideas.

• Resisting Persuasion

  • The ability to counter or deflect attempts by others to change one's attitudes or behaviour. Susceptibility to persuasion can be dangerous, leading to actions contrary to one's desires.
  • Tactics for resistance include:
    • Being well-rested and energetic to counterargue.
    • Being confident in existing attitudes by connecting them to one's self-concept (e.g., saying "I don't do this" instead of "I can't do this").
    • Using body language, such as prolonged eye contact (which can signal combativeness) and refraining from smiling or nodding (which can signal disinterest and reduce persuader's confidence).
  • Three kinds of resistance are identified: Skepticism, Reactance, and Inertia. While effective resistance wards off unwanted persuasion, inappropriate resistance can prevent meaningful change.

• Sales Cycle

  • The process by which a salesperson guides a prospect from identifying a need, through analysis, and finally to making a purchasing decision.

• Skepticism (Resistance to Persuasion)

  • A type of resistance focused on the content of a persuasive message. It involves critically evaluating and refuting the logic and evidence presented in arguments.

• Soft Sell (Sales Approach)

  • A sales technique where the seller uses gentle persuasion or suggestion to guide the buyer, stating facts and allowing the buyer to make their own decision without pressure. Examples include pointing out popular items, noting cheaper models, or sharing personal satisfaction with a product.

• Solution Selling (Sales Approach)

  • A sales technique that focuses on identifying and defining the customer's problem by asking relevant questions and listening carefully. The goal is to gain a clear understanding of the customer's needs to offer the appropriate product or solution.

• Sophists

  • A group of teachers in Ancient Greece (4th century BC) whom Aristotle opposed. They were infamous for teaching rhetoric without concern for truth, promoting any idea for a fee, which Aristotle deemed as engaging in manipulation.

• Sources (in Convincing)

  • Crucial for convincing others as they demonstrate expertise and reduce doubt about the truthfulness of facts.

• Stooge (in Mentalism)

  • An individual involved in a mentalism trick, typically behind the scenes, whose clever intervention makes the effect appear impossible without overtly displaying acting skills to the audience. While some mind-reading tricks may genuinely require a stooge, their use is distinguished from the problematic overuse of visible "actors".

• Sustaining Compliance

  • Refers to the challenge of maintaining a change once it has been introduced, as change is inherently difficult to bring about and sustain.
  • Key sustainability practices discussed include:
    • Changing the culture: A massive undertaking requiring universal buy-in from senior managers, mid-managers, staff, and the board.
    • Training and effective communication: Vital, but only if a compliance element (e.g., on-site audits, workflow corrections by supervisors) is integrated.
    • Connecting financial rewards to performance: Critical for workforce buy-in, requiring effective reward and recognition systems that align with strategic direction.

• Tells

  • In the context of lie detection, "tells" are unconscious body movements and facial tics that individuals exhibit when they are being deceptive, similar to those shown by card players when bluffing. Identifying a few of these personal tells through calibration can make it impossible for someone to lie undetected.

• Trickery

  • A component of fraud, involving clever or deceptive actions. Fraud is defined as deceit, trickery, or sharp practice.

• Truth (Withholding in Manipulation)

  • Manipulation often involves distorting or withholding truth, frequently by exaggerating the advantages of an idea, behavior, or product. This practice led to the phrase "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) becoming common in historical periods lacking seller accountability. Any dishonest representation is considered blatant manipulation.

• Values

  • What is important to an individual (e.g., helping others, security, freedom, love, family). Identifying and honouring one's values is a key step towards achieving congruency and balance in life. This can be done by repeatedly asking "What will that give me that I wouldn't otherwise have?" about a desired outcome until a core value is revealed.

• White Lie

  • A minor lie that provides comfort to the recipient, and is considered a common and often necessary lie in social interaction.