Persuasion, Manipulation and Seduction

Mostly, human communication requires attempts to impact. Communication can be verbal and non-verbal; honest and dishonest; conscious and unconscious. “Some people’s opinion and actions may be questioned with logic and reason or by character and emotionsâ€. It is obvious that the opportunity to persuade is a desired means for anybody, irrespective of the fact how they would like to use it. However, besides a simple persuasion, there are other acts of impact, which are even more powerful. The three psychological concepts like persuasion, manipulation, and seduction are often used interchangeably in dealing with a behavior impact. However, there are some delicate and obvious differences between these three terms. Using these methods by a person could cause the same result for the person who would like to influence; however, there are clear distinctions in the approach they are carried out. 

Persuasion is “a way of a verbal influence which includes a system of the arguments based on laws of a formal logic and proving the thesis made by the individualâ€. By means of convincing, we get another person to support us by means of explanations, logical arguments, or appealing to reason. Successful persuasion rests on a certain transformation of outlook and a motivational basis of behavior.

Unlike motivation and seduction, persuasion is based on the intelligent acceptance by the person of any evidence or ideas, on their analysis and assessment. Thus, a conclusion can be made independently or after convincing, but, in any case, it is not perceived in a finished form. As a rule, persuasion demands time and use of various evidence and oratorical receptions, whereas suggestion can occur almost instantly. The method of persuasion is considered basic in scientific discourse and education processes. Those who found it possible to convince somebody in something supported their case with the help of logical arguments and appeals to reason.

Practice and experience have an essential value in persuasion and overpersuasion. Persuasion at work, “a sermon action†is especially necessary when it is required to prove the need for some ideas be put in practice, to induce students to master new methods and activity forms. In these conditions, a living, practical example is of greater value than verbal explanation and persuasion.

This type of human communication is best for dealing with children, teenagers, and young people, as it is an honest way to impact, since there is awareness of the attempt. 

Manipulation means the ability to supervise people or circumstances in indirect, dishonest, or deceptive ways, mainly for personal reasons. The one, who is manipulated, allows people around to dominate over herself. People often claim that they are persuading others when they are actually manipulating. That happens because manipulation is a type of persuasion, but manipulation is temporary. Manipulation does not operate in the long run, because trust or relationships with the manipulator cannot go on for a long time. Seduction and persuasion usually require larger periods of time to reach the targets than manipulation. People manipulate and seduce by means of emotions and they persuade by means of logic. That is the difference.

For example, manipulation can occur in trade. In a shop, the buyer chooses goods, considering either cheaper or more expensive things. The seller says that something is better but he assumes that it is too expensive for him. And the buyer takes the more expensive thing. At the external level, the seller ascertained some truthful facts: high quality of the good and low financial capabilities of the buyer. The hidden sense of this manipulation is estimation of the buyer’s desire, at least, for the seller to look respectable. The buyer took an expensive thing, having satisfied his vanity and having outdone (as it seems to him) the seller.

Persuasion is also an act that occurs between at least two sensible parties. However, manipulation and seduction take place when the person being influenced does not know this. As a rule, not only manipulator’s purposes, interests, or intentions are hidden, but also the fact of pursuit of others, not declared aims. The technique of manipulating is inherent in people of all ages: from children who can perfectly manipulate their parents and the adults who are good at manipulating their children, employees, etc.

“The seduction is something seducing, attracting, a temptationâ€. When we speak about temptation, first of all, we mean something forbidden, condemned, and, probably, even mean but at the same time attractive. We will mainly speak about seduction in the context of a love discourse. Seduction of men is a delicate business which demands proper training. How to behave in this or that situation can prompt your own life experience or your friends’ life experience or at least the heroes of the cinema.

It is considered that “seducing of men is more inherent in skilled womenâ€. This statement has some base to it. The woman, having reached the age of 30, has already a good idea of what a man wishes to see, hear, and feel;  consequently, she knows what gesture or smile is required at this or that moment. “The seduction, a temptation of men, is an art which admiresâ€.

A seduction method is “to cause sympathyâ€. “Has something happened? Are you looking bad today?†It is very important to bring the communicator to a frank level of communication in the course of which he/she starts to trust you. But one should be careful: some people can misunderstand you and, as a result, go over to the offensive.

Sometimes, the lines between persuasion, manipulation, and seduction may be vague. There are certain moral brands attached to each of these methods of influence. While persuasion has wide connotation to any audience, manipulation and seduction have certain shades of immorality. While manipulation has power to be an effective method for a wrong performance, it also occurs daily when parents deceive their child into an action or a reflection in the manner they want. And while seduction can base sexual relations on false purposes, it can be a simple desire to be loved or desired by somebody. It is important to understand that a large part of our continuous communication is spent affecting others or being affected by others. However, we do have a choice of how much we can be subjected to various influences and only we make a decision on how to influence others.