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Urban Ranger
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Apolyton Duke of Off-Topic
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Alinestra Covelia's thread got me thinking about behavioural manipulation, which I will broadly define as actions a person, group, or nation intentionally undertake to induce a change in the behaviour of a target, so as to effect conducts or attitudes more favourable to the originator. So defined, many of our actions are indeed behavioural manipulations. For example, two companies negotiating on a contract, each trying to obtain the most favourable terms possible for its own side. Another example, the guy described in Ali's thread, who carried out a sequence of actions to get in the girl's pants. Yet another example, Christians proselytising to nonbelievers. Final example, US's ongoing embargo on Cuba.
The question is, where do you draw the line? When will behavioural manipulation become unethical? Sure, it's easy to tell when such actions are at the extreme ends of the spectrum, so most people will agree that terrorism is unethical - this is not a thread to discuss whether terrorism is ethical or not, if you want to, start your own thread. Still, there is a very large grey area in the middle. Is it ethical to take advantage of a situation, like trying to win a woman's heart during a moment of her weakness? If so, it is ethical to create such a moment of weakness? Is it ethical to push for a harder deal when you got wind of the other side's financial troubles? Is it ethical to create such financial troubles?
Should behavioural manipulation be judged by the means, the ends, both, or some other combination of factors?
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BeBro
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of the Krauts
Mar 2000
time: 06:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Alinestra Covelia's thread got me thinking about behavioural manipulation, which I will broadly define as actions a person, group, or nation intentionally undertake to induce a change in the behaviour of a target, so as to effect conducts or attitudes more favourable to the originator. So defined, many of our actions are indeed behavioural manipulations. For example, two companies negotiating on a contract, each trying to obtain the most favourable terms possible for its own side. Another example, the guy described in Ali's thread, who carried out a sequence of actions to get in the girl's pants. Yet another example, Christians proselytising to nonbelievers. Final example, US's ongoing embargo on Cuba. |
This is indeed a very broad definition - then even a crying child that hasn´t got his toy would manipulate his parents (to buy the toy). This is no critcism but I personally wouldn´t count all these things as manipulation. For me manipulation implies that the "target person" (or group/whatever) doesn´t know (at least not fully) what´s going on.
So IMO, a man promising a woman everything only to sleep with her is manipulation. Edit: wen he tries to give the impression that he loves her.
Economic negotiatons or political pressure is not (in that general view) IMO when both sides know the goals of eachother, and the means that the other side is going to use. (Doesn´t mean there cannot be actions I´d see as unethical there too)
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29-09-2003 08:08
Humans are no simple input/output thingies.
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