The Behavioral Science Guys | The 4 Ways You're Being Manipulated (and How to Stop It)

Ever wonder why really good people get manipulated into doing horrible things? More importantly, how can you make yourself immune to that manipulation?

Social science shows there are four different ways to get good people to disengage from their consciences: 1) offer moral justification; 2) minimize the consequences; 3) dehumanize the victims; 4) displace responsibility.

When the BS Guys tested these four manipulation tactics on a group of teens, they found that two-thirds cheated at least once and the total number of lies went up by 300 percent.

However, the most important part of the experiment occurred when some of the teens didn’t cave. When these morally conscious kids felt the manipulative pull, they broke off eye contact, turned away, and took control of the conversation. Essentially, they quickly named the game and by doing so, the game quickly lost its power over them.

The only way you can make yourself immune to manipulation is to learn to spot it and then repel it. You can repel it by quitting the game or quickly going public about your concerns.

Be aware of moral disengagement. Learn to recognize the ways others disengage you and you can combat even their cleverest efforts to control you.