Persuasion, Manipulation, and Seduction

Human communicating is very attention-grabbing and a difficult process full of effective methods employed as persuasion, manipulation and seduction. In the article, From persuasion to manipulation and seduction (a very short history of global communication), Aurel Codoban meaning of human communicating is, “influencing other minds through language” (Codoban, 2006, p. 152). As individuals it’s in our best interest to know and understand how to classify these methods and recognize the differences among them as a result individuals can improve and be more accountable users of human communication. In the article, From persuasion to manipulation and seduction (a very short history of global communication), Codoban makes a very important opinion in stating that it should be our “our mission to provide a critique of pure and practical communication so as to avoid the charming of our minds by our means of communication” (Codoban, 2006, p. 157).

In this essay, I will explore the meanings of persuasion, manipulation and seduction. I will also explain how each of these methods go hand-to-hand to each another in efforts to provide more in depth by revealing a few strategies that are used to succeed these conclusions. In conclusion, I will discuss a few modern-day examples of the various type of persuasive strategies in action and identity the particular audiences that they target.

Persuasion is a method of communication that is the foundation of our day-to-day source within our society. Codoban describes persuasion as “the process by which a person’s attitudes or behaviors are without duress, influenced by other people through communication” (Codoban, 2006, p. 151). Persuasion is communicating furthermore than words that tries to inspire us or change the structure of other individuals and from time to time change the behavior in individuals. In our course text, Perspectives on Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining, Seiter & Gass emphasized how the receiver of communication in talking, writing or signals can perceives the message can decides whether influence or persuasion takes places (Seiter & Gass, 2004, p.92).

In my opinion, persuasion is an individual’s logical effort to change your audience attitudes, opinion, or choice by addressing when with good objectives and principles in their own beliefs. A modern day examples of persuasion is the War on Drugs advertisements which tell and persuade our societies not to drugs. In the article, Seeing is Believing an Introduction to Visual Communication, Berger state that $245 billion was spent in advertising to persuade the American people in 2004 (Berger, p. 117). Another example is during election year which presidential candidate should we vote for.

Manipulation is a different method of communication within our society and it also occurs with one side being swayed as the individuals is not aware of it. In the article, The Problem with Manipulation. American Philosophical Quarterly, “Manipulation always involves interference with freedom, at any rate beyond what is normal in personal interaction, or that the problem with manipulation is essentially a problem about unfreedom” (Greenspan, 2004, p.155). Manipulation, is very different from persuasion, it camouflages the situation meanings. An individual’s brain is formatted to absorb a massive amount of information, which is then executed unconsciously. There are many different stereotypes and other procedures of expectation and normalcy programmed into humans that make up an individual’s cultural programming (Codoban, 2006 p. 154)

In the article, Manipulation and ideologies in the Twentieth Century: discourse, language, mind, Saussure and Schultz says, “A message is manipulative if it twists the vision of the world in the mind of the addressee, so that he/she is prevented from a healthy attitude towards decision, and pursues the manipulator’s goal in the illusion of pursuing her/his own goal” (Saussure and Schultz, 2005, p.68). When using this method you have the power to manipulate any individual as they are not aware of it. In my opinion manipulation deeply depend on pity or the feeling of its audience, as its nothing like persuasion, it hides its intentions. A modern day examples of manipulation is that a teenage girl ask her mother for some money so she can buy her a new dress to wear to the school dance. The mother decline her request for money as she informs that I just brought you a new dress just last week.

Then the teenage girl ask her father for some money so she can buy her a new dress to wear to the school dance. As she smile at her father as she bring him the Sunday newspaper and an ice cold beer to manipulate her father in giving her money to buy a new dress. The father gives her money and the teenage girl walks off with a smile, because she got what she wanted. Another example of manipulation is telemarking companies swindling you out of thousands of dollars on get rich money scams, because they promise the individuals quick money.

Another method of communication that is utilized to alter an individual’s mind is seduction in our lives. Seduction, according to Codoban, its “closer to persuasion than manipulation” (Codoban, 2006, p. 155). This method is used to persuade individuals by pleasing their sexual cravings, wishes, and sensations. Seduction is commonly used in relationship of sexual preference, there are many programmed and raw reactions that dwelling when the seducer achievement themselves the object of an individual’s desire. The ultimate seduction football play on individual’s cerebral sensation is our feelings and individual’s yearnings to enter into ecstasy. In my opinion seduction is form on sexual connection centered around on real or deceitful intentions on it audience.

A modern day examples of seduction is teasing an individual with eye catching stimulating gazes, soft touches and whispers until the individual body and mind starts to stiff up, gets confusion, as the individual body temperature heat up into worldly lust deepen making the individual have an orgasm without having genital penetration. Another example of seduction is to get your dream guy to talk about his sexual fantasy with you, as he goes into thrilling details it appears vividly in your mind.

In my discussion of the methods using persuasion, manipulation and seduction are all used to get individual to do a deed or meditate on a thought that an individual fantasy about, but all these methods are complete different. I have discussed how the method of persuasion is focus on change an individual’s mind and attitudes. While manipulation is used to influence individual in a dishonest fashion. Seduction is used in a tempting way to individuals through a sexual nature. Persuasion, manipulation and seduction are used frequently in individual’s daily communication with societies. It’s up to the individual to use these three methods cautiously as the individual analyze these methods presented to us, as we understand and communication persuasion, manipulation and seduction want to sell individual in exchange for our full approval and obedience.

Reference
Berger, A. A. (2011). Seeing is believing: an introduction to visual communication (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Seiter, J. S., & Gass, R. H. (2004). Perspectives on persuasion, social influence, and compliance gaining. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Codoban, A. (2006). From persuasion to manipulation and seduction. (A very short history of global communication), p.151-158

Saussure, L., & Schultz, P. (2005). Manipulation and ideologies in the twentieth century: discourse, language, mind. The Netherlands: John Benjamin’s Publishing Company.

Greenspan, P. (2004, April). The Problem with Manipulation. American Philosophical Quarterly