Manipulation, Solved

You’ve probably lied to someone today. You also probably think you lie less than everyone else. Welp, I have some bad news. We all manipulate, we all get played, and sometimes, the smarter you are, the easier you are to con.

In this episode, Drew and I get into what manipulation is, why everyone does it, and how to keep from getting fooled. We tell the story of how Freud’s nephew turned bacon into a doctor-approved breakfast, and how the TSA spent nearly $1 billion training officers to spot liars, with nothing to show for it. We walk through the one test that shows when persuasion crosses into manipulation, and the tactics advertisers, propagandists, and con artists have been running on you for a century. Then we cover why skeptics make some of the easiest marks and the only defense with serious evidence behind it.

We also spend a good chunk of time on the manipulator you know best (or least)... yourself.

You can’t fully escape influence, and you might not want to. But once you know the playbook, you’ll spot it, even when it’s coming from inside the house.

Get your free Manipulation guide: https://mrk.mn/bpxozoh3

CHAPTERS

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: Are You Being Manipulated Right Now?
• 00:05:21 CHAPTER 1: Everybody Manipulates (The Water We Swim In)
• 00:11:14 How to Spot a Psychopath (It's Not What You Think)
• 00:18:42 We're All Manipulators: The Social Brain Hypothesis
• 00:21:50 The 6 Manipulation Tactics Couples Use
• 00:32:11 White Lies & Subconscious Manipulation
• 00:37:57 The Spectrum of Manipulation
• 00:43:27 Why We Believe Our Own Bullshit
• 00:52:58 The "Virtuous Victim" Red Flag
• 00:57:46 Is Self-Help Manipulation?
• 00:59:01 Can You Actually Spot a Liar?
• 01:11:55 CHAPTER 2: The Morality of Manipulation
• 01:21:15 The Murderer at the Door
• 01:29:59 Nudges: Is Good Manipulation Okay?
• 01:43:12 Kant vs. Machiavelli: The Angel and Devil on Your Shoulder
• 01:54:19 Family Secrets: When Is Lying to Protect Okay?
• 02:05:37 Consent: What Kind of Support Do People Want?
• 02:14:21 Power, Parenting & Manipulation
• 02:27:50 CHAPTER 3: The Practice of Persuasion
• 02:39:32 Robert Cialdini's 6 Principles of Influence
• 02:40:52 Principle 1: Reciprocity
• 02:45:16 Principle 2: Commitment & Consistency
• 02:49:57 Principle 3: Social Proof
• 02:56:29 Principle 4: Authority & the Milgram Experiments
• 03:02:39 Principle 5: Liking
• 03:04:09 Principle 6: Scarcity
• 03:10:25 Advanced Manipulation Tactics: Anchoring, Framing, and the Exposure Effect
• 03:23:18 CHAPTER 4: How to Resist Manipulation
• 03:28:35 Crypto, Madoff & Complex Schemes
• 03:33:30 The Teeth-Brushing Experiment
• 03:44:22 Practical Defenses Against Manipulation
• 03:51:50 Why You Need Diversity of Thought
• 03:57:47 Check Your Own Emotions
• 04:00:21 Conclusion: Living in the Age of Manipulation

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