How to Coach Yourself and Others Beware of Manipulation | Page 141

33. Drawing loosely-related conclusions.
When someone tries to convince you of something by drawing a conclusion that is loosely related to
the information they gave you.
Example:
“This baby food is fortified with the vitamins and minerals. It’s extremely healthy. If you’re still
buying other kinds of baby food, you’re neglecting your baby’s health.”

34. Causing doubts by twisting facts
Imagine you want to start a business on your own and are convinced it has sufficient potential and is of
your caliber and choice. When you talk about it with your friends, one of them says “Good that you
are starting anew, but based on the available data, with the kind of business you have in mind, it may
be hard to survive. In this branch, most new businesses end up with losses.”
This is unconscious manipulation of your thought process, because does the person who told you all of
this know the statistics? Or is he scared and hesitating and hoping that you will be hesitant too?
Most of the manipulators use data that other people do not have any relevance to. And usually the
quoted data seems discouraging, realistic and indicates pessimistic results.
The changes that you are planning are positive, but when people start running you down with unwanted
effects. It can pull you down or make you rethink your options.
Another example would be:
“It takes a lot to be in business, so do you really want to do that? Otherwise you are just 5 years from a
comfortable retirement and you know….”
Does that inculcate a feeling of insecurity about your decision? Will you think twice about doing the
new business?
If any of these is a yes, then you know that you have been manipulated psychologically. Though there
are no direct talks about the negativity, the doubts that are planted in your mind are an indication that
you have been manipulated and the seed has been planted.

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