Midwest Christian Outreach recently wrote a very good article on how certain people can control and manipulate other people (or the masses) in "The Art of Manipulation", August 11, 2016.
I have written in this blog many times on control, manipulation, "Manipulators", Red Flags, legalisms, etc. and so I have aptly titled my own post on MCO's post, "The Pernicious, Evil Art of Manipulation" because I have witnessed it personally way too often, and I know the horrific dangers.
*Thank you to Don and Joy Veinot for their excellent blog post.
Please read these snippets below, but go to MCO's own article to get the whole picture, and to educate yourselves, plus watch the video on the simple experiment of manipulation.
"Why do you believe what you believe? Why do you behave the way you behave? Peer pressure has a dramatic impact on social conformity. Human beings are quite susceptible to “group behavior,” and have an almost overwhelming desire to imitate the group they are a part of without even questioning why…..
…Peer pressure conformity is not always a bad thing. Moral and ethical behavior is often taught and reinforced in this way. However, our minds should be involved in the process as well. When Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” (Matt. 22:37) He gave us the responsibility to make rational decisions in how we live our lives, which precludes a mindless unquestioning conformity….
…There is today a great push to conform – not only in culture but in the church – to accept, validate and embrace behaviors and ideas which are antithetical to sound biblical teaching….
…Scripture is not opposed to conforming, per se, and in fact, urges Christians to be conformed to the image of Christ. Yet we are warned to use our minds to carefully discern what it is we should be conformed to:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)
The Apostle Peter makes a similar statement:
"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…" (1 Pet. 1:13-15)…
the experiment
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3 comments:
I watched this video and found it too unreal. Nearly like it was staged. I don't really believe I would stand at the sound of a bell without asking the receptionist why everyone was doing so! Or even continue to do it 'just because'. I have always been a questioner, one to not follow the crowd, so I guess that has kept me from going downstream with the other fish!
If this truly happened at a doctor's office, I am amazed. Do people not think for themselves?
I also questioned this experiment. With internet falsehoods, it could be a scam on us - but we all know our culture tends to follow crazy things. To answer your question, I truly believe that humans on the whole in this culture are not thinking for themselves.
I also said I would not have stood up in that doctor's office situation, - but I know that I have been lured and I have "followed" people who claim the precious name of Christ, where instead, they manipulated and mentally abuse me for their own reasons for 3 years before I was kicked out and shunned by them to this day - so much for their claims of being Christians. All that time I would say in my head, "Surely, they do not realize how they are treating me." All that time I wondered. These were the "red flags" of warnings that these people were dangerous.
I do believe that any of us could be fooled.
Thanks for your comment.
The experiment was definitely staged, in an optician's office. At the beginning all but the young lady were in on the experiment. Once they all left, the guy who came in was also not in on it.
The experiment was to see how susceptible people are to peer pressure.
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