Manipulation is a weird concept because essentially, we’re always manipulating all the time. Everything we do has some intention, like socially speaking of changing another person’s Behavior. So we really have the question of what’s good manipulation and what’s bad manipulation, or should we say what’s helpful and what’s harmful? What’s ethical, what’s unethical? There are some key factors to consider. Is this in the other person’s best interests, or is it more about your own selfish desires? Is the manipulation out in the open and transparent, or is it hidden and pretending to be something else? With these two factors you can understand whether or not what you’re doing is in everyone’s best interest and, of course, is ethical. See most negative manipulation requires dishonesty and selfishness. So as long as you eliminate those, it’s okay to influence other people.

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