When I tell people I studied persuasion and influence they typically have the same reaction:
“You can study persuasion?”
And truth be told, that was pretty similar to my reaction back in college when I saw it in the course catalog for a degree in Psychology. There was no way I could pass up a class called “Mind Control or Freedom.”
The little devil was on my shoulder telling me I could learn tactics to sway people towards my beliefs, feelings, and intentions. I’ve never been a salesman but the thought of manipulating people enticed me. I told myself that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and you need every advantage you can get. I thought I would succeed if I went into this class with a plan to leave a master persuader, ready to make the world bow to my every wish.
I was quite naive.
One of the first things the professor told us was that ill-intentions in this field lead poor, selfish choices and are an ethical nightmare. I spent plenty of time studying and practicing ethical journalism so it dawned on me that people’s lives were more important than publishing news and decided I would trust the professor and follow the curriculum as intended.
Not only did I learn a lot about how to be a persuader, but also how to recognize persuasion directed at you. The course also influenced me to pursue a minor in social psychology and learn as much as possible about human social interaction.
These studies changed the way I go about life on a daily basis and I have nothing but positive things to say about them. Times are changing in this digital age though. Traditional methods of persuasion and influence don’t always work in this world of social networking, online marketing, and digital communication. The articles you’ll find on this site will attempt to change that, evolving past teachings into a new era of communication practices.
I hope you’ll come back soon and grow as an online communicator with me.
Headline photo by lauren-janelle
