I have read lots of books regarding influence. The Art of Manipulation: How to Get Anybody to do What You Want by Omar Johnson would have been better if I hadn’t read many books like it prior. It is also a very short read, so I’m surprised I didn’t jump on this one earlier? Oh well. A lot of the book is hokey nonsense, in regards to “using this new found power…”. But there were a few good points that I liked:
Everyone uses manipulation. It can be used for good or bad. Children learn the art very early and are quick to deploy it in many forms. With two young kids of my own, I can attest to this.
A person using force or coercion is not manipulating or influencing. Simply bullying to get short-term outcomes. Influence comes through the process of communicating, words or actions, and ideology or a belief system that you believe in and want others to understand and ultimately believe in themselves. Influence requires intelligence, well-reasoned thoughts, respectable actions, and sometimes persistence.
Another good item from the book:
People allow themselves to be influenced because it’s often easier to listen to (seemingly) rational, well-reasoned thoughts and ideas from others. In essence, most of us want to be influenced so that we can feel assured that we are doing the right thing in our lives, making the right decisions, and that alleviates a tremendous amount of stress….People allow themselves to be influenced because it. provides comfort.
And this:
The moment you begin to take advantage of the people who trust you the most is the moment when you begin to lose influence and power.
There are a few other good nuggets in the text. It’s short so worth cruising through, but didn’t provide as much as I would have liked.
Deep Thoughts 