Our brain obeys its own logic and interprets all information according to our inner world.
Whether it’s influencers, fashion or even conspiratorial spheres, manipulation seems to be omnipresent. If we are so easily manipulated it is because of our personal interpretation of the outside world and our need to belong to a group.
Our brain reconstructs reality
To sort out all the information received by our brain at every moment, the latter reconstructs our perception of the world from our inner world, whether it is our beliefs, our emotions, our memories or even our mood at all times. This necessary sorting pushes us to select our interpretation of the environment to make it coincide with our needs.
Adherence or not to a current of fashion or an idea for example, will be done if we derive a benefit from it. The influence will also be even greater when we feel emotions such as anger or pleasure for example.
Times of crisis are conducive to manipulation
If we can manipulate our brain in a positive way to improve safety, education or the environment (draw a pedestrian crossing in 3D for example to make motorists slow down), in times of health crisis, when negative emotions jostle, we are all more vulnerable to manipulation. The more insecure a person is because of a fragility, a difficult life event, doubts or even fatigue, the more they will seek security outside through a comforting idea, for example.
This need to make sense can benefit certain conspirators or hustlers who seek to flatter the ego of their adherents. It is therefore preferable to seek your well-being in yourself by learning not to be fooled.
Find out more: “Influence and manipulation” by Robert B. Cialdini and Marie-Christine Guyon, Pocket editions.
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