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Persuading With The Help Of Scapegoats |
By:
Kenrick Cleveland |
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Persuading With The Help Of Scapegoats
Kenrick Cleveland
"United We Stand". For a while there nearly every other car in the country had a bumper sticker appealing to us to stand united, implicitly suggesting that this was our only salvation, because what happens when we don't stand united? That's right. We fall divided.
So is this true? If we were to buy into the idea at the center of the political platform of defeating terrorists by standing united and spreading our democracy everywhere, will this bumper sticker's admonition keep us safe? If we blindly agree with all the presuppositions will we all be okay?
With scapegoating, the best way to get us all on board-to unite-is to have a common enemy, a boogie man, a Satan, Saddam Hussein or a terrorist to rage against.
Christianity uses scapegoating: Satan. The government uses scapegoating: 1950's = Commies; 2000's = Terrorists. Most recently we have Scooter Libby. (Though the distinction has been made that he's more of a "fall guy" than a "scapegoat" because scapegoat implies using an innocent to pin the blame on while fall guy's usually share the blame.)
It was popular in Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials. By diverting attention away from the state and church as the cause for difficulties in people's lives, witches (read: women) were burned at the stake as the core cause of societies ills.
Religion is great for scapegoating. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent. The Baptists show how the Mormons miss the point and lead people astray and visa versa. In order for Christianity to exist, Satan is the 'necessary evil', so to speak. Without Satan there is nothing to save humanity from. The concept of Satan has single-handedly maintained Christianity throughout the years.
Again, I'm not debating the existence of Satan or pushing my religious or political beliefs, I am simply showing how this strategy is used.
Politically we see scapegoating divert attention from the real news of the day to lesser problems.
A national phenomenon of scapegoating occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The media fueled it with its new label: the blame game. Instead of agreeing that there was a failure on all levels of government in an untenable situation of an impoverished city, geographically and economically handicapped, the blaming began in full force.
People ultimately want to believe that their problems or failures are the result of something outside themselves.
In sales and business scapegoating can be used to suggest your new client or prospect's former adviser (or agent), lacked knowledge and gave terrible advice and is responsible for preventing the client from earning what they should have earned.
To use this tactic ethically, try making the scapegoat an opposing force and not a person or group. Use an idea, philosophy or an unfortunate circumstance as the scapegoat.
Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of affluent prospects using http://www.maxpersuasion.com/ persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in http://www.maxpersuasion.com/ persuasion strategies.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article69826.html |
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