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Issue 2 > The caveat.

The caveat.

David Straker considers the ethics of persuasion.

So here we are… with my site stuffed full of things about how to persuade people—which, after all, is what 'changing minds' is. It would seem likely that some people may be feeling a little cautious about this (or maybe even a little outraged). This page is thus the 'caveat' that seeks to address some of these concerns—at least as far as one can without a face-to-face discussion.

We all know that those who would persuade unethically will find a way, whatever. My site can help you see through their games and avoid being duped.

The ethical debate.

Is persuasion a loaded gun? The question of whether we should tell people how to persuade others is something that could well raise some ethical hackles. Put simply, there is an argument that goes something like this: 'If you give someone a gun, they will kill people. Therefore, you should not teach people to persuade.'

Although this is 'non sequitur' there is a degree of truth about it. So should you not teach persuasion? This depends to some extent on your beliefs about people. If you believe we are all simply selfish and will use persuasion to harm others, then you will quite naturally consider teaching persuasion to be unethical.

The problem is, we all have guns. Or at least we all have the ability to persuade. Some of us are more refined about it and many of us do a good imitation of a bull in a china shop. The unskilled person who persuades by shouting and other forms of coercion can do far more lasting damage than the person who persuades more subtly.

Is persuasion bad? The arguments above all seem to assume that persuasion is a bad thing. They assume persuasion is akin to violence. However, there are countless occasions where changing another person's mind is a very good thing. In fact good persuasion can avoid violence, including psychological violence. Consider a parent who persuades their children. Or a policeman who avoids an incident with an angry mob. In fact changing minds is at the core of many valuable jobs.

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