I'm about to provide tools that can be used unethically to gain advantage over others. That's unacceptable to me, but being an unwitting victim is even more unacceptable. So I consider what I'm about to do ethical.
Noticing that you're being manipulated is complicated. You must distinguish between different degrees of manipulation: from the benign kind exercised by society and parents during childhood, to the pathological and potentially destructive kind carried out by specific institutions and individuals.
Manipulation in action
As a marketing and persuasion professional, I can calmly assure you that at certain times large portions of the population are technically being manipulated. The main mechanisms are agenda setting and the salience heuristic — whatever is discussed most appears most important. The bandwagon effect — a majority opinion is instinctively judged correct. And the authority principle, which boils down to: "I'll convince you there was no other choice, and anyone who disagrees wants to harm you."
The easiest prey aren't the foolish
Don't think only the naive fall for it. Certain forms of manipulation paradoxically work better on unsuspecting, reasonably educated people. How? By making them feel responsible. The ego is the human being's weakest element, and you only need to tickle it slightly to turn anyone into a sheriff for your cause.
Anyone gets a tremendous unconscious and social reward every time they can call out a dissenter, posting in support of the dominant position. They quickly become visible and appreciated, with constant dopamine hits every time they confirm the group's values.
It works best if you're already conservative and a defender of the status quo. These people seem hardest to manipulate — serious, apparently detached, critical of anything that isn't "hard science." But they're the easiest prey because you just need to target their ego and fears: very rigid people are often terrified of everything.
Even critics are manipulable
Even those who are critical and truth-seeking are manipulated in another way. Every time someone ignorantly calls me a know-it-all, I get a dopamine hit. I'm gratified. And that manipulates me into persisting. When you have certain psychological traits, you're strongly motivated whenever someone allows you to portray yourself as different from those you consider inferior. It's a subtle form of elitism.
Any position, however minoritarian, will have fans. And minority positions have more active and competent fans, who reinforce the ego of whoever holds them.
The test to know if you're being manipulated
So it's impossible not to be manipulated. How do you notice? From what I've said, the answer is simple:
If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't. If you're normally ignored and suddenly everything you say is applauded, you're being manipulated — by a guru, society, the government, a cult. If you've always sweated for pennies and suddenly find the idea of easy money sensible, you've been manipulated. If you've never been considered the brightest and suddenly everyone agrees with you, you're being manipulated.
Watch the rewards. If they deviate too far from the baseline of your life and don't depend on enormous effort, you're being played.
