What is the difference between manipulation and influence?
I think that the difference between manipulation and influence is that influence is using ones personal charisma and powers of persuasion to sell others on an idea or action, whereas manipulation is using deceitful tactics to get others on board with the desired ideas or actions. With influence, its more a tactic of strategic guidance of the opinions or agreement of others, but at their own free will. With manipulation, however, its more sneaky and back handed, so i dont feel like the people being manipulated are necessarily coming to make decisions based on their own volition, but rather as an effect of being mislead either directly or indirectly by the manipulator.
When does it become playing politics and misdirection?
I think that once misdirection is involved, that is when influence crosses over into manipulation territory. Playing politics is tricky because while it can definitely have a stigma attached to it, it is also necessary sometimes in order to compete effectively and be successful in the corporate world.
Where is the line between bad and good – and how do you find that line? As this class arms you with more “weapons” to influence others, we must also take into consideration our ethics. Can you use these "weapons" of mass influence and still stay true to your core values? And, if the easy answer is that it is okay to use these weapons if you are using them in the service of your values, do you need to take into account the people you are using these weapons on? For example, if Google were doing things with their search that influenced people, but for the people's own benefit, would that be okay?
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