How to Manipulate People

Covert operatives are masters of manipulation. For mission objectives, they must be able to convince people to do things for them that they otherwise normally wouldn’t or couldn’t do – without “force”.

Manipulate :: mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt     |     to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage

Manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the behavior or perception of others through underhanded, deceptive, or abusive tactics. By contrast, “normal” (albeit less effective) persuasion is achieved through open communication that respects the free will of others – not ideal for critical scenarios.

This behavior can be harmful as it erodes trust and creates an imbalance of power. Manipulation is exerting power and control over another person, so it should only be when it’s mission critical.

As with deception, strategic manipulation is a vital tradecraft skillset that has unbound potential professionally and personally – when used right.

  How to Manipulate People:

In the world of espionage, strategic manipulation is an invaluable tool and should be used as such. By coercion, persuasion, seduction, blackmail and simple deception, operatives can gain the intel they need or an action enacted to complete their missions.

            The Exploitation Technique

            The Target’s Objective

            The Target’s Hot Buttons

            The Flattery Technique

            Play on The Target’s Emotions

            Give Just Enough

            Soften The Target

            The Guilt Technique

            Confidence Perception

            The Reward Technique

Knowing how to manipulate people is a way to assert power over someone else, therefore there are many ways why using strategic manipulative tactics could be beneficial. In some cases, it can be a way to get what you want from someone without having to resort to violence or other extreme measures.

Manipulation is a weapon that can be as crude and messy as C-4 or as clean and invisible as CO2. Both methods work but sometimes it’s best the target never know he was attacked.

Although it’s mostly about manipulating someone into doing something that they may not otherwise do, it can be used as a form of protection, such as when someone uses manipulation to make sure that they are not harmed in a dangerous situation.

In some cases, manipulation is used to create an asset, someone who will provide services willingly.