Persuasive Blaming: Use With Caution By Kenrick Cleveland At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

I have written previously about the term 'everything happens for a reason' as a technique to utilize the inherent trust many people have in this concept. I also wrote about how superstition can be a powerful persuasive tool. If you've read those articles and put the tools to work in your life, you already understand the power they hold.

Assigning blame is the other side of the coin. It works along the same lines.. . our prospect's belief system. If they are of the mind that the world is ordered and the universe is equitable, then assigning blame is already a common enemy and can be pulled out of your persuasion tool box for special occasions.

This is going to be a little uncomfortable for some people to read, especially the more religiously oriented, but I assure you, I am a very spiritual person and have no intention of putting down or changing anyone's religious beliefs or practices. I am using the below examples to simply teach persuasion and not to push my beliefs or undermine yours.

There is a lot of discussion in sociology and group theory about 'common enemies'. The greatest way to bond a group is for them to have a common enemy to struggle against.

In Christianity, for example, the common enemy is pretty obvious: the devil. This is installed in Christians from a very early age through the Bible's teachings, sayings like, 'We as humans are born into a world of sin and the mere act of being born causes us to not be able to get into the life hereafter until and unless we accept Jesus as our savior.'

It's an intense thing to believe. And what or who is the enemy? Well, just being born because we are born into sin. And who is responsible for us being born into sin? The devil.

Many years ago I heard someone say, 'The devil is the best friend Christians ever had because without him, there wouldn't have been the need for a savior.' Even the word 'savior' has the implication that people needed saving. If you are, in fact, born into sin, then you do need saving.

I am absolutely not debating any of this. I'm being more of a devil's advocate (no pun intended) because I am standing back and removing my own beliefs to point out how you can see this.

None of this is to say that having a common enemy is a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a great thing to use, but carefully and responsibly.

Another advantage of a common enemy who you can't see (such as the devil) is that things such as basic drives and desires can be attributed to the influence of said being.. . (i.e. lust, gluttony, etc.)

We have an inherent need to assign blame. In fact, it's so fundamental to the core of who we are that everybody does this.

Here's a political example: We have a 'War on Terror' and a 'War on Poverty' and yet, it's virtually impossible to argue that anyone is FOR 'terror' or 'poverty'. These are virtual cultural common enemies. However, terror and poverty are concepts, not actual, tangible physical beings against which a war can be won. Take note at how insanely powerful they are as enemies. If winning a 'war' against a concept were possible, I'd most certainly sign up and fight.

Look at the contrast between 'things happen for a reason' and the concept of blame.

A word of warning: I wouldn't dwell in the land of negativity, it's like a double-edged sword. It cuts going and coming. Be very careful.

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