I posted this in a note to a friend who was interested in it. I figured I should post it in a journal as well since its useful information that could help people. In this I talk about "The Game Formula of Transactional Analysis" by Eric Berne. It’s a psychology concept but plays into logic since logic is used in making decisions. There are 6 steps but I will omit one since it is mostly irrelevant (but I will note it when it would be time for it).
Step 1: The Con. Someone decides to do something in order to lure someone into their trap.
Step 2: The Hook. Someone is interested in something the con artist has to offer (falling victim to desire).
Step 3: The Response. That same someone has now begun to interact with the con artist.
Step 4: The Switch. Having gained control over the conversation or circumstance, the con artist diverts attention from the initial hook and toward something else (the con artist's initial goal).
(Following stop 4 would be a 5th step that would involve nothing more than the reaction from the person being tricked; realizing they had been made to do something they didn't intend to do. this is the irrelevant step).
Step 5: The Payoff. The con artist has achieved his goal.
This layout is really basic but these kinds of situations happen all the time. Some are more subtle than others though. Advertisements on TV, radio, or in magazines are all technically Con's from step 1. They are the business's bait mechanism (the business begin the con artist). Things like geek squad or floor sales men are all part of the process of coning people out of their money.
In other situations, this formula may take the form of bullying. The bully wanting to hurt someone's feelings they begin to prod and poke them with insults as a way to hook the victim into a confrontation. If the confrontation happens then the process is underway and the bully will likely get what he wants (or in actuality already has).
Do keep your attention on the lookout for such things in your life. You’ll find they are everywhere and most often are happening every day. But there is a way to break these situations that oddly enough, has it's origin's in Buddhism. It was taught by Siddhartha Gautama that existence is suffering (something that Nietzsche also taught) and the only way to remove this suffering is to end all desire. Technically, if you have no desire you will not fall victim to the con in step one and will have broken the process.
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12 years, 4 months ago
21 Dec 2011 06:27 CET
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