Influencing Others

For me, manipulation and influence are flip sides of a coin. You can't really have one without the other. Manipulation has some negative connotations, but it is - in essence - changing the perspectives on how others perceive you and your ideas. Influence is how you exert force on others and attempt to sway them to your side. There are both good and bad types of manipulation just like there are good and bad influences. For instance, parents would often manipulate their kids into listening to what they say or do what they want. The biggest difference between good and bad sides of manipulation is how we use it. To draw the line is to enforce the idea that what we are manipulating (be it facts, information, people, etc) is ultimately for the best. However, if we spend too much time arguing about why something should be done instead of addressing what should be done, then manipulation just becomes playing politics.

Can you be ethical about manipulating and influencing others? Yes, but we need to take care of how we do so and understand why too much meddling can corrupt the process. We have all heard of the saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and someone with all the manipulation and influencing ability holds a great deal of power. It is one thing to turn people towards our ideas and our vision. It is completely another idea to brainwash people into believing them. The former is good influence, while the latter is bad manipulation. We need only to take a good look at the people we use our "weapons of influence" on, but also look at the situation and see it that warrants us using these weapons on it first. It is easy in hindsight to say that a situation required manipulation or influence.

If Google influenced people for their own benefit, it depends on the situation. Why are they influencing others? How far does the benefit reach until it becomes not from the people's benefit and instead for Google's benefit? If a corporation's influence is truly benign and in the interests for the public good then there is no problem and they are using their influence ethically. However, if the corporation is using their influence to control the public, then it is unethical.