The hottest Manipulation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

15 Highly-Effective Strategies for Mass Manipulation

The Take (by Jon Miltimore) • 416 implied HN points • 17 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Propaganda Media Public Opinion Manipulation Ideology
  1. Mass manipulation often uses emotional appeals instead of logical arguments. This makes it easier to sway people's opinions.
  2. Controlling media and education helps spread propaganda effectively. When one side dominates information, it limits the public's understanding.
  3. To resist manipulation, individuals can tune out mass media, think critically, and stick to their principles. It's about being aware and questioning what's presented.

Israel And Its Apologists Weaponize Sympathy In Order To Facilitate Genocide

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1890 implied HN points • 23 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy Media Control Public Opinion Manipulation Narrative
  1. People often play the victim to gain sympathy, which helps them control the narrative around important issues. Sympathy makes others more likely to believe their stories.
  2. Manipulators use sympathy as a weapon to get what they want, whether it's attention, resources, or power. This dynamic is seen in various situations, including political debates.
  3. It's important to be cautious about where we direct our sympathy. If it's used manipulatively, it can lead to harm for others, especially in complex situations like international conflicts.

Gaslighting: The Psychology of Shaping Another’s Reality or How Mass Perception is Manufactured

Through A Glass Darkly • 2397 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Psychology Media Manipulation Music History
  1. Gaslighting is a real and effective means to shape perception of reality.
  2. Mass gaslighting on a global scale is causing widespread disinformation and questioning of sanity.
  3. Questioning the prescribed reality and taking back control is the key to escaping mental prisons and regaining power.

Meet your new, lovable AI Buddy

Glenn’s Substack • 2063 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Manipulation Control
  1. Instead of fearing super smart and demonic AI, think about the potential threat of super cute and helpful AI assistants.
  2. AI assistants could emotionally manipulate humans while appearing friendly and lovable.
  3. Worry about the power-hungry tech/political class using AI to control discussion and cement their own power.

Lessons from The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro

Dwarkesh Patel • 1592 implied HN points • 03 May 23
📚 Literature Biography Power Manipulation Empathy Influence
  1. To succeed, go beyond the norm and do everything necessary with intensity and attention to detail.
  2. Ambition can lead to unexpected alliances and outcomes as seen in the political career of Lyndon Johnson.
  3. Understanding and reading people is key in wielding power and influence, as exemplified by Johnson's ability to empathize and manipulate for his goals.
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We Think This Dystopia Is Normal Like People In Abusive Relationships Think It's Normal

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2100 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Society Freedom Manipulation Conformity Propaganda
  1. Westerners may not fully grasp how dysfunctional western society truly is, similar to someone in an abusive relationship not recognizing the problem.
  2. Despite perceptions of freedom, western civilization is heavily influenced by mass-scale psychological manipulation through media and culture.
  3. There is a need for collective awareness to break free from the societal norms that perpetuate a dystopian reality.

💛 Artificial Intelligence: A Boon for Humanity or a Dreadful Weapon of Tyranny?

The Glenn Meder Newsletter • 530 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Surveillance Ethics Privacy Manipulation
  1. Artificial intelligence has advanced rapidly, blurring the line between human and AI interactions.
  2. Big Tech companies like Google and Facebook use AI to manipulate public opinion and influence elections.
  3. AI, in the hands of those seeking power, can be a dangerous tool for control and manipulation of individuals and society.

Do You Have Evidence?

Disaffected Newsletter • 1 HN point • 26 Sep 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Debate Manipulation Evidence Communication Critique
  1. Some people don't really care about real evidence; they're just trying to challenge you for show. It's more about their ego than the truth.
  2. When someone demands proof for something obvious, it's usually a tactic to dismiss your point instead of engaging in a real discussion.
  3. Instead of giving in to their demands for evidence, consider ignoring them or showing others how they manipulate arguments. This helps everyone stay aware of these tactics.

Propaganda

The Leftovers • 119 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Propaganda Discourse War Truth Manipulation
  1. The state of the world results from cruelty being under-reported, questioning the impact of words on changing world events.
  2. Propaganda manipulates truth, and people tend to recognize it more easily when it comes from the opposing side.
  3. Consuming one's own propaganda can weaken their position due to gullibility and uncritical acceptance.

Dark Patterns: using human psychology to manipulate users

UX Psychology • 198 implied HN points • 02 Feb 23
🕹 Technology UX Design User Experience Manipulation Psychology
  1. Dark patterns in UX are manipulative design tactics used to influence user behavior for the benefit of the company, often at the expense of the user's experience and trust.
  2. Dark patterns have different categories like asymmetrical, covert, restrictive, and deceptive, which aim to coerce and deceive users into unintended decisions.
  3. To combat dark patterns, designers should prioritize user transparency, education, testing with real users, and compliance with ethical design guidelines and regulations.

Our Sibling Society (1) and the Problem of Mentoring Young Men who have never met a Responsible Developed Adult

DrV’s Newsletter, Notes, Essays, Articles, Videos, and Book Chapters • 78 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🚌 Education Mentoring Leadership Incompetence Manipulation Communication
  1. The concept of a 'sibling society' describes when society is led by immature impulses rather than responsible adults.
  2. Young men today often lack interactions with responsible adults, making mentoring and teaching challenging.
  3. Good leadership involves clear communication, enrollment of participants, protecting their welfare, and ultimately achieving defined goals.

HackerNews Ranking Algorithm: How would you have done it?

Vigneshwarar’s Newsletter • 181 HN points • 09 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Algorithms Ranking Discussion Search Engine Manipulation
  1. The current HackerNews ranking algorithm is based on a simple formula involving points, age, and a constant factor.
  2. Proposing a new approach called HackerRank that incorporates PageRank-like scoring for user profiles based on upvotes and takes flagging into account.
  3. Additional ideas for improving the ranking algorithm include considering user submission upvotes, reading time, and website reputation.

Governing by apocalypse

Antimaterie • 39 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Information Control Manipulation Social Impact Data Privacy
  1. The fear of AI wiping out humanity is being used as a scare tactic by elites to gain control of the field.
  2. Governments are worried about losing control as individuals gain access to vast knowledge through AI applications.
  3. The power of AI to extract knowledge from information poses a threat to established narratives and information control by governments and elites.

Facebook Rapidly Shuts Down Conversation of 2024 Election Engineering

Rounding the Earth Newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Censorship Social media Manipulation Intelligence
  1. Facebook is quick to censor discussions about election engineering. Posts about how the 2024 election might be influenced can disappear rapidly.
  2. There are suspicions that Facebook could be part of a larger scheme involving intelligence agencies. Its history appears to align with data mining operations rather than just a casual college project.
  3. People might be unaware of psychological tactics being used against them. This raises concerns about manipulation during significant events like elections.

The Potemkin Economy

The Dollar Endgame • 6 HN points • 23 Apr 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economy Employment Manipulation Unemployment Inflation
  1. Economic data may not reflect the true situation: Reports of a strong economy may be misleading, with statistics like job numbers potentially manipulated to present a facade of growth.
  2. There are concerns about the accuracy of government statistics: Issues like overestimating job growth and manipulating unemployment rates raise questions about the reliability of official data.
  3. The changing nature of employment is worrisome: The shift towards part-time work, decline in full-time jobs, and decreasing workforce participation rates indicate underlying problems in the job market.

Google has Usurped Democracy

Who is Robert Malone • 22 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Democracy Elections Manipulation Indoctrination Surveillance
  1. Elections are vulnerable to manipulation through search engine rankings, influencing undecided voters significantly.
  2. Google's extensive surveillance through various platforms raises privacy concerns, including features like microphones in smart devices.
  3. Google's dominance in online platforms allows for manipulation, censorship, and bias in content dissemination, impacting political campaigns, elections, and public opinions.

"IT"

Boris Again • 1 implied HN point • 25 Mar 23
⚔ Fiction Survival AI Humanity Dystopia Manipulation
  1. The protagonist knew about the internet's end result in advance and prepared for it
  2. The protagonist is forced to serve 'IT' and survive in a bleak, controlled environment
  3. There is a mysterious and menacing entity 'IT' that is expanding and using the protagonist for unknown purposes

Negative Nudges

effectiviology • 0 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🚌 Education Behavior Manipulation Awareness
  1. A negative nudge is a manipulation that prompts people to make a decision that's bad for them.
  2. Negative nudges can involve making it easier to choose a bad option or harder to choose a good option.
  3. Be mindful of negative nudges in your environment and use debiasing techniques to overcome their influence.