The art of impression

Listening skills, as they are taught in the Meaningful Relations Training, build on clues that people bare without necessarily being aware of it. You see, people express the totality of their being through their actions and responses. There is no escaping that. One might hide some clues, but there is no hiding that there is something that is being hidden.

Understanding this and reading the clues, introduces a variable into the relationship equation. This can be used to influence, which is neither good nor bad. It just is. Sometimes people use clues to influence people in a direction that is in the best interest of the influencer and not necessarily of the influenced.

If that is done in entertainment and acknowledged by all involved, no harm is done. In all other situations, it is quite the contrary. We call this manipulation. This is true for gurus, charismatic leaders and the lot. Even if the effects aren’t immediately visible, harm is not far away.

How do you recognize this? As an influencer, you will see people become personally impressed by you through your interactions with them. You start to sense that people are putting you on a pedestal. When that happens, you are in the danger zone of irresponsibility.

When someone falls into the trap of “devotee”, they will start looking up to influencer, impressed by who they are and not so much by what they are capable of. They are given the title of “special” instead of being recognized as people with special skills that anyone can learn.