[From Rick Marken (970830.1540)]
Fred Nickols (980830) --
I find David Goldstein's posting about the CEO and the printer
a little troubling because it suggests that PCT can be
successfully used to manipulate or maneuver others to
our own ends.
We can, indeed, use PCT to more effectively control others for
our own ends. But PCT also shows that we cannot do this
_arbitrarily_.
I can get you to do things I like (control you) by cleverly
disturbing variables you are controlling. But I can't get you
to do any arbitrarily selected thing I might like to see
you do because 1) doing it might disturb something else you
are controlling and 2) you might notice that I am manipulating
you so, even if what I'm having you do not be inconveniencing
you, you might not want to do it because you arecontrolling for
_not_ being controlled. In either case, if I persist in trying to
get you to do whatever I like then we will eventually end up
in (potentially violent) conflict. Dictators are into arbitrary
control; that's why people tend to off these jerks. Most
everyday interactions involve benign, negotiated interpersonal
control: I'll scratch you back if you'll scratch mine.
You can only surreptitiously control a person (make a person
do something) by getting the person to do something he or she
doesn't care about doing (that is, something that is completely
irrelevant to all the other controlling the person is doing).
Skinner maintained that the only predictable response to control
was countercontrol.
B. F. (Mr. Control) Skinner knew nothing at all about the
nature of control. I think that, besides listening to Mozart,
the best way to increase your IQ by several points is to NOT
listen to B. F. Skinner;-)
Best
Rick
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--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/