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> You can, for example, manipulate people to pay for something. > How? What's the point of pretending like you can't answer that question yourself? It doesn't

• adamckay 4y ago
  It's a genuine question. How can you manipulate someone into spending money on something where they don't perceive any value from its usefulness? Through blackmail or coercion? There's no reasonable explanation where someone can be manipulated into spending money that they think is entirely wasteful from the outset. The sibling comment on marketing, whilst somewhat manipulative, is still a useful purchase -- I want to be a musician so I buy a Macbook Pro to further my dream and use GarageBand. In that case I've been manipulated into buying something expensive for my end goal (however unlikely I'll be to achieve it) but I still perceive some use from it. Even if you consider spending money on purely charitable causes there's a usefulness in the warm fuzzy feelings the donator will get and the anticipated beneficial use of those funds to the needy.
  • ajkjk 4y ago
    You can't think of anything? People manipulate people to spend money every day, literally all the time. Sales, ads, product descriptions, promotions... some of these things turn out to be useful, and worth the money, some aren't, or are worth less than expected at least, and you usually don't find out until after the fact. It is like the single most common human activity, convincing people to buy things.