by Daniel Jones

Created on: February 05, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

For more than ten years now I have been intrigued about how some people seem capable of getting anyone to do anything. I had a number of burning questions. I always wondered what made people take on radical views? What made people suddenly decide to join a faith? What made some politicians so influential? What makes someone suddenly willing to die for a belief?

There are many aspects to effectively influencing people. Many people reading this probably think that there is no way they could ever be manipulated into doing something against their will. They are probably thinking that it can only happen to weak people. In reality anyone can be convinced to do something they wouldn't normally do. In many cases it doesn't really take much. People have a willingness to do what they are told by authority figures. This is something that is learnt throughout your life. You do what your parents tell you, you do what your teachers tell you. Most people don't ever question what is being asked of them they just accept it.

Most children feel a certain level of anxiety when they are in a situation with an authority figure like a Doctor or a Dentist. This programming that takes place throughout childhood often affects people in adulthood. People find it difficult to stand up to their boss, they still feel a little nervous with Doctors or Dentists and many adults also feel intimidated when they are in the presence of police officers.

All of this anxiety makes people more compliant. Many con artists take advantage of this automatic compliance by putting on uniforms that people will respond unquestioningly to, like security uniforms or inspector uniforms. As long as the con artist acts confidently as if' they really do hold the position they claim to hold, and they keep the person in a slightly confused state not giving them enough time to step back in their mind and assess the situation fully they are likely to be successful with the con.

Before I explain how people can have their beliefs radically altered I just want to explain that in my opinion there is nothing inherently wrong with most religions, groups or cults. In this article I will talk of cults. I am using this term to describe religions and group followings that expect followers to share the same beliefs.

As I have mentioned above there is nothing inherently wrong with most cults. Belonging to a cult or group can be a healthy thing. They can often meet many of the emotional needs that all humans have.

These emotional needs

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