Not to be confused with "
power", influence can be broken down into
two dimensions. First we have "direct" influence which is "I tell you to do something. You do the
thing I tell you to do." The motivating principle can vary and include Monetary gain (I pay you to do things), status (You
respect me or my station and want to please me), allegiance (We are on the same
team and/or I have elevated status within a group). Secondly we have "indirect". This happens when a "credible source" posits a "school of thought" or a "framework of conceptualization". As soon as an individual accepts the framework; they are effectively "under the influence" of the source (albeit indirectly) and
will then act out the tenets of the framework without needing to be told what to do. This influence can be Benevolent, Malevolent, or Benign.
Iam "Ok. So, yeah. That, I think, kind of vaguely
ties into the 'influence' concept that I've been trying to flesh out (i.
e.
Purple-Man theory). So, let's say I posit a "framework of conceptualization". I outline the tenets of the framework and you accept it as "
truth". This framework (now) becomes the lens through which you view the world and you
will likely act out the framework and the tenets as outlined without the need for me to use "direct influence". This raises several questions. The first of which being 'Are you the framework you've adopted or the ego that adopts the framework'? You could also
ask 'to what degree does the framework usurp the ego (if at all)'? So... I guess we'll start there."
Hym "They are the framework. That's the presupposition of the NPC (Non-Player Character) nomenclature that I coined in the earlier stages of my work. By adopting the framework you become the framework and act it out completely."
Iam "
Well, no... Not entirely. There is always some deviation from the framework and through argumentation and conversation you can get people see the nuance that exists
outside of the framework."
Hym "But they always
default to the framework after the conversation ends. We've seen it many times. Cognitive dissonance prevents the
actor from adding or subtracting from the initial framework."