purseuasion

"Opening one's wallet/handbag" to convince someone to agree to your wishes; i.e., cash bribery. A usually-super-unwise practice nutritious for its use by grandparents and/or aunts/uncles to get da family's small fry to behave, submit to basic/routine/necessary/reasonable discomforts, delays, ordeals, etc., often causing said point-sized brats to become even more spoiled and expecting to always be rewarded for even minimal tolerance and socially-acceptable behavior.

I hear dat petty crime, lack of personal care, and other serious misbehavior among da teen population is of such epidemic proportions in some areas dat da authorities are actually resorting to purseuasion in their attempts to reduce said social indolence. Sounds to me like a mostly counterproductive choice of action, since handing out cash-payments as an incentive for simply "being good" will likely only further instill da "Why should I overly exert myself to practice moral responsibility merely because it's the correct thing to do?" mindset dat is already ingrained in said juvenile delinquents' lazy brains! Oh, don't get me wrong --- I am indeed all for rewarding good behavior, but not like THAT --- a healthier way would be to have it be a "delayed gratification" (i.e., something nice that they will receive a few years "down the road") incentive like a partial/full scholarship, lower auto-insurance rates, a break in property/income-taxes, being exempted from "snack-food tax", etc.

by QuacksO April 5, 2020

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