Psychological pressure is the influence exerted by one person on other people with the aim of changing their opinions, decisions, opinions, or personal attitudes. It is carried out far from the most honest and correct, from the point of view of humanity, methods. But, unfortunately, everyone can face it.
Compulsion
Psychological pressure can manifest itself in various forms. Coercion is one of those. This is the most arrogant and unprecedented attempt to influence another person. This method is inherently an unlawful use of mental violence.
From the side, its application looks like an informational impact on a personâs consciousness. Which may be accompanied by threats of physical violence. But these are extreme cases.
Most often, a moral rapist operates with other "trump cards." This may be his power, money, influential status, compromising data. Some are trying to destroy their victim. They say such words that dust the dignity of a person and trample in the dirt his confidence in his abilities. Actions may be of a similar nature.
Others follow an obsession tactic. It consists in the intentional moral torment of man by various methods.
How to respond?
This type of pressure is very difficult to resist. But it is possible (with due desire). The most important thing is to precisely identify for yourself the goals that the freak is trying to pursue. You need to understand what he wants. And after that, act exactly the opposite. Just not letting him know that the confrontation is intentional. He must perceive the confidence of the one he is trying to make a âvictimâ as a character trait. In the end, a failed moral rapist will leave a person alone. Since he will understand that he cannot achieve the intended goal.
But only if he is obsessed with it, then you will have to gain patience and fortitude. Because the captive just does not lag behind. Before that, he will try all kinds of methods. If the situation causes too much discomfort, it is better to leave it. In the literal sense of the word - break all contacts. But because of the persecution, which may well begin, if the liar is fanatical, you can contact the police.
Humiliation
With it, pressure is also often carried out. Psychological humiliation is aimed at morally âcrushingâ a person. Every word is used that can indicate its inferiority, inferiority and worthlessness. But how is it possible to influence a person in this way? After all, he, on the contrary, must accept any request or order "with hostility", angry at what he heard! Yes, thatâs logical. But the reality is different.
Insults bring a person into a state of some kind of prostration. It is felt even physically - it starts pounding in the temples, breathing quickens, and the beat of the heart gives off somewhere in the throat. Resentment absorbs a person, mixed with perplexity, anger, and other feelings that cause adrenaline.
This can be understood. Indeed, humiliation seriously affects human well-being. Because self-esteem is the highest moral value. Even in the Maslow Pyramid, she is at the fourth level.
So, at the moment when a person is shrouded in a state of resentment, the same aggressor who provoked what happened, takes the opportunity to put pressure on him: âAre you even capable of doing this?â
Such a phrase literally leads out of a trance. Of course, being in a normal state, a person would instantly wave it off. That's only in a similar situation, the psychological defense mechanism is activated. At a subconscious level, a person wakes up a desire to prove his worth and convince the offender that he was mistaken on his account. And he grabs the errand. But this was what the offender needed.
Confrontation
Since the psychological pressure is quite successfully carried out through humiliations, it is necessary to talk about an effective way to deal with this effect.
So, you need to remember that such a method only works with those people who are not self-confident. A self-sufficient person will only laugh at the attempts of some aggressor-loser to act with baseless insults. They just won't hurt him.
Therefore, you need to become such a self-sufficient person. Any rude word should turn into a kind of signal reminding a person that it is time to activate the defense and not succumb to provocations.
In the soul, of course, a storm can rage. But appearance should disarm the aggressor as much as possible. A relaxed disinterested look, an occasional yawn, a free pose, a slight grin - such a look will hint to him at his unsuccessful attempts to force a person to do something with such a vile method. And when he finishes kicking, you can drop a simple indifferent phrase that will confuse him: "Did you say everything?" Or alternative: "I heard you (a)." And you can limit yourself to just one word: âGood.â I completely ignore the offender. After all, he knows that a person is not deaf, which means he hears it. And if he is silent, then most likely he simply does not know what to answer. So at least one reaction should be.
Suggestion and Persuasion
This is a more delicate method by which psychological pressure is exerted. Not everyone owns it. After all, you need to be able to influence an alien consciousness, provoking an uncritical perception of attitudes and beliefs by him.
In addition, such manipulators masterfully own the word. They are empathetic, observant, and know exactly what to say to a particular person so that he himself under his influence will redesign his installations. Such people skillfully play with the âvictimâ subconscious. They involve intonation, imaginary friendliness and frankness, empathy and many other semi-conscious ways.
A well-known example is the well-known fraudulent online schemes - single-page sites that colorfully describe some kind of âinnovativeâ method of earning, which becomes available to the user after replenishing his own account (later supposedly necessary to him) with a specific, âpurely symbolicâ amount. The head of such video resources, built on the same principle. Someone first mentally tells his story about how he got out of the mud to riches, and then switches to the user - he begins to say that he deserves a better life, and he should think about himself, family, children, parents. He does not lose anything - about five thousand will pay off almost in the first 10 minutes of system activation.
Surprisingly, such psychological pressure works. The words "orator" hurt the living, penetrate the soul, I make you believe, motivate. But, of course, only he benefits from this.
And this is just one example. In life, this is also very common. And if on the Internet you can simply force yourself to close the page, then in reality you have to confront it.
Manipulation
Often, psychological pressure on a person is through this particular method. Manipulation involves the use of violent, deceitful, or covert tactics. And if in the case of humiliation or coercion, a person understands that he is being attacked, then in this situation - no.
A manipulator promoting his interests at the expense of other people knows how to hide his true face, aggressive behavior and evil intentions. He is well aware of the psychologically vulnerable places of the âvictimâ. And he is cruel and indifferent. The manipulator is not worried that his actions can harm the one he perceives as his âpawnâ.
The psychological pressure on a person by manipulation is in various ways. The psychologist Harriet Breaker, for example, noted five main points:
- Positive reinforcement is imaginary sympathy, charm, praise, apology, approval, attention, flattery and toadness.
- Negative - promises to get rid of an unpleasant, difficult and problematic situation.
- Partial reinforcement - encouraging a person to perseverance, ultimately leading him to failure. A striking example is the casino. The player can be allowed to win several times, but in the end he will lower everything to a penny, bogged down in excitement.
- Punishment - intimidation, emotional blackmail, abuse, an attempt to impose a feeling of guilt.
- Injuries - one-time outbursts of anger, hysteria, insult, as well as other examples of frightening behavior aimed at frightening the victim and convincing her of the seriousness of the intentions of the manipulator.
There are many other ways. But, however, whatever they may be, the goal of the manipulator is always the same - to gain personal gain and achieve the goal.
How to avoid manipulation?
This question is also worth giving a short answer. There are a lot of recommendations and tips on how to withstand the psychological pressure carried out through manipulation. And no matter which of them a person listens to, he will always have to do the same thing - to keep the situation under his control.
He needs self-confidence, self-control, healthy distrust and attentiveness. It is very important to notice the beginning of the manipulation in time. It is easy - a person will feel pressure exerted on his weak points.
The habit of analyzing what is happening does not stop yet. And it's not just about studying the behavior of potential manipulators. In addition to this, a person needs to take a closer look at his goals, dreams and plans. Do they really belong to him? Or were these installations once imposed on him, and now he follows them? You need to think carefully about this.
How to resist psychological pressure? Need to become critical. And visually impregnable. Manipulators always count on quick results. You canât give it to them. Every sentence or request must be answered: "I will think." And really reflect does not hurt. In a calm environment, without any pressure, it will turn out to âprobeâ the request from the inside and understand whether the person really needs help, or is he just trying to profit for himself.
And if a decision is made to refuse, it must be expressed in solid form, showing the nature. Hearing the uncertain "No, probably ...", the manipulator will begin to "break through" the person. This cannot be allowed.
By the way, do not be shy to show your puppeteer your emotions. This will convict him, and he will lag behind. You can do with a simple phrase, like: "I do not owe you anything, but because of your persistence I feel ungrateful!"
Turning to the law
It is important to note that even in the criminal code there is information about the psychological pressure on a person. The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation will not be superfluous to open and browse to article No. 40. It is called âPhysical or mental coercionâ. And this is a direct reference to what was said at the very beginning. Only here everything is more serious.
We are talking about crimes committed by people under pressure from the aggressor. The first paragraph of the article says that harm caused to interests protected by law is not considered an offense. But only if a person could not at that moment direct his actions. Suppose he was coerced at gunpoint, or holding someone from his family at gunpoint.
But if it was psychological pressure on a person? Article No. 40 in this case is referred to the previous one, under number 39. The issue of criminal liability for committing a crime under mental influence is decided taking into account its provisions.
Article No. 39 is called âExtreme Necessityâ. It says that a crime is not such if it was committed in order to eliminate a danger that threatens a person or other people directly.
However, this is not all that is said in the Criminal Code. Psychological pressure is still mentioned in the 130th article. It noted that the humiliation of the dignity and honor of another person, expressed in extreme form, is punishable by a fine of up to 40,000 rubles, or by a salary for three months. In especially severe cases, 120 hours of community service or 6 months of corrective labor are assigned. The maximum punishment is restriction of liberty up to 1 year. Very serious consequences of psychological pressure.
An article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation also states that an insult expressed publicly (through the media, in a speech, in a video message, etc.) is punished with a double fine. The maximum penalty is 2 years of restraint of liberty.
In the case of children
Psychological pressure on the child is an even more serious topic. Everyone knows how much children (most, in any case) have a weak and fragile consciousness. Acting on them is extremely easy. And itâs not about healthy pressure, which cannot even be called such (âIf you donât remove the toys, I wonât talk to youâ - the effect is through guilt). This refers to the real coercion to something, the attack of the child (psychological).
The pressure of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in this case defines it as âFailure to fulfill educational obligationsâ. This is article No. 156. Moreover, the provisions apply not only to parents, but also to employees of educational, social, educational and medical organizations. Abuse is what psychological pressure equates to. The article also prescribes punishments. This may be a fine of 100,000 rubles, compulsory work (440 hours), the liquidation of the right to hold a certain position, or imprisonment for three years.
But, of course, cases rarely go to trial. The article of the Criminal Code characterizes psychological pressure in a specific way, but in life it occurs in a different manifestation.
Many parents simply unceremoniously interfere in the childâs space, severely control each step, force them to do what they donât like (go to the boxing section when the kid wants to do dancing, for example). Some are sure - if you point out to him the shortcomings, then he will correct them. But this is not so. Not with all adults with a stronger psyche and mind, this works. And the child will completely shut himself in, having begun to doubt his own abilities and abilities, and constantly feeling guilty, it is not clear why. Parents, exerting a pressing influence, thus reflect their own experiences and fears. But in the end, they become enemies of their child, and not allies. Therefore, the issues of education must be approached very responsibly. The birth and personal formation of a new member of society is a huge responsibility and serious work.
Labor sphere
In the end, I would like to talk a little about the psychological pressure at work. Indeed, most often it is in the labor sphere that a person is faced with this phenomenon.
First of all, it is necessary to understand that the organization in which a person works is just a structure. In which everyone takes his place, and performs certain tasks. And the relationship between colleagues must be appropriate, business. If someone suddenly tries to put pressure on a person to serve (replace, do the dirty work, go on the weekend), you need to refuse with dignity - it is somewhat cold, but as polite as possible. You can not put the interests of strangers above their own. Especially if they have the courage to come up with similar requirements.
The only exceptions are those cases when a colleague really needs help. By the way, there is no need to be afraid of gossip, rumors, gossip or attempts to âsit upâ. A person must remember that he is a professional in the first place. His skills and productivity from evil languages ââwill not get worse. And with the boss, if he is interested in the topic, you can always explain.
It is much worse if the âonslaughtâ comes directly from the boss. And there are those leaders who are only in joy to exert psychological pressure on a person. The article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation here, of course, will not serve as an information aid, but the provisions of the Labor Code are quite.
Most often, ordinary workers are faced with persistent "requests" of the boss to apply for dismissal of their own free will. This contradicts Article 77 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, since such actions exclude the freedom of expression of the employeeâs will. And a person has every right to appeal to the prosecutor's office to open a labor dispute, or directly to the court. But it will take evidence obtained without breaking the law. They are needed, by the way, in any case, whatever the complaint.
Summarizing, I would like to say that the topic of psychological pressure is really very detailed and interesting. It contains many more nuances and important points. But with them, if you wish, you can familiarize yourself individually. Knowledge of this nature is never superfluous.