Emotional Manipulation and Guilt Tactics

Video from module 7 of my Udemy course: How to Communicate Effectively on Controversial Issues

In discussions about politics and social issues, emotions are often weaponised to avoid substantive engagement. Watch for tactics such as: accusing you of not caring about affected people, using extreme examples to shut down complexity, emotional blackmail with statements like “If you really cared…”, playing the victim when challenged on facts, and exploiting guilt, fear, or sympathy inappropriately.

Maintain your boundaries by separating emotional appeals from logical arguments, refusing false moral tests, acknowledging emotions without abandoning reasoning, setting limits on emotional escalation, and recognising when emotions are being used to shut down discussion rather than enhance understanding.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit persefonecoaching.substack.com/subscribe