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The Use of Scapegoats In Persuasion

"United We Stand". For a while there nearly every other car in the country had a bumper sticker appealing to us to stand united, implicitly suggesting that this was our only salvation, because what happens when we don't stand united? That's right. We fall divided.

Is this really true? If we buy into the idea at the core of the current political agenda (standing united, defeating terrorists, spreading democracy) will we all be just fine? Or in doing this do we blindly agree with an entire world of presuppositions?

With scapegoating, having a common enemy works best. Think: the devil, the boogie man, terrorists, Osama bin Laden.

Christianity uses scapegoating: Satan. The government uses scapegoating: 1950's = Commies; 2000's = Terrorists. Most recently we have Scooter Libby. (Though the distinction has been made that he's more of a "fall guy" than a "scapegoat" because scapegoat implies using an innocent to pin the blame on while fall guy's usually share the blame.)

The Salem Witch Trials were all about scapegoating. At the time, the citizens were having difficulty as a result of church and state, so to divert attention women were hunted down as the cause of society's ills and burned at the stake.

In religion Adam blamed Eve who blamed the serpent for tantalizing her with the apple. Baptists blame the Mormons who blame the Baptists for leading people astray. Christians have an all purpose scapegoat responsible for all manner of sin and degradation, misery and war. . .Satan. The concept of Satan has single-handedly maintained Christianity throughout the years.

Please note: I am not debating the existence of non-existence of Satan. I am not interested in converting anyone to my spiritual, religious or political beliefs. I'm just pointing out how scapegoating is utilized.

Politically we see scapegoating divert attention from the real news of the day to lesser problems.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, scapegoating became a phenomenon even going so far as to acquire a new name: the blame game. City officials blamed the feds, the state blamed the city and the feds, the feds blamed the governor and then suggested that no one was to blame. . .or it was mother nature's fault.

People ultimately want to believe that their problems or failures are the result of something outside themselves.

In sales and business scapegoating can be used to suggest your new client or prospect's former adviser (or agent), lacked knowledge and gave terrible advice and is responsible for preventing the client from earning what they should have earned.

To use this ethically, instead of making the scapegoat a person or group, make it an opposing force such as an idea, philosophy or an unfortunate circumstance.

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Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.

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