Psychological pressure is the influence exerted by one person on other people in order to change their opinions, decisions, judgments, or personal attitudes. It is carried out by far not the most honest and correct, from the point of view of humanity, ways. But, unfortunately, anyone can face it.
Coercion
Psychological pressure can manifest itself in various forms. Coercion is one of those. This is the most brazen and unprecedented attempt to influence another person. This method is inherently the illegal use of mental violence.
From the outside, its use looks like an informational impact on human consciousness. Which may be accompanied by threats of physical violence. But these are edge cases.
Most often a moral abuseroperates with other "trump cards". This may be his power, money, influential status, compromising data. Some try to destroy their prey. They say such words that erase the dignity of a person into powder and trample his self-confidence into the dirt. Actions can also be of a similar nature.
Others follow the tactics of obsession. It lies in the intentional moral torture of a person by various methods.
How to react?
This kind of pressure is very hard to resist. But it is possible (if desired). The most important thing is to accurately identify for yourself the goals that the oppressor is trying to pursue. You have to understand what he wants. And then do the exact opposite. Only without letting him know that the confrontation is intentional. He must perceive the confidence of the one he is trying to make a "victim" as a character trait. In the end, a failed moral abuser will leave the person alone. Since he will understand that he will not achieve his intended goal.
But if he is obsessed with her, then he will have to be patient and fortitude. Because the persecutor just will not lag behind. Before that, he will try all sorts of methods. If the situation causes too much discomfort, it is better to leave it. In the truest sense of the word - to break all contacts. But because of the persecution, which may well begin if the oppressor is fanatical, you can contact the police.
Humiliation
With the help of it, pressure is also often carried out. Psychological humiliation is aimed atsomething to morally “crush” a person. Every word is used that can indicate its inferiority, inferiority and insignificance. But how does one manage to influence a person in this way? After all, he, on the contrary, must accept any request or order “with hostility”, getting angry at what he heard! Yes, it's logical. But the reality is different.
Insults put a person into a state of prostration. It is felt even physically - it begins to knock in the temples, breathing quickens, and the beat of the heart gives off somewhere in the throat. A person is consumed by resentment mixed with bewilderment, anger, and other adrenaline-inducing feelings.
This is understandable. After all, humiliation seriously affects the well-being of a person. Because self-respect is the highest moral value. Even in Maslow's 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 the incident takes advantage of the opportunity to put pressure on him: “Are you at least capable of doing this?”.
This phrase literally takes you out of a trance. Of course, being in a normal state, a person would instantly dismiss it. It is only in such a situation that the psychological defense mechanism is activated. On a subconscious level, a person wakes up with a desire to prove his worth and convince the offender that he was mistaken about him. And he grabs the errand. But this was exactly what the offender needed.
Confrontation
Since psychological pressure is quite successfully carried out through humiliation, it is necessarytalk about an effective way to deal with this impact.
So, you need to remember that this method only works with people who are not confident in themselves. A self-sufficient person will only laugh at the attempts of some unsuccessful aggressor to act with groundless insults. They just won't hurt him.
That's why you need to become such a self-sufficient person. Any rude word should turn into a kind of signal, reminding a person that it's time to activate the protection 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 loose posture, a slight smirk - such a look will hint to him of his unsuccessful attempts to get a person to do something in such a vile way. And when he finishes crucifying, 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: “Good.” It is not necessary to completely ignore the offender. After all, he knows that a person is not deaf, which means that he hears him. And if he is silent, then, most likely, he simply does not know what to answer. So there must be at least one reaction.
Suggestion and persuasion
This is a more subtle method of applying psychological pressure. Not everyone owns it. After all, you need to be able to influence someone else's consciousness, provoking an uncritical perception of attitudesand beliefs.
In addition, such manipulators are masters of the word. They are empathic, observant, and know exactly what to say to this or that person, so that he himself, under his influence, redesigns his attitudes. Such people skillfully play with the subconscious of the “victim”. They use intonation, seeming friendliness and frankness, empathy, and many other semi-conscious ways.
A striking example is the well-known fraudulent online schemes - one-page sites, which colorfully describe some kind of "innovative" method of earning, which becomes available to the user after he replenishes his own account (later supposedly necessary for him) for a certain, a "purely symbolic" amount. These resources are led by videos built on the same principle. A certain person first sincerely tells his story about how he went from rags 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 loses nothing - some five thousand will pay off almost in the first 10 minutes of system activation.
Surprisingly, such psychological pressure works. The words of the “speaker” touch a nerve, penetrate the soul, make you believe, motivate. But, of course, only he benefits from this.
And this is just one example. This also happens very often in real life. And if on the Internet you can just force yourself to close the page, then in reality you have to resist.
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 who promotes his interests at the expense of other people knows how to hide his true face, aggressive behavior and bad intentions. He is well aware of the psychological vulnerabilities of the "victim". He is also cruel and indifferent. The manipulator does not worry that his actions may harm someone he perceives as his "pawn".
Psychological pressure on a person is manipulated in various ways. Psychologist Harriet Breaker, for example, noted five main ones with attention:
- Positive reinforcement - imaginary sympathy, charm, praise, apology, approval, attention, flattery and flattery.
- Negative - promises to get rid of an unpleasant, difficult and problematic situation.
- Partial reinforcement - encouraging a person to persevere, eventually leading him to failure. A good example is a casino. The player may be allowed to win several times, but in the end he will lower everything to the penny, getting bogged down in excitement.
- Punishment - intimidation, emotional blackmail, swearing, guilt attempts.
- Injuries - one-time outbursts of anger, tantrums, insults, as well as other examples of frightening behavior aimed at frightening the victim and convincing her of seriousnessintentions 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 benefit and achieve the goal.
How to avoid manipulation?
This question also deserves a short answer. There are a lot of recommendations and advice on how to resist 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 - keep the situation under control.
He needs self-confidence, self-control, he althy distrust and attentiveness. It is very important to notice the beginning of the manipulation in time. It's easy - a person will feel pressure being put on his weak points.
The habit of analyzing what is happening still does not hurt. And it's not just about studying the behavior of potential manipulators. A person, in addition, needs to 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? All of this needs to be well thought out.
How to resist psychological pressure? You have to become critical. And visually impregnable. Manipulators always count on quick results. You can't give it to them. For every offer or request, you need to answer: "I'll think about it." And it really doesn't hurt to think about it. In a calm atmosphere, without any pressure, it will be possible to “probe” the request from the inside and understanddoes the person really need help, or is he just trying to benefit himself.
And if a decision is made to refuse, it is necessary to express it in a firm form, showing character. Hearing an uncertain “Yes, no, probably …”, the manipulator will begin to “break” the person. This cannot be allowed.
By the way, don't be shy about showing your emotions to the "puppeteer". This will expose him, and he will fall behind. You can do with a simple phrase, like: "I don't owe you anything, and because of your persistence, I feel ungrateful!".
Turning to the law
It is important to note that even the Criminal Code contains information about psychological pressure on a person. It will not be superfluous to open and scroll through the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to Article No. 40. It is called "Physical or mental coercion." 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 states that harm caused to interests protected by law is not considered an offense. But only if the person could not control his actions at that moment. Suppose he was coerced at gunpoint, or held at gunpoint by one of his relatives.
But if it was psychological pressure on a person? Article No. 40 in this case refers to the previous one, at number 39. The issue of criminal liability for committing a crime under mental influence is resolved taking into account its provisions.
Article 39It's called "Emergency". It says that a crime is not such if it was committed to eliminate the danger that threatens a person or other people directly.
However, this is not all that is said in the Criminal Code. Psychological pressure is also mentioned in the 130th article. It notes 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 a salary for three months. In especially severe cases, 120 hours of community service or 6 months of correctional work are assigned. The maximum punishment is restriction of freedom up to 1 year. Very serious consequences of psychological pressure.
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 punishable by a double fine. The maximum pen alty is 2 years of imprisonment.
In the case of children
Psychological pressure on a child is an even more serious topic. Everyone knows how weak and fragile consciousness children have (the majority, anyway). It is extremely easy to influence them. And this is not about he althy pressure, which cannot even be called such (“If you don’t remove the toys, I won’t talk to you” - the impact 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 is defined as "Failure to fulfill the duties of education." This is article 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 is equated with. The article also prescribes punishments. This can be a fine of 100,000 rubles, compulsory work (440 hours), the elimination 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 child's space, brutally control his every step, force him to do what he doesn't like (go to the boxing section when the baby wants to dance, for example). Some are sure that if you point out shortcomings to him, he will correct them. But it's not. Not with all adults with a strong psyche and mind, this works. And the child will completely withdraw into himself, starting to doubt his own strengths and abilities, and constantly feeling guilty for no reason. Parents, exerting a pressure influence, thus reflect their own experiences and fears. But in the end, they become enemies of their child, 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.
Labour
Finally, I would like to talk a little about psychological pressure at work. Indeed, most often inin the labor sphere, a person is faced with this phenomenon.
You need to understand first of all 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 should be appropriate, business-like. If someone suddenly tries to put pressure on a person to serve (substitute, do dirty work, go out on a day off), you need to refuse with dignity - somewhat coldly, but as politely as possible. You cannot put other people's interests ahead of your own. Especially if they have the guts to come up with similar demands.
The only exceptions are when a colleague really needs help. By the way, you don’t need to be afraid of gossip, rumors, gossip or attempts to “sit out”. A person must remember that he is a professional in the first place. His skills and performance will not get worse from evil tongues. And with the boss, if he is interested in the topic, you can always explain.
Much worse if the "onslaught" comes directly from the boss. And there are leaders who are only happy to put psychological pressure on a person. An article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation here, of course, will not serve as informational help, but the provisions of the Labor Code will do.
Most often, ordinary workers are faced with persistent "requests" from 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 employee's will. And a person has every right to apply to the prosecutor's office toopen a labor dispute, or go straight to court. But evidence obtained without violating the law will be required. 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 there is a desire, you can familiarize yourself with them individually. Knowledge of this nature is never superfluous.
