Underhanded Tactics (Part 3: The Waiting List)

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Underhanded Tactics (Part 2: Inciting a Reaction)

This morning I was mulling over what to write for the third topic about underhanded tactics used by people. Hmmm, you know, I thought to myself, I could probably write a whole book full of these tactics! Thoughts in this vein are woven in amongst much of my writing, especially my thoughts on bullying and racism. In my moments of inspiration, I think I must have enough succint thoughts on this topic to go on for days, then I stop as I think I have covered all of this already, and maybe I only have a few more thoughts. Let's see where this all leads! I do believe human ingenuity can be limitless, especially as regards deception, but there are some high level patterns!

Seriously, life is full of deception. Often we call this being polite. How honest are you in your everyday dealings with other people? We don't like it when we are caught out by others, but we may do the exact same things ourselves when we interact with other people, especially people we have difficulty getting along with. For example, you might attend a church, or a sports club, and you like what you see and decide you would like to become a member. Then, unexpectedly, you hear you will be placed on a waiting list if you would like to officially join. You weren't told there would be a waiting list! You think to yourself, was the waiting list created because you want to join, or has it always been in place? You realise you might sound a bit paranoid if you ask about this! How does one become a member, you wonder: is it first on the list, first to become a member, or is there some other secret selection criteria? You then find out that some people have been on the waiting list for months, but they know of others who have jumped the queue.

The sign at a door may say all are welcome, but you are beginning to wonder if that is the case at this club. Maybe you should find another club, you sadly think to yourself.

Link to next blog article: Underhanded Tactics (Part 4: Retrenchment Exercises)