At,
Begin with the notion that manipulation is neutral. Deception is not a
component of manipulation. You said, "I am intrigued by the fact that the
word manipulation traces bifurcating changes caused by humans on purpose."
What do you mean by "bifurcating"?
You also said, "The word culture has for me the meaning that it is the
total of all humankind's creations, physically and mentally. Thus the word
manipulation distinguish that part of our creation's (culture) which has
to do with purpose."
Yes, I agree. I often think of culture as 'tools". Culture is the set of
mental models that we bring to our thinking, and therefore, to our views
of the world.
Finally, you ask, "Can we and may we manipulate other people?"
My personal answer is, we do, therefore we can and we may. If you are
asking the moral or ethical question, my personal view is that if we are
not to be hermits, then we must. It is inherent in any interaction, no
matter how trivial or simple.
--Rol Fessenden LL Bean, Inc 76234,3636@compuserve.com
1. Challenge the process. 2. Inspire a shared vision. 3. Enable others to act. 4. Model the way. 5. Encourage the heart.
(Compliments of Kouzes & Posner, "The Leadership challenge")
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>