We Attack, We Are Attacked: Theory And Practice Of Psychological Defense

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Psychological attacks

Have you ever had cases in your life when, after communicating with someone, your condition worsened: your mood deteriorated, irritation or apathy appeared, internal dissatisfaction, your confidence in your abilities weakened? If the answer to this question is yes, you can be sure that you have become a victim of a psychological attack.

Have you ever suppressed other people, subjugated them to your will, forced them to do something unpleasant? If so, you yourself have used psychological attack techniques.

What is a psychological attack, what are its methods and causes, and how to defend against it?

A psychological attack is any action or statement, as a result of which a person is deprived of his inner psychological integrity.

In order to successfully defend against such an attack, you need to realize that it is taking place. A psychological attack, as opposed to a physical one, is not always immediately visible. Often it is hidden under the guise of a business or friendly conversation, benevolent guidance, philosophical discussion of a problem, family council, etc.

One of the available methods for realizing the fact of a psychological attack is to monitor the uncomfortable states that arise in the process of communication.

The appearance of such states in the process of communication is well described by I. Ilf and E. Petrov in the episode telling how the great combinator was taking control of the former leader of the nobility. Let us list these states and illustrate them with examples from the indicated episode.

The appearance during communication of a feeling of psychological discomfort: nervousness, excitement, panic, unpleasant sensations in the body.

Ippolit Matveyevich had never had anything to do with such a temperamental young man like Bender, and he felt bad.

“Well, you know, I'll go,” he said.

- Where will you go? You have nowhere to rush. The GPU will come to you on its own.

Manifestation of certain stereotypes of behavior, imposed roles.

Ippolit Matveyevich … did not dare to leave. He felt intense shyness at the thought that an unknown young man would blabber all over the city that a former leader had arrived. Then - the end of everything, and maybe they will still go to jail.

“After all, you don’t tell anyone that you saw me,” Ippolit Matveyevich said pleadingly, “they might really think that I’m an emigrant.

An imbalance in the distribution of responsibilities. It takes place when a person, during communication, suddenly notices that he “has to” something, not knowing where this ought to come from.

Ippolit Matveyevich, driven to despair … submitted.

“Okay,” he said, “I'll explain everything to you.

“In the end, it’s difficult without an assistant,” thought Ippolit Matveyevich, “but he seems to be a big swindler. Such a person can be useful.”

Why are we being attacked?

In everyone's life, there are problematic situations that deliver a lot of unpleasant experiences. Looking closely at such situations, you can notice that situations that are problematic and unpleasant for one person may not be noticed at all by other people.

Another regularity can also be noted: in the life of each person there are approximately the same type of problem situations. So, one person becomes a victim of family scandals, the other is often harassed on the street, the third is charged with overwhelming tasks at work and constantly reprimanded for their failure, the fourth is constantly experiencing problems with the chosen life partners, etc.

No matter how perfect a person is, such situations still get in his way, since it is precisely such situations that are the source of further spiritual growth. Trying to find a way out of such situations, a person develops the qualities he lacks, comprehends the previously unexplored laws of Nature. However, such situations can bring not only spiritual growth, but also significant energy losses.

Why is this happening? What makes a person get into the same type of trouble over and over again? What attracts to him the situations that cause these troubles? The answer is obvious. The source of one's troubles and a magnet for the corresponding situations is the person himself, or rather his energetic alignment.

So why are we being attacked? At first glance, the reasons for any attack lie in the psychological characteristics of the attacker (aggressor). However, such behavior is associated with deeper reasons, one of which is the existence of life scenarios, in accordance with which each person lives and acts.

The aggressor, like the victim, is under the control of a certain scenario that pushes him to such a form of behavior. The subconscious reason for aggressive behavior is the desire to impose a certain role on the interlocutor in the same scenario. With a similar nature of the development of events, the aggressor and the victim can eventually form a fairly stable symbiotic pair of people playing complementary roles in a single scenario. Thus, the main goal of the aggressor is to destroy the integrity of the attacked, and, above all, to impose a certain role on him in his scenario.

On the other hand, the attacked person may have a question: "Why did I become the victim of the attack in each specific case?" Indeed, a person who is perceived as a victim by a potential aggressor becomes a victim of a certain type of psychological attack.

Energy of conflict

In addition to the psychological component, any attack also has an energy component. Any conflict between people at the physical level is only a reflection of the corresponding conflict at the energy level, and the energy conflict usually begins long before the physical and ends long after it.

A conflict situation begins when it begins to disturb, and ends when it ceases to disturb. For example, you have a difficult and unpleasant conversation ahead of you. Already a few days before him, you begin to prepare, get nervous, mentally take part in the conversation.

After such a conversation, an unpleasant aftertaste may remain, a feeling of dissatisfaction, a desire to mentally "finish", change the content of the conversation. The conversation itself may not even take place at the physical level, but at the energy level, the conflict still took place.

Thus, the interaction between people is a complex process of energy exchange, in which energy is emitted and absorbed. Such an energy exchange is far from always beneficial for all participants in the interaction. Often a person leaves communication in a much worse state than the one with which communication was started.

There are two types of energy work that can be inherent in each person in the process of communication.

Radiation energy

With this method of energetic work, a person puts a certain charge of emotional energy into speech or actions and displays it on the interlocutor. The more a person puts such energy into their words or actions, the more influence they have on those around them. Of course, not every person knows how to remove energy, much less do it consciously.

Energy absorption

Another type of energy work is energy absorption. Attracting someone else's energy in a person's field occurs when he attracts the attention, thoughts, desires of other people. However, not everyone can absorb the attracted energy. For some, such energy only brings harm.

For an energy attack, both energy absorption and its radiation can be used. However, the mechanisms of these attacks are different. In the first case, the person seems to "break through" by an overly intense directed flow of energy, and in the second, he "clings" to the attacker's field, which makes him give up his energy for a long time.

Thus, the basis of any attack is the flow of energy emitted by the attacker. In principle, a person with highly developed energy centers can attack only at the energy level, without resorting to words and gestures. However, a more common situation is when energy is removed with the help of appropriate gestures and words, therefore, the type of attack can be determined by the nature of a person's behavior.

Here are examples and methods of various attacks

1. Attack of the worldview component of a person

Such an attack is an attempt to impose on a person some of his own way of seeing the world or views on some issue. It is based on the inability of the attacker to verify all the components of a given concept.

There are two basic forms of this type of attack. The first of them includes any statement in a categorical form addressed to the interlocutor: "Man was created to work (love, suffer …)".

Another form of such an attack is an attempt to force a person to go deeper into his problems, thus occupying his mental energy and distracting from the continuation of communication. This technique is used as an auxiliary one to weaken the psychological and energy defense of the attacked, sometimes before using technique 1. For example: "What worries you now (technique 2)? A person always worries when he lacks love (money, communication …) (technique 1) ".

A non-verbal form of this type of psychological attack can be a close analyzing gaze, understanding or arrogant shaking of the head, etc.

2. Intelligent attack

Intellectual attack includes various methods of information pressure, the purpose of which is to deprive a person of the possibility of consistent logical thinking. The following types of such an attack can be distinguished:

the use of special terms, obviously unknown or not quite clear to the interlocutor

abundant speech flow, complex logical constructions that are done faster than the listener is able to critically rethink them

There are also special "linguistic" methods that have become widely known thanks to the works of R. Bandler and D. Grindler:

o presuppositions - implicit assumptions introduced into communication by linguistic means: "As you understand, I cannot do this", "You of course know that …". The assumption "As you understand …" is imposed on the partner as a matter of course, let alone admit that you do not know or understand something …

o omissions like "clear", "obvious": "Will you come with us?"

o modal operators of must and opportunities: "Is it worth thinking, you need to survive?" - the presence of such an operator in an interrogative form turns the sentence into a negative one

o generalizations-formulations like: "A man must be patient." A high degree of generalization makes it impossible to comprehend them critically

An interesting, albeit more sophisticated, method of intelligent attack is the creation of an "information fork", i.e. simultaneous filing of two conflicting messages. For example, the contradiction between the content of the message and its emotional fullness, the contradiction between the meaning of the message and the situation: "I don't want to distract you, but …". A variant of the message containing two conflicting meanings is also possible, but this requires special skill from the attacker

The method of causing a fall on information can be illustrated by the following example: in the presence of colleagues, A begins to say something not very flattering about his qualifications to B, but then, as if recollecting himself, stops: "Sorry, this is not in front of everyone …"

3. Attack of the sensory sphere

Surely in your life there was a case when you were embarrassed by a compliment. If so, you are the victim of this type of attack. Despite the seeming absurdity of this fact, only a very small percentage of people are able to accept sincere compliments without a shadow of embarrassment (as, indeed, to give them).

Another type of sensory attack is the pity test. For example: "Look what you did to me …", "What life has brought me to …". The result of such an attack is a feeling of pity or guilt, a heaviness that appears in the region of the heart.

A non-verbal form of sensual attack is the expression of love with a look, gesture, as well as sobbing, crying addressed to the attacked.

4. "Power" attack

A power attack is actually an attack in the generally accepted sense, the purpose of which is to intimidate a person, to break his will. Such an attack can be a simple insult, a threat: "I will do this to you now"; order: "Come on, come here."

Another form of force attack is reminding a person of their real or perceived debts.

Non-verbal forms of this type of attack can be aggressive clenching of fists, playing with weapons, chewing while talking, etc.

An interesting option for a power attack is "hold in your own field". If at any time during a conversation you feel that you no longer want to communicate, and that something interferes with stopping communication, it is "inconvenient" - you have become a victim of such an attack.

Of course, over time, a person who finds himself in a similar situation will be able to go about his business, but he will take with him some sense of guilt, which at the energetic level is a violation of the integrity of the human energy field.

5. Attack in the sexual sphere

Readers may remember the movie Basic Instinct. The main character, played by Sharon Stone, used this technique very effectively, for example, during her interrogation scene at the police station. The essence of this type of attack consists in expressing signs of sexual sympathy to a person at a time when he is not ready for this.

In our society, where, due to tradition, taboos have not been removed from sexuality, this type of attack can seem very effective, since only a small percentage of people do not have complexes in this area.

Sexual attacks can also include vulgar jokes or anecdotes, obscene gestures, etc.

Non-verbal forms of such attacks are erotic gestures, swinging hips, inviting glances, erotic playing with objects.

Any type of psychological attack can be significantly enhanced if the attacker uses not only his own energy, but also the energy of some social entity: a group of people, a firm, an organization, a government body.

There are several ways to use and, accordingly, energy sources that can be used in an attack:

status: age, position, status in a certain system. For example: "As your boss, I must tell you …"

representative, connected with reliance on concrete or abstract third parties, for example: "I am from Petr Petrovich", "On behalf of the team, let me …", "People see what you did to me"

traditional: reliance on "generally accepted" norms, such as morality, traditions, generally accepted opinions. For example, compare the phrases: "A person should not strive for wealth" and "The Bible says that a person should not strive for wealth"

ritual, based on accepted symbols of domination, for example, the attacker takes a psychologically more advantageous position (on a dais, on the right side of the attacked, at the table, etc.)

One of the common types of psychological aggression is manipulation, which is the conscious or unconscious use of special psychological techniques in order to control a person for any benefit.

Thanks to the dissemination of psychological knowledge, their widespread implementation in various spheres of human activity, primarily in advertising and management, this form of psychological aggression is becoming more and more widespread. However, this topic, as well as methods of protection against psychological attacks, will become the topic of the next articles in our psychological section.

Methods of psychological defense

Just as every person unconsciously owns methods of psychological attack, most people also own methods of psychological defense. Nevertheless, the conscious mastery of these methods is very useful, since it allows you to expand the range of reflected psychological attacks.

The methods of psychological defense can be reduced to three basic techniques, which differ in the type of energy work.

1. Distance from the aggressor

This method is associated with the withdrawal of the attacked into himself, into his own affairs, an attempt to distract himself from the frustrating situation. It is this method that the husband unconsciously uses, who, in response to his wife's reproaches, buries his nose at the newspaper or TV.

The distancing method is recommended as a method of energy protection by most psychics and magic textbooks. On the energetic level, this looks like an attempt to surround oneself with a protective layer, wall, energy vortex, etc., thereby not letting the aggressor's energy into oneself.

The main disadvantage of the distance method is the fact that any defense built in this way lasts only as long as the attacker's energy is enough for it, in addition, being passive, this defense allows the aggressor to regroup his forces and find a more perfect way of attack.

The myth that the aggressor's energy will "bounce off the wall" and return to the attacker is rarely realized in reality.

2. Counterattack

Counterattack is also a common method of psychological defense. Energetically, a counterattack is the release of a flow of energy towards the flow of energy of the attacker, usually from the chakra of the same name. A counterattack usually escalates into an ordinary scandal and "butting".

For example, "butting" of an intellectual type looks like this: "I think that …" - "You are wrong because …" - "No, there is a mistake in your arguments …", etc.

As a result of this kind of interactions, the energy reserve of both warring parties decreases and, in the end, one of them - the one that runs out of energy reserve - breaks through. Power conflicts with some degree of probability develop into an ordinary fight.

3. Method of psychological depreciation

At the moment of psychological aggression, the attacker loses energy integrity, since he is forced to switch the energy reserve from other energy centers to the one from which the stream is released.

The essence of the method of psychological amortization is to respond to the aggressor with a message at the center that is most weakened in him as a result of the attack, and thereby destroy the energetic integrity of his attack.

Signs of successful psychological depreciation are:

• interruption of the energy flow from the side of the attacker, violation of his psychological integrity, which can be expressed in a slight stupor;

• elimination of psychological discomfort in the attacked.

Note that with successful psychological amortization, the attacked should not have feelings of resentment, irritation, or a feeling of resistance from the attacked.

Otherwise, this is not amortization, but a common scandal.

Like an attack, shock absorption can be strengthened by relying on various egregors.

The method of psychological depreciation was formulated in the writings of the followers of the school of transactional analysis, as a way to exit a psychological game (E. Bern), based on answers like "Adult" - "Adult" (T. Harris). In the domestic literature, the method of psychological depreciation, as a form of protection against manipulation, was first described in the works of Litvak.

Psychological amortization of various types of attacks

Amortization of the attack by the worldview component of a person

As a rule, people with a strong intellectual sphere have a weakened emotional and sensory sphere. Therefore, the answer based on the use of these orbs leads to the destruction of the attack.

There are also some special cushioning techniques for this type of attack. One of these techniques is "mediation". The "mediation" technique consists in separating a person and his concept, i.e. at the energy level - to separate the thought-form from the energy center that feeds it.

For example:

Attack: "Man is a social creature!"

Amortization: "So, you adhere to the concept that a person is a social being."

At first glance, the two phrases differ little from each other in meaning, but the first of them is a rigid formulation that claims to be true and encourages you to a certain form of behavior, and the other is just some abstract concept that a certain person adheres to.

Mediation can be carried out several times in a row, and each subsequent one significantly weakens the significance of what has been said.

For example: "Man is a social being" - "There are a certain number of people who adhere to this concept, and, as far as I see, you belong to them" (3 mediations).

Mediation can be enhanced with an interrogative wording: "How long have you been adhering to this concept?" This method causes the attacking energies to be forced back to answer the reflexive question.

With the help of mediation, other types of attacks can be cushioned, for example, the attack of the sensory sphere.

"You have a feeling of resentment towards me (love, hatred)" - such a formulation separates a person and the thought form of his feelings. A variant with two mediations is possible.

"It seems to me that you have a feeling for me."

Cushioning an Intelligent Attack

The most likely in this type of attack is the weakening of the sensory-emotional sphere. That is why lecturers go berserk when they see students chirping or hugging in the back of the classroom.

By using this feature, it is easy to interrupt your annoying speech stream by focusing on something that gives you pleasure. This can be sipping coffee, savoring a cigarette, etc. Flat jokes, especially vulgar jokes, and other ways of playing the fool are an excellent means of absorbing such attacks.

It is also possible to cushion such attacks with the help of intellectual concretization, for example: "What exactly did you mean when you said" transpersonal "?" The latter technique can be especially effective in countering an attack associated with the generalization: "All men are bastards" - "Who exactly do you mean?"

Cushioning Power Attacks

At the moment of a power attack, the attacker's intellectual and sensory sphere weakens. The well-known depreciation method proposed by the Rostov psychotherapist Litvak is based on the emotional amortization of power attacks. The principle of this method is illustrated by the following example.

"You are a goat" - "Yes, I am a goat (with a joyful smile and a sincerely good attitude towards the aggressor)."

This behavior usually shocks the attacker and makes it impossible for him to develop an attack. At the same time, in the practical development of this most effective technique, two misunderstandings usually arise that negate the effect of depreciation.

Firstly, with your answer you do not admit your guilt, but express your joyful attitude towards life and all its manifestations. Second, the answer must be sincerely cordial. Having uttered the necessary phrase, clenching your teeth and with difficulty extinguishing hatred towards the person who attacked you, you will not achieve a positive effect.

If you are an inhuman person and want to finally finish off the aggressor, you can say: "Yes, I am a goat, but besides this, a scoundrel, a scoundrel, a bastard, etc. and I can prove it … I am glad that you paid attention to this …" and so on, while not forgetting (!) about a sincerely good attitude towards the interlocutor.

Intelligent depreciation is structured roughly as follows:

- You are a goat.

- Please explain why.

Options: "How did you know?", "What is it about my behavior that makes you think so?"

Note that in these examples it is easy to see another important feature of successful depreciation - if a person really has specific complaints about you, then you give him the opportunity to express them (and listen to yourself).

"Sexual" amortization of a power attack

Of course, such amortization is primarily aimed at suppressing an attack from a member of the opposite sex, for example:

- You are a goat.

- You are so erotically angry.

However, more complex options are also possible. One of them is the "Rzhevsky method", which consists in "weaving" elements of vulgarity into the conversation, just in such quantity to keep the interlocutor in a slightly embarrassed state:

- What languages do you speak?

- Russian, Ukrainian and French.

An important element in the amortization of power attacks is the ability to suppress the action of the interlocutor that you do not like. A reliable method for achieving this result is the following: in a joke or other acceptable form, "order" the person to do this action. Even if he doesn't stop, his ardor will noticeably fade away. For example: "I am going to give you some comments …" - "Speak" (in a cheerful voice, full of readiness and a joyful smile).

Non-verbal attacks and non-verbal shock absorption

As has already been noted many times, the most important element of amortization is not words, but the accompanying energy message that destroys the attacker's energy circuit. It follows from this that with a sufficiently developed ability to remove energy, depreciation can be carried out without words at all, due to the non-verbal component, or directly at the energy level.

Non-verbal cushioning can be used to cushion verbal attacks, but it is also absolutely indispensable when repelling non-verbal attacks. In addition to those already described, here are some common types of non-verbal attacks:

1. "Friendly" but painful pat on the shoulder.

2. Correction of the collar, other parts of clothing, "removal" of dust particles.

3. Active gestures in your field at the level of one of the energy centers.

4. Comic boxing.

5. The constant desire of the conversation partner to come closer, to enter your intimate zone deeper than you admit it.

Note that non-verbal attacks can be divided into two categories: attacks associated with penetration into the interlocutor's field, and without it. Since the first of the types is more dangerous, we will focus primarily on their depreciation.

The general principle of non-verbal aggression amortization is similar to the one we have already considered: non-verbal aggression is amortized through a reciprocal gesture at the level of the aggressor's energy center, weakened by the attack. For example, in response to a friendly pat on the shoulder, you can start hugging your interlocutor, thus shackling his hands, the person adjusting the collar can begin to "straighten" in response a button at the level of the abdomen. If a person tries to pat you on the head, sit down casually (for example, to tie a lace), and, having missed, he will experience significant discomfort.

In order for the shock absorption to be more effective, it is necessary that the depth of penetration of your gestures into the attacker's field corresponds to the depth of penetration of his gestures into your field. It is also important that the start of your cushioning gesture is as close as possible to the start of the attacking gesture. Of course, your gestures must comply with the norms accepted in the respective subculture.

Actions should be as unexpected as possible for the attacker, if possible even diametrically contrary to his expectations. For example, if a partner is trying to enter your field, do not run away, but start moving towards. A "ragged rhythm", a sharp transition helps to unbalance the attacker well: for example, having got into a situation of "holding by the field", start slowly approaching the holding one, if possible entering his intimate zone, and then, suddenly turning around, suddenly leave his field.

The gaze and smile are powerful elements of non-verbal cushioning. Views are modulated by energy saturation and differ in direction. The ability to remove energy through the eyes indicates a fairly high level of human development. As for the smile - it hasn't disturbed anyone yet.

At the end of the discussion of depreciation techniques, we note one more point. A well-executed amortization does not yet provide you with complete psychological safety in the process of all communication. Having come to his senses, the aggressor can again try his hand, perhaps in a more sophisticated way. You should be prepared for this and for the new depreciation. Gradually, you will begin to notice that such a state of internal readiness in itself suppresses attempts to attack, and vice versa, its loss, the desire to hide, insecurity, resentment attract them.

Ethical aspects of depreciation

Perhaps the reader will be interested in the question, how ethical is the use of methods of psychological depreciation? Indeed, most of the depreciation methods lie outside of etiquette. However, any psychological attack also lies outside the boundaries of etiquette! Moreover, classical etiquette is precisely a system of norms designed to protect people from the possibility of psychological attacks from each other. However, in modern society, there are practically no subcultures left whose norms correspond to classical etiquette.

Therefore, the use of depreciation is the only way to maintain integrity in such subcultures. If the norms of communication leave a loophole for attack, then they leave it for cushioning.

Examples of successful depreciation

1. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2. And in the morning he came to the temple again, and all the people went to Him. He sat down and taught them.

3. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been taken in adultery, and, setting her in the midst, 4. They said to Him: Teacher! this woman was taken in adultery;

5. and Moses in the law commanded us to stone such people: What do you say?

6. They said this, tempting Him to find something to accuse Him. But Jesus, bending down low, wrote with his finger on the ground, paying no attention to them.

7. When they continued to question Him, He lifted himself up and said to them: He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

8. And again, bending down low, wrote on the ground.

9. They, having heard this, and being convicted by their conscience, began to leave one after another, beginning from the elders to the last; and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. (John 8: 1-9)

Khoja came to the bathhouse. The attendant, knowing that Khoja was a poor man, gave him a leaky basin and a torn towel. Khoja did not say anything to this, and after washing, he gave the bath attendant twice as much money as he should have.

When Khoja came to the same bathhouse a week later, the bath attendant, denying Khoja's generosity, served him perfectly. Leaving, Khoja paid half the usual price.

- Why are you paying so little? - the bath attendant was surprised.

- And I'm not crying for today, but for the last time.

- And when are you going to pay for today?

- But for today I paid last time. - answered Hodja.

(The Adventures of Khoja Nasreddin)

-Are you devoted to your country?

- I am glad to die for the Motherland together with Your Excellency.

(The adventures of the brave soldier Švejk)

Examples of successful cushioning behavior strategies

Exit from role dependence (amortization of Scheherazade)

Let us recall an example this time from the tales of 1001 nights (by the way, it is believed that these tales were written by Sufis and contain a lot of esoteric wisdom). King Shahriyar, having caught his wife of treason, took offense at all the women and began to take a new wife every evening, executing her in the morning after the first and last wedding night. The reader will remember that Scheherazade was the only surviving woman.

Scheherazade survived because she changed the rules of the game. Instead of the usual sex, which King Shahriyar asked, and which he received from other temporary wives, she also allowed herself to tell stories. Thus, Scheherazade's depreciation is a third-Glazed game-changing depreciation.

It should be remembered that, playing by the rules imposed on you by the enemy, you can never win, since the enemy created these rules for himself.

Thus, the essence of this depreciation consists in giving oneself the right to establish the rules by which one is going to live and play, and, consequently, the elimination of the corresponding insertion in ajna (which takes away this right).

American psychologists have developed a model of assertive (self-assertive) behavior. From a psychological point of view, assertive behavior is the behavior of a whole person. Below are the so-called assertive rights, i.e. rights that every person unconditionally possesses.

10 basic assertive rights

• I have the right to rate my own behavior, thoughts and emotions and be responsible for their consequences.

Manipulating Superstition: I should not judge myself and my behavior in an unceremonious way and independently of others. In fact, I should always be judged and discussed by a wiser person who enjoys authority, not myself.

• I have the right not to apologize or explain my behavior.

Manipulating superstition: I am responsible for my behavior in front of other people, it is desirable that I give them an account and explain everything I do, and apologize to them for my actions.

• I have the right to independently consider whether I am responsible at all or to some extent for solving other people's problems.

Manipulative Superstition: I have more obligations towards some institutions and people than towards myself. It is advisable to sacrifice my own dignity and adapt.

• I have the right to change my opinion.

Manipulating superstition: If I have already expressed a point of view, it should never be changed. I would have to apologize or admit I was wrong. This would mean that I am not competent and unable to decide.

• I have the right to make mistakes and be responsible for mistakes.

Manipulating Superstition: I am not supposed to be wrong, and if I make a mistake, I should feel guilty. It is desirable that I and my decisions be controlled.

• I have the right to say, "I don't know."

Manipulating Superstition: It is desirable that I be able to answer every question.

• I have the right to be independent of the goodwill of others and their good attitude towards me.

Manipulating Superstition: It is desirable that people treat me well, to be loved, I need them.

• I have the right to make illogical decisions.

Manipulating Superstition: It is advisable that I respect the logic, reason, rationality and validity of everything I do. What is logical is also reasonable.

• I have the right to say: “I don’t understand you”.

Manipulating superstition: I have to be attentive and sensitive to the needs of others, I have to "read their minds."If I don’t do this, I’m a ruthless ignoramus and no one will love me!

• I have the right to say: “I don’t care”.

Manipulating Superstition: I must try to be attentive and emotional about everything that happens in the world. I probably won't succeed, but I must try to achieve it with all my might. Otherwise, I'm callous, indifferent