Definitive dictionary of power
Hello guys,
Here is a link to the "Definitive Dictionary of Power by Lucio". I think it is golden.
Also Lucio, I have a question for you: I did not find the definition of "Power" in the dictionary, would it be possible for you to add it please?
Because I have to admit that I have my own definitions but nothing really solid.
Thanks a lot!
This thread is a great idea, so here we can postulate new words for inclusion in the dictionary, synonyms,
alternative, contextual and/or second meanings,
and in general clarify terminology and key words or concepts related to power.
As Ludwig Wittgenstein said:
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."
Jep, great idea.
And I'll take the opportunity to clarify on that dictionary: it's a big work in progress, and to a certain extent, it will remain a big work in progress.
I started it for a few reasons that I thought were important:
1. Naming and defining as a tool for better learning:
Giving a name to a concept is very helpful to learn that concept or technique, recognize it when you see it or when you need to use it, plus possible techniques when people are using it against you
2. Coming up with good names for new concepts/techniques:
Using a good, catchy, and descriptive name helps people remember and learn the concept.
There are by now several concepts/techniques/strategies that are new on this website (judge role/frame, collaborative frames, frame cementing, social scalping, power aligning, etc.).
But I'm not so good at picking names, so getting some help with choosing a good name will also make for better learning.
3. Standardizing names
Using different names for the same or very similar situations would be very confusing for people learning power dynamics.
The dictionary resource will help use the correct names all across the forum / posts / PU / (and external website who are mentioning the same concepts).
Plus, if I mistakenly label an already existing concept or technique, someone can point it out and I can go back and correctly rename it everywhere it had been mentioned.
Example: naming the move = understanding the move
When there is a name, one can say "oh, that's an example of this power move / manipulation / frame technique".
And the person can look up the general dynamics, and immediately get an idea.
In this forum thread, you can see an example with tasking.
Eleanor described a certain behavior, but was not sure what was wrong with it. With a name, a description, and the main consequences of tasking, she is better able to understand the dynamics, unederstand how and why she was losing power, and deal with them more effectively.
4. Building structures of meaning = learning power dynamics
What's also really helpful to learn, is being able to associate the various techniques with one another.
Once one has a name and understanding for a big category and a few sub-categories, then it's easier to also understand and label related behavior.
Example: Manipulation > Social exchange manipulation > Social scalping > Imaginary scalping ≈ Power scalping
For example, take social scalping, which is a particular instance of manipulation. It means to "inflate one's own contribution to a group or to an individual to increase one's social credit".
Social scalping is a subset of social exchanges manipulation, which in turn is a subset of general manipulation.
Once one knows that, he can immediately assess a social scalper as a mild win-lose manipulator, and address it appropriately.
For example, if it's a relationship partner, one might surface the manipulative scalping game, explain what they were doing, and then using better collaborative frame.
Or one might simply register it as a "red flag" of a mild manipulator if it's a new friend or a first date.
Understanding (and labeling) similar behavior: Example
Once one understands social scalping, he will also be able to immediately understand related behavior.
For example, JP correctly said that someone who takes advantage of someone else's submissiveness to boss them around doing something similar to "social scalping".
And he was right: that person is trying to inflate his own power to someone's detriment (and I called it "power scalping", in turn related to "status scalping", which is what the doctors were doing to John when they pretended they didn't understand something in his presentation).
And later, Anon correctly pointed out that someone who is offering help in an imaginary situation is engaging in "imaginary generosity" to acquire social credit from hypothetical situations ("imaginary social scalping").
Final goal: reading (and acting) on power dynamics
Of course, the point for the people learning is not to remember all the names -that's what the dictionary is there for-.
But once people understand the concept behind each name, even if you don't remember the name, you will be able to naturally link the concepts on the fly, which in turn means you'll be able to read power dynamics on the fly.
Alright, that long incipit being said, any new name, better name, different or better description you can think of, please do share it.
To answer John, I was still thinking about a definition for "power". I'd probably keep it simple and go for a high-level and general definition, such as "power is the measure of an individual's ability to get what he wants".
Awesome points!
Precise, descriptive, concise and unambiguous terminology really make it viable for us to elaborate complex strategies, mixing or combining the words to orchestrate a course/plan of action (e.g. hybrid power moves, what is sequential, what is simultaneous, what is congruent, etc), and "IF-THEN" contingency alternatives, feedback dependant adjustment in situ, or damage control.
If you are not a lone wolf, and are operating as part of a team, it really helps to clearly communicate and coordinate action on a tactical level vis a vis execution. (obviously you may choose to create new cryptic and esoteric words for your team if secrecy is paramount)
Quote from Stef on August 20, 2020, 12:02 pmAwesome points!
Precise, descriptive, concise and unambiguous terminology really make it viable for us to elaborate complex strategies, mixing or combining the words to orchestrate a course/plan of action (e.g. hybrid power moves, what is sequential, what is simultaneous, what is congruent, etc), and "IF-THEN" contingency alternatives, feedback dependant adjustment in situ, or damage control.
If you are not a lone wolf, and are operating as part of a team, it really helps to clearly communicate and coordinate action on a tactical level vis a vis execution. (obviously you may choose to create new cryptic and esoteric words for your team if secrecy is paramount)
Wonderfully put, spoken like a true Machiavelli! (hopefully a value-adding Machiavelli 🙂
Dark Tetrad: It is the Dark Triad + Sadism.
The worst of the worst since for them cruelty is not a mean but a pleasurable end in itself.
Extreme sadist would do stuff even some psycopaths may find relatively disturbing or at least not enjoyable.
Schadenfreude is a type of manifestation, when you are happy thanks to other people misfortune. (Schadenfreude is borrowed from German. It is a compound of Schaden, "damage, harm", and Freude, "joy".)
And then vicarious happines is the opposite, when you are able to feel happy for other people happines. (a high-level life-hack if you ask me)
Quote from Lucio Buffalmano on August 20, 2020, 12:16 pm
Wonderfully put, spoken like a true Machiavelli! (hopefully a value-adding Machiavelli ?
Thank you, Lucio, as I consider you one of the most eminent contemporary Machiavelli successors, I really appreciate that compliment man! I even feel like showing it to my mother so she can be proud!
when I was younger I was kind of naive on some aspects of social and power dynamics, hopefully I have made some progress!
Quote from Lucio Buffalmano on August 20, 2020, 11:17 amJep, great idea.
And I'll take the opportunity to clarify on that dictionary: it's a big work in progress, and to a certain extent, it will remain a big work in progress.
I do think it's a masterpiece: it's in my bookmarks bar, just besides the TPM forum bookmark. 😉 I agree with you with a mindset of ever-growing project such as this one.
I started it for a few reasons that I thought were important:
1. Naming and defining as a tool for better learning:
Giving a name to a concept is very helpful to learn that concept or technique, recognize it when you see it or when you need to use it, plus possible techniques when people are using it against you
I agree 100%. That is the reason I asked you: to be able to think better around the concept of power.
2. Coming up with good names for new concepts/techniques:
Using a good, catchy, and descriptive name helps people remember and learn the concept.
There are by now several concepts/techniques/strategies that are new on this website (judge role/frame, collaborative frames, frame cementing, social scalping, power aligning, etc.).
But I'm not so good at picking names, so getting some help with choosing a good name will also make for better learning.
100%. So far, I found all names to be easy to remember.
3. Standardizing names
Using different names for the same or very similar situations would be very confusing for people learning power dynamics.
The dictionary resource will help use the correct names all across the forum / posts / PU / (and external website who are mentioning the same concepts).
Plus, if I mistakenly label an already existing concept or technique, someone can point it out and I can go back and correctly rename it everywhere it had been mentioned.
Example: naming the move = understanding the move
When there is a name, one can say "oh, that's an example of this power move / manipulation / frame technique".
And the person can look up the general dynamics, and immediately get an idea.
In this forum thread, you can see an example with tasking.
Eleanor described a certain behavior, but was not sure what was wrong with it. With a name, a description, and the main consequences of tasking, she is better able to understand the dynamics, unederstand how and why she was losing power, and deal with them more effectively.
100%.
4. Building structures of meaning = learning power dynamics
What's also really helpful to learn, is being able to associate the various techniques with one another.
Once one has a name and understanding for a big category and a few sub-categories, then it's easier to also understand and label related behavior.
Example: Manipulation > Social exchange manipulation > Social scalping > Imaginary scalping ≈ Power scalping
For example, take social scalping, which is a particular instance of manipulation. It means to "inflate one's own contribution to a group or to an individual to increase one's social credit".
Social scalping is a subset of social exchanges manipulation, which in turn is a subset of general manipulation.
Once one knows that, he can immediately assess a social scalper as a mild win-lose manipulator, and address it appropriately.
For example, if it's a relationship partner, one might surface the manipulative scalping game, explain what they were doing, and then using better collaborative frame.
Or one might simply register it as a "red flag" of a mild manipulator if it's a new friend or a first date.
100%
Understanding (and labeling) similar behavior: Example
Once one understands social scalping, he will also be able to immediately understand related behavior.
For example, JP correctly said that someone who takes advantage of someone else's submissiveness to boss them around doing something similar to "social scalping".
And he was right: that person is trying to inflate his own power to someone's detriment (and I called it "power scalping", in turn related to "status scalping", which is what the doctors were doing to John when they pretended they didn't understand something in his presentation).And later, Anon correctly pointed out that someone who is offering help in an imaginary situation is engaging in "imaginary generosity" to acquire social credit from hypothetical situations ("imaginary social scalping").
What you are explaining paints in my mind a tree-like structure. Have you ever considered to draw such a tree? "Imaginary generosity", what a great concept! Example (as read on TPM in a different context): "I support all poor people in the World!" Poor people you are very welcome, this is only my duty. I'm awesome I know.
Final goal: reading (and acting) on power dynamics
Of course, the point for the people learning is not to remember all the names -that's what the dictionary is there for-.
But once people understand the concept behind each name, even if you don't remember the name, you will be able to naturally link the concepts on the fly, which in turn means you'll be able to read power dynamics on the fly.
Yes. And this is what your course and website is very well designed in this regard. For instance, yesterday I could see my sister use manipulation techniques ("guilt tripping" + "anger display") to manipulate my brother-in-law and seeing it working in front of me. I thought: "wow, this used to be me."
I'm all about definitions. There is a world of difference between someone who uses a word or a concept and when you ask the person: "what do you mean by "love/freedom/etc."? and someone who has a working definition of it. And as they answer they have no concept of it: you can see that their thinking is rather shallow as their understanding is fuzzy and therefore they cannot properly articulate this idea with another, which is the basis of reasoning.
Definitions are paramounts to proper reasoning, hence the link.
Thank you for your answer regarding the definition of Power!
Here were mine:
- "The ability to make one's idea come true": this is related to your definition
- "The control over other people": to me this would be a synonym and be related to the first idea. One could also include "resources".
Guys: in your mind, how are the concept of power and control related?
I found that people who are control-freak are also power-hungry. To ease their anxiety towards a topic or Life in general, they try to control (have power over) the things they are afraid of.
Ehehe, "mom, look what a little Machiavelli you've done, you can be proud" :).
Definitions added, with "Schadenfreude" and "vicarious happiness" under "frenemy". Schadenfreude as the feeling connected to frenemies, since usually people feel stronger Schadenfreude for people they are envious of, and "vicarious happiness as its antonym.
And "Dark tetrad" under "dark triad".
P.S.: going by the tips, advice, and analyses you're sharing, you have done some huge progress.