ETHICS OF PERSUASION
“persuasion ethics spectrum: wrong → hyperbole → spin → lying → brainwashing → gaslighting.”
The Lesson
Persuasion techniques ranked by ethics. (1) Being wrong. Not unethical, just mistaken. (2) Hyperbole. Exaggerating facts, standard sales. (3) Spin. Reshaping how facts fit together. (4) Lying. Intentional falsehood. These four can be 'directionally honest'. A salesman saying 'best' when it's #2 isn't really harmful. (5) Brainwashing. Creating an entire false world ('dictator is coming'). (6) Gaslighting. Denying what someone observes with their own eyes. This is worst because it can cause actual mental illness. Know where on this spectrum you're operating and where others are operating on you.
Real-World Example
A founder reviews their pitch deck. 'Revolutionary' = hyperbole (fine). 'Fastest growing' when they're #3 = spin (borderline). Claiming a partnership that doesn't exist = lying (not okay). They clean up the lies, keep the hyperbole. They also notice a competitor's marketing creates an entire false narrative about the market. That's brainwashing territory. They decide to counter with facts, not matching tactics.
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