The Use Of Scapegoats In Persuasion

"United We Stand". For a while there nearly every other car in the country had a bumper sticker appealing to us to stand united, implicitly suggesting that this was our only salvation, because what happens when we don't stand united? That's right. We fall divided.

If we buy into the current political ideology, defeating terrorism and standing united, will this bumper sticker's advice keep us safe? Or will the presuppositions keep us from digging deeper and learning the real stories behind these platitudes?

Scapegoating works best when we have a common enemy. As it relates to 'United We Stand', think Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein. Having something to fight against, unites people.

Christianity uses scapegoating: Satan. The government uses scapegoating: 1950's = Commies; 2000's = Terrorists. Most recently we have Scooter Libby. (Though the distinction has been made that he's more of a "fall guy" than a "scapegoat" because scapegoat implies using an innocent to pin the blame on while fall guy's usually share the blame.)

It was popular in Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials. By diverting attention away from the state and church as the cause for difficulties in people's lives, witches (read: women) were burned at the stake as the core cause of societies ills.

In religion Adam blamed Eve who blamed the serpent for tantalizing her with the apple. Baptists blame the Mormons who blame the Baptists for leading people astray. Christians have an all purpose scapegoat responsible for all manner of sin and degradation, misery and war. . .Satan. The concept of Satan has single-handedly maintained Christianity throughout the years.

I want to stress here that I am not debating the existence of Satan. I have no intention or interest in converting or recruiting anybody to my spiritual, religious or political beliefs. I am simply showing how scapegoating can and has been used over the years.

Politically, scapegoating is multi-layered and at play when our attention is diverted from the body count in Iraq to a focus on gay marriage or stem cell research.

We saw scapegoating rise to the status of national phenomenon during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It even got a new name: The Blame Game. The mayor blamed the governor and the president. The governor blamed the president and the mayor. The president congratulated his FEMA appointee and suggested things were going swell until he realized no one was buying it and then proceeded to blame the governor and the mayor. Some folks in the government even suggested that no one was to blame, it was a natural disaster.

Seems like people ultimately want to believe that their problems or failures are the result of something outside themselves.

In sales and business scapegoating can be used to suggest your new client or prospect's former adviser (or agent), lacked knowledge and gave terrible advice and is responsible for preventing the client from earning what they should have earned.

To use this ethically, instead of making the scapegoat a person or group, make it an opposing force such as an idea, philosophy or an unfortunate circumstance.

About the Author

Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of wealthy prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.

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