Push Back!: How to Take a Stand Against Groupthink, Bullies, Agitators, and Professional Manipulators

How many times have you had the unsettling experience of being treated as a troublemaker as soon as you question or raise an objection to a school policy, a textbook, a course of study, a new county regulation, or a community proposal?Every day, attendees of conferences, community forums, PTA meetings, and board meetings are made to feel uncomfortable and occasionally foolish by the person or persons leading the meeting. The speakers, moderators, or provocateurs—whom author B. K. Eakman refers to as professional manipulators—hold power over the room and know how to steer the discussion back to their agendas without ever answering audience questions or addressing their concerns. These people use techniques to ostracize those brave enough to stand and question or criticize them.With Push Back!, readers will be able to counter group manipulation tactics by learning to:Recognize psychologically controlled environmentsIdentify the professional agitator/provocateurExamine components of psych warUndercut faulty, distorted, and biased arguments of opponentsSquelch techniques used to rebuff audience members who complain or balkNeutralize consensus-building techniquesAnd much more