Our problem of getting people to accept our beliefs or to act upon our suggestions, is just this, to plant the idea in their minds and to keep contradictory and opposing ideas from arising.

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Question 5: In “How to be impressive and Convincing”, Dale Carnegie writes:

In our last analysis, our problem of getting people to accept our beliefs or to act upon our suggestions, is just this, to plant the idea in their minds and to keep contradictory and opposing ideas from arising. He who is skilled in doing that will have power in speaking and profit in business.

Do you think this is immoral advice? If so, why? If not, why not?

        Personally, I do not think that this piece of advice by Dale Carnegie is immoral. I strongly believe that we, especially in this time and age, are able to make our own choices freely, and not have to feel subjugated by any other individual. We determine our own future and have more or less some say in the running of our own lives. Hence, though some may think that Dale Carnegie’s piece of advice is immoral for it seeks to coerce our mode of thinking, I feel that we too must take some responsibility in allowing this to occur. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human rights, Article Eighteen and Nineteen, clearly states that one is entitled to “The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” Hence, this further reiterates my stand that as individuals, we are made aware of our right to free choice and thought thereby acknowledging the fact that we are ultimately our own “masters”. Of course, one must also take into consideration the surrounding and circumstances. More often than not, this view of free choice and thought holds true for individuals operating by the laws of democracy and not those who are subjected to militancy or dictatorship.

 The immorality and corruption that might come about occurs when the individual who amasses such “power” harbours immoral intentions and exploits this “power” for immoral purposes such as achieving a corrupted aim, or furthering a “twisted” vision. Furthermore, the business that the individual engages in –with the skill of being able to plant ideas and keep contradictory and opposing ideas from arising- is also an important factor in determining the matter of immorality. Simply put, it is not the advice that proves to be immoral, but rather, it is dependent upon the intentions of the individual in question. Similarly, the “business” that the individual engages in is also of primary importance. Thus, if the individual utilizes such a “skill” for immoral purposes and business, then the result that follows would consequently be immoral and negative. Conversely, if the individual utilizes this skill for moral or non-corrupt intentions and businesses, then this would obviously yield positive results.

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          There are those who might condemn the profits made by Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) and businesses. However, in today’s highly competitive arena, companies resort to every possible means so as to meet targeted sales, to attract and keep their clients and to reap profits. Having this ability or “skill” to satisfy all the above requirements is essential. With the myriad of choices available nowadays, consumers find that they have a greater freedom in exercising their right of freedom of choice and thought. Ironically, there are individuals who still prefer purchasing the same brand of products despite the wide array of ...

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