Why are Some People Dangerous?

Why are Some People Dangerous?

Everyone thinks and everyone communicates.

• Everyone thinks, but people use varying degrees of logical rationality, ranging from low to high levels.
• Everyone communicates, but people communicate in ways that make them more or less inspirational.

These two characteristics; "rationality" and "inspirational communication skills", suggest four categories of people: The Best, the Most, the Many and the Dangerous!

The Best

The Best occurs when both these positive attributes are combined in the same people.

The result is a group of people who are logically rational AND are highly communicative, persuasive and inspiring. These are the great leaders, of whom Martin Luther King would be a terrific example.

The Most

Most of us are not great leaders. Most people are rational, but NOT gifted with amazing communication skills and powers of persuasion. But we live our lives according to rational principles, or at least we try to.

The Many

Sadly, there are a lot of people who fall into the category of "behaving irrationally and having poor communication skills". These people generally fail in life because they fail to do the right things, or even do the wrong thing. They don't communicate well, they lack motivation and a few turn to crime.

The Dangerous

The dangerous people are those who look and sound good, and are highly effective speakers, but their ideas are irrational. Their policies are based on a set of ill-defined terms, vague assumptions, illogical conclusions, obvious contradictions and faulty statistics. This in turn produces a non-sensical, dangerous philosophy, which they then expertly communicate to the Most and the Many.

Houston, we have a problem!

Members of "the Dangerous" can easily be mistaken for being members of "the Best".

The Most and the Many are likely to be duped by the Dangerous. The Dangerous person is believed to be one of the Best, mostly because of their persuasive linguistics. But simmering under the rhetoric, is a heap of self-contradictory, destructive and dangerous policies, that wreak havoc.

The most obvious example of the Dangerous but irrational speaker is Hitler, but I am sure you can think of more contemporary examples.

What are we to do with this information?

Whenever we are listening to the confident experts and politicians. We should take the contents of this grid into account.

We should ask ourselves, "Are we listening to the Best people speak, or rather the Dangerous?"

The logical test questions that we should apply to any speaker claiming to be an expert are these:

1. Are they using ill-defined terms, dubious or hazy definitions?
2. Is their whole case based upon unstated or vague assumptions?
3. When put into practice, do their policies create obvious, glaring contradictions?
4. Are the experts over-dependent on dubious statistics?
5. Are their policies wreaking havoc amongst the Most and the Many?

If the answers to these questions is Yes, then we may NOT be listening to the Best people.

Definition: dangerous speaker

In public communication, a dangerous speaker is a speaker who sounds clear and inspiring yet builds the talk on weak logic, vague words and poor facts, hides big faults or conflicts in the plan, and pushes listeners to act in ways that harm themselves or others.

Article Summary

Great oratory hides risk when reason is weak; test every bold claim for clear terms, sound facts and logical flow, and you will spot dangerous speakers before their words mislead the crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.

Thought of something that's not been answered? Ask Us Today!

Did You Know: Key Statistics

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Further Reading in Communication - Persuasive Communication

• Impression Management
  Learn impression management skills to shape how people see you. Use clear speech, positive body language and a plan to make a good first impression every time.
  Read Article >
• How to Master the Art of Sales
  Learn a six-step sales process and six communication skills that build rapport, uncover needs and close the sale. Training details inside. Expert tips included.
  Read Article >
• Understanding vs Agreement
  Sharpen your communication skills by making sure listeners understand before you seek agreement. Use clear language and solid reasons to avoid costly conflict.
  Read Article >
• Ten Ways to Persuade Someone
  Learn ten proven persuasion techniques to persuade and influence anyone. Use logic, emotion, authority and repetition to convince faster and sharpen skills.
  Read Article >
• Don't Argue Against People, Argue For What You Believe In
  Argue for your belief by keeping talk on your ground. Build clear, solution-focused cases, cut ego clashes and resolve disputes with sharp communication skills.
  Read Article >

Looking for Communication Skills Training?

If you're looking to develop your Persuasive Communication Skills, you may find this Communication Skills Training Course beneficial:

Open Training Course Pricing and Availability

Next Open Course Starts in 6 days, Manchester City, places available Book Now >