Persuaders often want to rush, rush, rush people into a response.

Creating a sense of urgency ("last chance," " now or never"), triggering a response, and channeling it into specific actions ("buy this. . . do this . . . Join us") are common, predictable parts of the persuasion process -- unrelated as to whether the product or the "cause" is "good" or "bad."

Be skeptical then of any intense urgency plea seeking a quick response. Be especially careful in political situations whenever anyone is intensifying the alleged threats or dangers from the opposition.

Persuaders always want us to do something, to respond in some way. As individuals, one counter-weapon we have is to do nothing.

Non-response, silence, passivity is often a very effective tactic. We know it by folklore ("Silence is golden") and by scripture ("A soft answer turneth away wrath"), but we sometimes think of such silence as being weak or cowardly. Yet, if we see such downplaying as part of a strategy, we may better appreciate it. Passive resistance, for example, is an extremely interesting response available to individuals: witness Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Most of us have been long conditioned to social authorities (parents, teachers, bosses, governments, advertisers) demanding our attention and confidence. Such group leaders (include teachers) place high value on enthusiastic response from their audience.

Because of this common conditioning, some people need sanctions, "permission to say no." Some people feel guilty about saying "no" even to an aggressive salesperson, or feel obligated to listen to a sales pitch ("didn't want to hurt their feelings"). Because we have been trained to be polite, sellers often exploit this to their own advantage, hooking in on our guilt-feelings.

So too, the political demagogue (or religious or racial fanatic) will hook in on our feelings of duty or obligation to our country (or to God or our racial group) in order to rush us into action.

When we hear the phrase "a breakdown of communication," it usually implies an unwanted failure has taken place. Yet, a breakdown can be a good thing if we are being blitzed, pressured, or feel overwhelmed: When they intensify, downplay.