How to live and conduct every aspect of life
Power shapes every workplace, relationship, and community, yet few people learn how it really works. This section explores power and influence: where power comes from, how influence and persuasion work, how emotions and fear are used to move people, and how to tell ethical influence from manipulation. Read research-based posts on persuasion techniques, influence tactics, power dynamics, and propaganda, with practical guidance for leading and influencing others responsibly.
Power has a bad reputation. People picture tyrants, bullies, and manipulators. Yet parents, teachers, surgeons, and good bosses use power every day to help others. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on … Read more
You have tried to convince your teenager to study, your spouse to start saving, or your boss to approve that overdue raise. Some attempts worked and some backfired, and the difference had less to do with facts than you think. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more
Two candidates ran for chair of a Jos residents’ association. One promised more, spoke louder, and put up posters. The other had quietly helped neighbors for years, and she won by a landslide. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of … Read more
When Jessica was promoted to manage her former teammates at a Boston tech firm, she assumed her new title would settle any doubts. Within a month, people followed her instructions but stopped telling her the truth. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is … Read more
After losing her factory job in Cleveland at 52, Diane felt she had lost control of her life. Two years later, running her own bookkeeping business, she said the turning point was believing her choices still mattered. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He … Read more
In 1994, a Rwandan radio station spent months telling listeners their Tutsi neighbors were dangerous “cockroaches.” Researchers later estimated its broadcasts drove about 10 percent of participation in the genocide that followed. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The … Read more
When a London hospital switched to a new scheduling system, the most powerful person on the ward for three months was not the head consultant. It was the junior administrator who had attended the training. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the … Read more
A Houston call-center supervisor posted daily rankings and threatened to fire the bottom three agents each week. Call numbers rose for a month, then quality collapsed and half the floor quit within a year. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder … Read more
A Lagos sales manager began paying staff a bonus for every new customer. Sales jumped for three months, then collapsed when customers complained about pushy tactics and staff stopped helping each other. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The … Read more
Mama Nkechi held no office in her village, but when two families quarreled over land, both sides agreed to accept her judgment. Decades of fairness had earned what no title could give. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The … Read more
When the hospital’s new software crashed during a night shift in Ohio, no one called the chief of surgery. Everyone paged Linda, a night nurse who had spent years learning the system inside out. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder … Read more
The office cleaner at a Kaduna firm had no title, yet managers checked with her before changing anything in the building. After twenty years, she knew where every pipe ran and who to call when things broke. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He … Read more
Your partner controls the money and every major decision. Your boss praises in private but blames in public. A friend always wins, and you always adjust. These are not personality clashes. They are power dynamics, and they can be changed. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more